Audi A3 Saloon vs Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AudiA3 Saloon | Mercedes-BenzC-Class Saloon | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | April 2020 | 2021 |
| Performance | ||
| Powertrain | Petrol, Mild hybrid, Diesel | Mild hybrid, Plug-in hybrid |
| Power | 114–395 bhp (better) | 215–322 bhp |
| 0–62 mph | 3.8–9.9 s (better) | 5.9–7.3 s |
| Top speed | 130–174 mph (better) | 149–155 mph |
| Engine or motors | 1.5-litre four-cylinder TFSI (116 or 150 PS; 48V mild hybrid with S tronic), 2.0-litre TDI diesel (150 PS), 2.0-litre TFSI (333 PS, S3), 2.5-litre five-cylinder TFSI (400 PS, RS 3); bhp converted from Audi's PS figures | 1,999 cc four-cylinder turbo petrol: C 250 160 kW (218 hp) and C 300 190 kW (258 hp), each with a 17 kW mild-hybrid motor; C 300e 160 kW engine plus 100 kW electric motor, 240 kW (326 hp) system output; bhp converted from Mercedes' kW figures |
| Torque | 220 Nm (116 PS), 250 Nm (150 PS TFSI), 360 Nm (TDI), 420 Nm (S3), 500 Nm (RS 3) | 320 Nm (C 250), 400 Nm (C 300), 550 Nm system (C 300e) |
| Gearbox | 6-speed manual or 7-speed S tronic | 9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic |
| Drive | Front-wheel drive; quattro four-wheel drive on S3 and RS 3 | Rear-wheel drive |
| Range and charging | ||
| Zero-emission range (WLTP) | – | 67 miles |
| Battery | – | 19.53 kWh |
| Fastest charging | – | 55 kW |
| Economy (WLTP) | 30.7–59.3 mpg | 42.9–117.8 mpg (better) |
| Range detail | – | C 300e WLTP electric range 67 miles |
| Charging | – | C 300e: 19.53 kWh usable battery; 11 kW AC (0–100% in 2 hours); DC up to 55 kW (10–80% in 20 minutes) |
| Efficiency | WLTP combined: 48.4–52.6 mpg (116 PS manual), 51.9–55.2 mpg (116 PS S tronic), 47.4–51.8 mpg (150 PS manual), 50.8–55.3 mpg (150 PS S tronic), 54.4–59.3 mpg (TDI), 34.6–35.0 mpg (S3), 30.3–30.7 mpg (RS 3); depends on trim | WLTP combined: 43.5 mpg (C 250), 42.9 mpg (C 300), 117.8 mpg and 15.1 kWh/100 km (C 300e) |
| CO2 emissions | 116–136 g/km (TFSI and TDI), 184–186 g/km (S3), 209–212 g/km (RS 3), WLTP combined | 147 g/km (C 250), 150 g/km (C 300), 54 g/km weighted (C 300e) |
| Practicality | ||
| Body | Saloon | Saloon |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Boot | 425 litres | 455 litres (better) |
| Length | 4,506 mm | 4,766 mm |
| Width | 1,816 mm | 1,820 mm |
| Weight | From 1,345 kg | From 1,747 kg |
| Boot | 425 litres; 325 litres (S3), 321 litres (RS 3) | 455 litres (C 250, C 300); 315 litres (C 300e) |
| Towing | Up to 1,300 kg braked (116 PS), 1,500 kg (150 PS), 1,600 kg (TDI) | 1,800 kg braked, 750 kg unbraked |
| Size | 4,506 mm long, 1,816 mm wide, 1,433 mm high (RS 3 4,533 x 1,851 x 1,416 mm); weight is Audi UK's unladen figure, 1,345 kg (116 PS manual) to 1,640 kg (RS 3); RS 3 top speed is 155 mph, 174 mph on Carbon Vorsprung | 4,766 mm long, 1,820 mm wide without mirrors (2,047 mm with), 1,438 mm high (1,442 mm C 300e); 11.07 m turning circle; kerb weight 1,747 kg (C 250), 1,778 kg (C 300), 2,118 kg (C 300e) |
| Tech and safety | ||
| Infotainment | Audi virtual cockpit plus as standard; Audi announced a curved panel with an 11.9-inch virtual cockpit and 12.8-inch MMI touch display for the A3 range in June 2026 | – |
