Compare the2026 Audi A5VS 2026 Mercedes C-Class Sedan

Both the A5 and C-Class Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A5 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The C-Class Sedan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Audi A5 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The A5 has standard whiplash protection, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the whiplash protection system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Audi A5 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Mercedes C-Class Sedan has not been tested.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A5. But it costs extra on the C-Class Sedan.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The A5 has standard Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. Car-to-X Communication costs extra on the C-Class Sedan.

The A5’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the C-Class Sedan.

Both the A5 and the C-Class Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, front 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 and driver alert monitors.

The A5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the C-Class Sedan’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the A5 for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Audi will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the C-Class Sedan.

The Audi A5’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the C-Class Sedan’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 6 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The A5’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 13 more horsepower (268 vs. 255) than the C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The A5 offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A5’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the A5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the C-Class Sedan:

For better traction, the A5 has larger standard tires than the C-Class Sedan (235/45R18 vs. 225/45R18). The A5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the C-Class Sedan (245/40R19 vs. 225/40R19).

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the A5 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. Run-flat tires aren’t available on some tire packages on the C-Class Sedan.

The A5 has 1 inch more front shoulder room and .1 inches more rear legroom than the C-Class Sedan.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. Heated windshield washer nozzles cost extra on the C-Class Sedan.

Both the A5 and the C-Class Sedan have standard heated front seats. The A5 Prestige also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the C-Class Sedan.

The A5 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the C-Class Sedan.