Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2010 Mercedes Benz C-Class VS 2010 Audi A6 Near Scottsdale, AZ

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes C Class are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Audi A6 has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

The C Class offers optional Tele Aid, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The A6 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies.

Both the C Class and the A6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available all wheel drive.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the C Class is safer then the A6:

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

There are over 18 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier to get service under the C Class’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2009 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 6th in initial quality. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 20th.

As tested in Consumer Reports the C300 is faster than the A6 3.2:

The C Class stops much shorter than the A6:

The C Class offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The A6’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The C Class’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (52.5% to 47.5%) than the A6’s (54.2% to 45.8%). This gives the C Class more stable handling and braking.

The C350 handles at .87 G’s, while the A6 4.2 Sedan Quattro pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The C350 goes through Road & Track’s slalom 2.2 MPH faster than the A6 3.2 Sedan Quattro (63.8 vs. 61.6 MPH).

For better maneuverability, the C350’s turning circle is 3.5 feet tighter than the A6’s (35.5 feet vs. 39 feet). The C300’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the A6’s (35.6 feet vs. 39 feet).

The Mercedes C Class may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 500 pounds less than the Audi A6.

The C Class is 11.2 inches shorter than the A6 Sedan, making the C Class easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Road & Track while at idle, the interior of the C350 is quieter than the A6 3.2 Sedan Quattro (45 vs. 46 dB).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the C Class easier. The C Class’ trunk lift-over height is 26.4 inches, while the A6 Sedan’s liftover is 28.2 inches.

If the windows are left down on the C Class the driver can raise them all using the keyless remote (remote must be aimed at door sensor); on a hot day the driver can lower the windows. The driver of the A6 can’t use the remote to operate the windows.