Audi RS3 vs Mercedes-Benz C350 E

What's the difference?

The Audi RS3 is a special hot hatch and sedan I’m so glad I experienced before its five-cylinder engine is inevitably retired due to emissions regulations. Full of character and charisma, this car is far from a rational purchase, pitched at boy racers who don’t want to grow up just yet.

From a value perspective, too, while the asking price has crossed the six-figure threshold and the option prices add thousands, it’s still much cheaper than the Mercedes-AMG A45 S. Make of that what you will.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Plug-in hybrids will probably not appeal to all buyers, but in the premium space they make sense.

Smooth electric driving paired with the potential for weekend trips outside the 100km-or-so range make the C350e a decent thing, let alone its price parity with the C300.

It still doesn’t top the charts for value or practicality, but even aside from the PHEV tech, the C350e remains a fun-to-drive sedan that holds its own in the executive space.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Audi has made some subtle tweaks to the RS3 that has somehow made this snarling hot hatch look even angrier.

Up front there’s a new fascia featuring more open sections, which in turn improves air flow. A black styling package is now standard so it almost looks like the entire front is open and ready to eat you alive.

The matrix LED headlights now have a darkened finish which adds to the menacing look. There are new signatures, including a special chequered flag one for the RS3 which looks top notch.

Around the side it surprises me just how much wider the front is compared to the rear. Both have big, muscular haunches, but it shows this hot hatch is a bit of a bulldog. I’m a big fan.

These haunches stand out even more when you opt for the new Daytona Grey Matte exterior paint. While the extra $11,400 for the privilege makes me wince, it looks sexy on this car.

The standard 19-inch ‘Y-spoke’ alloy wheel design remains unchanged from the pre-update car, though there’s a new, optional ‘cross-spoke’ design that looks delicious (and tricky to clean).

At the back there’s still the classic RS dual exhaust tip motif which looks mean and it’s surrounded by a new black rear diffuser with a motorsport-inspired vertical red reflector in the centre.

The new LED tail-light signature with the vertical slats is so clean and neat. It looks particularly great in low-light situations or at night.

Inside, the biggest change is the new RS steering wheel with the flat top and bottom. As standard it’s wrapped in perforated leather, but with the optional RS Design package it’s wrapped in 'Dinamica' synthetic suede. I much prefer the standard leather-wrapped unit as the Dinamica likely won’t last in the long run, especially if you’ve got clammy hands.

Other changes include more interior ambient lighting on the door cards through small slits, as well as a new shift-by-wire gear selector. The digital instrument cluster and touchscreen multimedia system set-up remains unchanged which is no bad thing because they look fantastic.

It’s disappointing Audi has stuck with an extensive use of piano black on the centre console because this gets dusty and grimy very quickly, and then can get scratched easily when wiped clean. It now also features on the steering wheel buttons, which are frequent touchpoints.

The C350e doesn’t depart massively from the familiar visual formula that is the current ‘206’ generation C-Class and that’s no bad thing.

Call it conservative if you like, but having seen what’s possible when Mercedes takes risks (hello EQ models), the traditional Mercedes design language is put into healthy perspective. 

Handsome proportions and lines without any fuss - there are no unnecessary creases or panels or materials.

The plug-in C350e comes, as mentioned, with the AMG Line pack, adding 18-inch five-spoke AMG wheels, an AMG front apron, grille insert, and of course EQ Hybrid badging.

The pack also includes AMG Line styling inside, where you’d have to be a Mercedes regular to spot the specifics. The AMG-style steering wheel and seats are the biggest giveaways.

The RS3’s standard sport front seats are deliciously comfortable and offer plenty of electric adjustment. This means people of any size and stature should be able to find their desired seating position.

Thanks to the electric lumbar there’s also a massage function for the front seats. This is pretty cool to flick on and relax into, but I wish the massage was a little stronger.

While the new steering wheel looks cool interacting with the buttons on it can be a bit of a hassle. They’re touch-sensitive but do have a satisfying click if pressed harder.

There were moments where I accidentally clicked on the buttons during intensive track driving as my hands were at the nine and three o’clock positions. Not the best thing when you’re meant to be focussing.

The digital instrument cluster offers so much configuration you won’t know what to do with yourself. There’s even a new rev counter design especially for the RS3 which looks very cool.

Moving across, the touchscreen multimedia system is classic Audi. It’s easy to navigate around and hard to get lost in the sub-menus. There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity which is virtually a given now.

While you need to use the touchscreen for a number of features, I appreciate how Audi has retained so much physical switchgear up front. It’s particularly handy to have physical toggle switches and a small digital display that’s separate from the touchscreen for the climate control.

Another piece of physical switchgear I like up front is the rotary dial for the media controls on centre console. It’s much like an iPod, allowing you to change the volume if you rotate your finger on it like a click-wheel. Major throwback vibes.

In terms of storage up front, it’s decent but not outstanding. There are two cupholders, a wireless phone charger, a centre console box as well as a lockable glove box.

Moving to the second row, it’s clear it’s more for the sake of it, rather than having a space you’d want to use all the time. At a leggy 182cm tall, I have minimal legroom behind my own driving position.

With headroom, it’s adequate in the hatchback and not great in the lower-slung sedan. I need to kink my neck in the latter to fit, which isn’t comfortable.

The second-row bench seat is comfortable, offering enough support for short-to-medium trips. I wouldn’t want to get stuck back there for too long, however.

In terms of amenities, there are air vents mounted on the back of the centre console with a dedicated third zone of climate control, two USB-C ports, nets on the seat backs as well as a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders.

At the back there’s a power tailgate for the hatchback, however the sedan only has a power-opening boot lid. This means you need to manually shut it, which isn’t uncommon for sedans.

Boot space in the RS3 is a weak spot due to all the componentry for the all-wheel drive system and the tricky rear clutch set-up. There’s only 282L for the hatch and 321L for the sedan, which isn’t much.

In reality, however, the boot space is still usable. It’s fairly square and there’s barely any boot lip, meaning you can slide things in and out with ease.

Boot-related amenities include a netting system to keep things from sliding around, a light, some hooks and a 12V socket. There’s also a parcel cover for the hatchback.

Unfortunately there’s no spare wheel of any kind under the boot floor in the RS3 as this is where the 12V battery lives. Instead there’s a tyre repair kit. This isn’t uncommon in performance cars, though it’s disappointing if you frequently travel in the country, away from tyre repair shops.

The space inside the C-Class remains straight-forward as ever. The layout and features don’t stray from convention, meaning there’s a sizable central screen, digital driver display, central cupholders, and places to put things like a phone, with wireless charging included.

The electrically adjustable seat and steering column make getting into a comfortable position easy, and the memory settings keep it that way.

While physical buttons are scarce, the key controls are easy to access via the central multimedia touchscreen and there’s a lack of complicated sub-menus. It's a refreshingly straightforward system compared to some from rivals, especially that of former category benchmark BMW.

There are fewer than a dozen main tile buttons on the menu, and they’re clear and easy to work out. The main screen also defaults to the navigation, and the climate controls are always visible on the touchscreen.

The central storage area is laid out so a phone sitting in the charging pad is slightly hidden, meaning it’s not a distraction, plus the cover means the cupholders and storage can be hidden away. Tidy!

The AMG-style steering wheel’s haptic controls can be used as regular buttons, but more than once on the test drive I nudged the volume and turned my music back on, just a minor annoyance.

In the second row, there’s generous space for a mid-size sedan, and the seats are comfortable for an adult to ride along for a lengthy trip.

There’s a centre armrest, hidden cupholders, and a generally light and open feeling thanks to the panoramic sunroof.

The battery for the hybrid system sits under the second row seats, which means there’s no uneven flooring in the 315L boot.

The Mercedes-Benz C350e kicks off from $98,200, that’s before options and on-road costs.

And there are some key options, the main one being the ability to DC fast-charge which costs $1500 and brings the total to $99,700.

Pricing sits par with the C300 non-PHEV because of its similar specification, and Mercedes Australia said it wanted to give buyers the choice of internal combustion engine (ICE) or PHEV without having to consider the costs.

There’s a decent stack of standard kit in the C350e, including power adjustable heated leather seats, a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen and same-size digital driver display, head-up display, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The C350e also scores some more fun stuff as standard, including a Burmester surround sound system, panoramic sunroof, the Driving Assist Plus pack, augmented reality MBUX, and the AMG Line pack which adds some sportier-looking design features.

It also comes with Mercedes’ Comfort Suspension which includes self-levelling suspension, and Digital Lights with adaptive high beam.

The Audi RS3 is still powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine which produces an unchanged 294kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

This is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.

Audi claims both versions of the RS3 can do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.8 seconds, which is technically 0.1 seconds faster than a Mercedes-AMG A45 S. Top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h.

The C350e’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain consists of a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine and an electric motor that drives the rear wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The combustion engine’s peak outputs are 150kW and 320Nm, while the 95kW/440Nm electric motor works with it to land on a total system output of 230kW and 550Nm.

While it’s not lightning quick, the C350e has a decent claimed 0-100km/h sprint of 6.1 seconds, and from the driver’s seat it certainly feels brisk enough to get out of its own way.

The Audi RS3 sedan is claimed to consume 8.2L/100km, whereas the RS3 hatch is claimed to consume 8.3L/100km, both on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle (ADR 81/02).

Both body types come with a 55L fuel tank and require a minimum of 98 RON premium unleaded petrol.

During my testing I saw an average of 9.6L/100km according to the trip computer. We did around 200km of higher speed driving heading east out of Melbourne, including some spirited sections.

Our on-test figure translates to a range of 570km on a full tank of petrol.

Mercedes officially claims the C350e has a driving range of 104km under NEDC testing, with a 25.4kWh battery supplying the juice.

Official fuel use is just 1.5L/100km, but Mercedes says that becomes 7.6L without any battery charge to help it out.

Under standard 11kW AC charging, it’s about two hours from flat to full, but with the optional 55kW DC fast-charging, it takes about 20 minutes from flat to 80 per cent.

Spoiler alert, it’s a cracker.

Starting up the RS3, you’re instantly aware you’re behind the wheel of something special. Audi has made the start-up more “emotional” with this update and also “optimised” the exhaust flap control for more five-cylinder growl across a wider rev range.

When you’re on the boil, this five-cylinder sounds so fantastic. It’s the clear centrepiece of this car and I’m so happy Audi has continued to offer it.

However, thanks to the addition of a petrol particulate filter (PPF) with this latest-generation model it sounds a little muted in everyday driving. Call me a boy racer, but I want more noise.

Staying on the engine, it’s full of character and gets this small hatch and sedan moving along with ease. Even though the outputs are unchanged with this update, it’s still more than enough; 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds shows it's more than enough.

The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in this car keeps the acceleration feeling relentless with snappy gear changes at a moment’s notice. It’s particularly fun taking control of moving between the ratios with the paddle shifters.

In slow-moving traffic, however, the dual-clutch can get a little lost and stuttery, which is a classic characteristic of this kind of transmission.

As standard the all-wheel drive system remains neutral, keeping the front and rear balanced and in check. However, if you flick to the ‘Dynamic’ drive mode you get more rear-biased action which is fun when you exit a corner with some extra heat.

There’s also still a ‘RS torque rear’ drive mode which is essentially a drift mode. Unfortunately we didn’t get to sample this during the launch program.

Additionally, there’s an ‘Individual’ mode that allows you to choose your own destiny. You could spend hours here fine-tuning your desired drive mode which is both great to see but complete nerd-core.

Like the pre-update car, there’s an electronically controlled multi-disc clutch on the rear axle which actively splits the torque between the rear wheels. However, it’s been "optimised" to allow for quicker cornering.

While this is hard to gauge without testing the pre-update and current car back-to-back, the RS3 is so dynamic it feels like you only scratch the surface on public roads. Thankfully we got to see how far we could push it on Haunted Hills, which is a fantastically complicated hill climb circuit in eastern Victoria.

In terms of the steering, there’s a progressive rack as standard which ramps up the steering intensity the more you turn the wheel. In practice, this means the lock-to-lock ratio is very short, making it easy to link up tight corners.

It also makes it easy to navigate tighter driving scenarios, like parking, though it disguises how wide the turning circle is. Expect to do three-point turns fairly often.

For the suspension, the RS3 has adaptive dampers set-up that generally errs on the sportier and firm side. There is a ‘Comfort’ mode which irons out some bumps, but larger road imperfections still transmit harshly into the cabin.

It’s also worth noting at higher speeds there’s a considerable amount of road and tyre noise that comes into the cabin. Thankfully the Sonos sound system does a great job at drowning this out.

Lastly, the safety systems in this car are generally user-friendly, though the lane-keep assist can be a little too hands-on, especially on narrow roads with poor lane markings. Thankfully you can switch this off by pressing and holding a button on the end of the indicator stalk.

The C350e has a few drive modes that are mostly self-explanatory, those being Battery Hold, Electric, Hybrid, Sport and Individual.

You’ll likely find yourself using Electric and Hybrid most of the time, so we’ll focus on those. Sport is fine but somewhat defeats the purpose of the plug-in system for day-to-day driving.

In electric mode, the C350e doesn’t feel like it’s lacking any power without the engine helping it along. Acceleration is smooth, brisk enough, and a 130km/h top speed means you won’t need the engine on your commute.

Realistically, its 104km range is probably somewhere closer to 80km, but covers you for a decent daily distance.

Let the car use the engine to help out via Hybrid mode and, if you’ve got music playing, you might not notice the engine starting and cutting. The system is smooth and it means a much longer life out of the battery before needing to charge. That, and there’s the benefit of more brisk acceleration thanks to the hefty 230kW/550Nm total outputs.

Everything else about the C350e is classic C-Class - the ride is controlled and the suspension does a decent job of soaking up bumps and rough roads, the comfort and self-levelling suspension makes cornering smooth and inspires confidence.

The most noticeable shortcoming for the car is its transmission hesitation if you put your foot down quickly, though the ability to use the paddles to choose your own gears in Sport mode avoids this.

In Electric or Hybrid, the paddles decide how much braking regen to apply, a useful feature that lets you recuperate some power for the battery if your drive includes a lot of downhill slopes or if you’re avoiding relying on the brake pedal.

The C530e’s extra weight doesn’t dull its driving characteristics as you might expect from a car laden with PHEV tech, so it’s a welcome surprise that you could pick up a plush plug-in for the same price as a combustion C300.

The C-Class has a five-star ANCAP rating, but it was tested in 2022 before the plug-in variant arrived.

Still, 10 airbags and an advanced list of safety features provides peace of mind.

The C-Class benefits from the brand’s Pre-Safe collision protection system to minimise occupant injuries from an impact, even to your hearing.

It also has emergency collision avoidance via steering input, driver monitoring, speed limit assist with adaptive cruise control, and parking sensors with surround-view cameras.

Like all Audis, the RS3 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. There’s also five years of roadside assistance.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

You’re able to purchase a five-year pre-paid service package for $4010. That averages out to $802 per service, which seems like a lot until you see how much Mercedes-AMG charges to service an A45 S.

RS3 owners can also purchase two-year packages to extend the warranty, roadside assistance and servicing coverage. This allows new RS3 owners to have warranty coverage for up to nine years and it’s transferable to future owners.

Mercedes has a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty which is decent for a premium brand.

Servicing is pricey, though. 

A three-year pack covering a service every 12 months (or 25,000km, whichever comes first) costs $3355, that being just three services.

Four years costs $4630, or five includes a more expensive service and brings the total to $6890. That’s an average of $1378 per service.

Finding somewhere to spend that money shouldn’t be hard as there are 100 dealers listed in Australia.