Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2014 Audi A7 VS 2014 Mercedes CLS-Class Near Phoenix, AZ

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi A7 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 Mercedes CLS-Class has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A7. But it costs extra on the CLS-Class.

Both the A7 and the CLS-Class have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

The A7’s corrosion warranty is 8 years and unlimited miles longer than the CLS-Class’ (12/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

On the EPA test cycle the A7 TDI gets better fuel mileage than the CLS550 Auto 4MATIC (24 city/38 hwy vs. 18 city/25 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the A7 3.0T gets better highway fuel mileage than the CLS550 4MATIC (28 hwy vs. 25 hwy).

The A7 stops shorter than the CLS-Class:

For better traction, the A7 has larger standard tires than the CLS-Class (255/40R19 vs. 245/40R18). The A7’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CLS-Class (265/35R20 vs. 255/35R19).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the A7 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the CLS-Class. The A7’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the CLS-Class.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the A7’s wheelbase is 1.5 inches longer than on the CLS-Class (114.7 inches vs. 113.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the A7 is 1.8 inches wider in the front and .3 inches wider in the rear than on the CLS-Class.

The A7 handles at .96 G’s, while the CLS550 4MATIC pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The A7 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CLS550 (25.2 seconds vs. 25.7 seconds).

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the A7 is rated a Large car by the EPA, while the CLS-Class is rated a Compact.

The A7 has standard seating for 5 passengers; the CLS-Class can only carry 4.

The A7 has .1 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom and 2 inches more rear legroom than the CLS-Class.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the A7’s liftgate can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The CLS-Class doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The A7 Prestige offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts onto the windshield, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The CLS-Class doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A7 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The CLS-Class doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the A7 has standard extendable sun visors. The CLS-Class doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Insurance will cost less for the A7 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the A7 will cost $1990 to $4335 less than the CLS-Class over a five-year period.

The A7 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. Kiplinger’s estimates that the A7 will retain a greater percentage of its original price after three and five years than the CLS-Class.

Intellichoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi A7 will be $10046 to $33008 less than for the Mercedes CLS-Class.

The Audi A7 won the Best Resale Value award in Kiplinger’s 2013 car issue. The Mercedes CLS-Class didn't win any award.

The A7 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2 of the last 2 years. The CLS-Class has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The A7 was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2013. The CLS-Class has never been an “All Star.”

The Audi A7 outsold the Mercedes CLS-Class by 156 units during the 2012 model year.