Compare the2025 Mercedes C-Class SedanVS 2025 Audi A6

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the C-Class Sedan are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A6 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The C-Class Sedan has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The A6 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The C-Class Sedan has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A6’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the C-Class Sedan has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Active Brake Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A6.

The C-Class Sedan’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A6 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the C-Class Sedan and the A6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Mercedes C-Class Sedan achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The A6 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

There are over 25 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the C-Class Sedan’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 36 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 57 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

The C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 273) than the A6 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the C-Class Sedan gets better mileage than the A6:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes C-Class Sedan higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi A6 (4). This means the C-Class Sedan produces up to 13.2 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A6 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes C-Class Sedan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the A6.

The C-Class Sedan’s standard 245/40R18 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A6’s standard 45 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the C-Class Sedan can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The A6 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The C-Class Sedan’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The A6 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the C-Class Sedan’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the A6’s (36.3 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The C-Class Sedan 4MATIC’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the A6’s (37.6 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

The Mercedes C-Class Sedan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 pounds less than the Audi A6.

The C-Class Sedan is 7.4 inches shorter than the A6, making the C-Class Sedan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Mercedes C-Class Sedan amounts to more than styling. The C-Class Sedan has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .24 Cd. That is significantly lower than the A6 (.28) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the C-Class Sedan get better fuel mileage.

The C-Class Sedan has 2 inches more front headroom and .4 inches more front legroom than the A6.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the C-Class Sedan’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The A6 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Consumer Reports rated the C-Class Sedan’s headlight performance “Excellent,” a higher rating than the A6’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes C-Class has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the A6.

The C-Class Sedan has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The A6 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The C-Class Sedan is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The A6 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Mercedes C-Class outsold the Audi A6/S6/RS 6 by almost four to one during 2023.