German Car Forum

A4 wants to be the sportiest car in the middleclass. Is that enough to beat the C-class?


At the end A4 puts the C-class to place two. Much thanks to the TDI engine, interior and the better base price. However, C-class offer better comfort and is better equipped.

1. A4 (478p)
2. C-class (468p)


BODY Points maximally AUDI Mercedes

Available space: 30 24 23
Trunk/variability: 20 12 12
Additional load (trailer weight): 20 15 16
Seat/seating position: 30 28 27
Space feeling/all-round visibility: 20 16 17
Equipment/operability: 30 27 26
Safety equipment: 30 20 25
Quality impression/materials: 20 18 17
Intermediate result : 200 160 163

DRIVE/CHASSIS
Engine characteristics: 20 18 15
Beschleunigung/Vmax: 30 22 21
Elasticity: 20 13 10
Handling: 30 29 28
Driving noises: 10 10 9
Travelling comfort: 20 16 17
Transmission/circuit: 20 18 17
Steering element/turning circle: 20 17 17
Brakes: 30 22 23
Intermediate result: 200 165 157

COSTS
Tax/insurance: 20 17 15
Consumption/environment: 40 39 38
Warranty: 20 11 13
Maintenance: 20 16 17
Surcharge organization: 10 7 6
Resale *: 10 9 9
Price: 80 54 50
Intermediate result: 200 153 148


AUDI A4 2,0 TDI/Mercedes C 200 CDI
Acceleration 0-50 km/h 3.3 s 3.4 s
0-100 km/h 10.0 s 10.6 s
0-130 km/h 16.7 s 17.9 s
Elasticity 60-100 km/h 7.1 s (4th gear) 9.6 s (4th gear)
80-120 km/h 12.1 s (6th gear) 17.1 s (6th gear)

Braking distance from 100 km/h: 36.1 m 35.7 m

Price: 32,350 € 34,010 €

Wow!! The A4 looks great...

The Audi's elasticity really is impressive; suffice to say, it makes runny eggs of the MB. Nevertheless, the two vehicles are so evenly matched that as per usual, the choice comes down to personal preference. Great test though.

P.S. - I love that Barolo Red colour on the C-Class.

The rear end of the Audi already looks old.

I think that all the cars in this segment... 3er. c class and A4 have rears that are nice... but just not great... its a design flaw in all of them

im warming quickly to th A4 but there are still some lines i dont like... i doesnt all flow nicely to me yet... neither did the 3 series for awhile but now i love it

i MUCh prefer the traditional grille and star on the class then the sports package... having seen both in real life and both in black the classic verision is much more benz and more more elegent and luxurious

I agree. I saw dark blue C200k Elegance the other day and I was struck by how exclusive and premium it looked. You really don't need the sports package at all, especially if the C-class is in a dark colour.

As for the A4 it seem like Audi has done a superb job and like we see here it is clearly a contender, mostly because of it's very attractive price. The interior looks great although doesn't have the same high quality feel as the A6 and the B7. The plastic on the entire center console doesn't feel as good as the typical rubber/plastic used in Audis.

Did anyone ever post the Autocar comparison test?

The W204 Elegance looks absolutely beautiful!I can't understand why people prefer the Avantgarde! Especially with the AMG Sportpackage the C-Class Elegance is a very elegant and sporty car!









and I don't why, this is my absolutely favourite...



Compared to these, the Audi A4 design looks a bit "old".

I can't help but to say the man struggles to sit comfortably in back seat of the two cars. He looks 6'4 or even taller, not appropriate to be featured in compact sedan.

he said it was more space in the backseat of the A4

I just noticed that too. The dude is dead tall and is most likely doesn't fit inside a Hyundai Atos.

Dude u got the words out of my mouth,that engine is incient,sure MB is gonna replace it with the new V6 petrols ones ,btw why does Audi has to make all it's cars bigger in size than competetion? A6 is bigger than E and 5,Q7 bigger than ML and X5 and now the A4 is bigger than C and 3,why? always wondered about that and would appreciate a good answer

Τhe interior of the C class looks very cheap. It reminds me of the A class.

Cost cutting may be a priority for Mercedes but since someone pays premium price he has to get premium design and materials.

Strange cause i was thinking the exact same thing...for the C class. Those lights seem very ordinary.

man you are living in the past..they reallly sacrifcied the cost cutting to get back to old levels.. the enterior might not look great in that guise..but go and sit in it..the materialls are really good.. no joke..

design is personall..but i agree it could have been more upscale looking

The interior might look cheap and perhaps a little dull in photographs but sitting inside the C-class everything feels very premium. The quality feel is top notch, no cost cuttings what so ever except that more incorporated wood/alu panels could have spiced up the interior a bit.

Well it's simple go check out a nice C loaded int

Agreed 100% Luw.

I thought the C-Class' interior would look cheap, but when I saw it in the flesh I was pleasantly suprised. Looks superb.

Its the design that is the problem for the Benz interior, not the quality.

hi i own a new c clas and when i saw pics on the net i wasnt to happy ..especially the steering...


but i drive it and sit in it alot and its lovely the quality is tops i definately think its better then the 3 in terms off quality..i also feel its better quality then the prefaclifted e class which i also drive regularly...

the materials used are very high quality and i like the steering also when driving very nice postions and stuff only it could have been bith thicker.....

100% correct! I am a MB fan but my next car is a 335i with iDrive - much nicer interior!

Well really you should sit in it, it is a very nice place to be. very comfortable, you feel good in a C-Class, and the steering wheel looks much much better in real life.
Also, imo, you have to take it in black/grey, then it looks really really nice.

Much warmer thant the interior of a 3-Series, and imo also better than the new A4 , really complex and with no harmony: a lot of curves and lines endind nowhere, lots of parts everywhere...(but the interior of the old A4 was the top of the top).

The facelifted C class (previous model) had much better interior IMO. I think that the instrument and the Navi screen design dont leave much space for a good impression.

I honestly have to say that C-Class interior is on par with the 3 Series sedan. Obviously I haven't been inside the B8 A4 yet but the B7 A4 had better interior than either one of those two cars.

I've sat inside the A5 which you probably know has the same interior as the A4 and the quality isn't as good on the B7. Cheaper plastic used in some areas.