Compare the2025 Mercedes C-Class SedanVS 2025 Toyota Crown

The C-Class Sedan’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Crown doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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 Crown doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The C-Class Sedan offers optional Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Crown doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the C-Class Sedan has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert with Active Brake Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the Crown Limited/Platinum/Nightshade offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the C-Class Sedan and the Crown 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Mercedes C-Class Sedan has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” to “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Crown is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024, though it hasn’t yet been rated in the updated moderate overlap frontal test, a requirement for the “Top Safety Pick Plus” award.

The C-Class Sedan comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Crown’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The C 300 Sedan’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 19 more horsepower (255 vs. 236) than the Crown’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mercedes C-Class Sedan is faster than the Toyota Crown 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

Both the C-Class Sedan and Crown have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The C-Class Sedan has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The C-Class Sedan has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Crown (17.4 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Toyota Crown (6). This means the C-Class Sedan produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Crown 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 six-speed automatic is available for the Crown.

The C-Class Sedan’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Crown are solid, not vented.

The C-Class Sedan stops much shorter than the Crown:

For better traction and acceleration, the C-Class Sedan has larger standard rear tires than the Crown (245/40R18 vs. 225/55R19). The C-Class Sedan’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Crown (255/35R19 vs. 225/55R19).

The C-Class Sedan’s standard 225/45R18 front and 245/40R18 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Crown’s standard 55 series tires. The C-Class Sedan’s optional 225/40R19 front and 255/35R19 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Crown’s optional 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 Crown 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 Crown doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The C 300 Sedan 4MATIC handles at .91 G’s, while the Crown Limited pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The C-Class Sedan is 9.1 inches shorter than the Crown, making the C-Class Sedan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The C-Class Sedan has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 2.9 inches more front hip room, 5 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Crown.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the C-Class Sedan’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Crown’s useful trunk space.

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

The C-Class Sedan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Crown uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the C-Class Sedan is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Crown. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Crown Limited/Platinum/Nightshade, the C-Class Sedan has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The C-Class Sedan’s standard easy entry and exit feature raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Crown.

The C-Class Sedan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Crown’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the C-Class Sedan to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Crown doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the C-Class Sedan offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Crown doesn’t offer cornering lights. The C-Class Sedan also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

A power rear sunshade and manual rear side window sunshades are standard in the C-Class Sedan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Crown doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The C-Class Sedan’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Crown has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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 Crown 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 Crown doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Mercedes C-Class outsold the Toyota Crown by 72% during 2023.