Mercedes-Benz C-Class vs Audi A5

What's the difference?

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class C200 is such a stylish sedan and I would totally have one. The driving performance, luxurious features and practical size made it a winning combo for my family. The price point is definitely up there but you do get a high-end build for the cash. I've seen bigger boots in other sedans and not being able to fit a third child seat will limit some families, but this still easily earns an 8.5/10 from me.

My son really loved this one. The ambient lighting was the highlight for him and he thought it looked like a "space car" inside. He gave it a 9/10.

The Audi A5 remains a convincing option in the premium mid-size sedan category, even with the near-$10K price increase over its equivalent grade A4 predecessor.

Even in its base spec, it’s a lovely thing to drive and adds enough new kit to be a reasonable option when it comes to value. In terms of tech usability, it stands out from rivals. Practicality is still king for Audi.

But for the heart-over-head types, the S5 is fast and fun while remaining a comfortable cruiser and the price is decent. On a personal note, a six-cylinder wagon? That's a big yes from me.

For the time it’s available, it’s hard to go past the value on offer in the S5 Edition One. Getting an AWD V6 with that kind of capability for under $100K is something that's sure to tempt buyers. If it doesn’t, we need to take a good look at ourselves.

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

The C200 is a sleek and elegant steed.

Initially, you may think this is just a standard Merc showcase. There's the nice big badge on the pronounced nose. Beautiful sleek lines in the body... but it's the attention to detail that make this feel special.

There's a repeated badge motif in the grille and a cute cursive Mercedes logo tucked into the corner of the windscreen. The puddle lights on the doors project the badge at night time and you can often spot a badge etched into the LED lights.

However, it's the interior that's the highlight for me and I feel like it's a big step up from previous models I've been in.

Our model has the grey 'Artico' synthetic leather trim (says grey but it's really white) and a lovely mix of piano black and shiny chrome inserts that are set against soft touchpoints throughout.

The quality of the build oozes through every stitch and join. Don't even get me started on the cool customisable ambient lighting system inside, which makes this feel like you're on the set of Tron and really elevates the interior.

It's quite fun to build one of these in Mercedes' online configurator. You can customise your trims to make it feel like your own and their blue paintwork options are great (I do love a blue car).

The A5 incorporates Audi’s new design language in a way that makes the 2026 model stand out from Audi’s older offerings, but we won’t know how well it works in the family until more new-gen Audi cars arrive.

For now, the A5 is a generally handsome car. It very much looks like an Audi from the front, even a recent A4 if you only very quickly glanced.

The aforementioned S line styling does plenty in making even the base Audi A5 look like a properly luxe thing. There were a few double-checks at the launch to make sure drivers were getting into the right cars.

Fortunately the new car’s designers refrained from busying up the car with trim, the only big features being the side vents at the front.

But even in Avant form the S5 looks athletic, quad-exhausts in the lower bar and the angular rear bodywork moving away from the previously softer, more rounded look Audi had gone with before.

Inside, the changes are arguably more obvious. The A5 is now much more ‘screeny’ than before, especially if optioned with the passenger-side touchscreen.

It’s still decidedly Audi in its layout and design, with geometric shapes on the steering wheel, screen housing, door cards and even on the gear shifter, which is no longer the more traditional handle-type.

I'm not going to lie – there are sedans out there that have an almost limo-like space inside but the C200 isn't one of them.

It's not small by any means and all occupants enjoy the comforts of decent legroom and headroom but it's not cavernous considering the specs (1437mm high/1820mm wide/4751mm long).

The optional panoramic sunroof does cut into the headroom for back seat passengers, which is something to consider if your family is very tall.

The storage is maybe a tad leaner-than-average for a car of this size. The glove box and middle console aren't massive but will suffice.

The cupholders up front can be removed if you need extra storage space for larger items and back seat passengers enjoy retractable cupholders in the armrest.

The way the front doors curve out creates a larger than normal storage bin and drink bottle holder – which help make up the difference. There is a dedicated phone pocket, to tuck it out of the way.

The boot space is 455 litres (VDA), which isn't as large as some others on the market but it was plenty big enough for my family's needs.

There's a handy under-floor storage pocket for smaller items, like the puncture repair kit, because you don't get a spare tyre in this.

When it comes to ease of use, my six-year-old loved not needing my help to get into his seat and he still enjoyed a decent view out of the wide back window.

The amenities in each row are good but not class-defining. Still, creature comforts have be well-thought through.

Front occupants enjoy heated seats and fantastic lumbar and under thigh support. Dual-zone climate control sorts out the temp, and the cool circular air vents that make loud audible 'clicks' when manoeuvred give the interior a jet cockpit vibe.

While I've never had an issue opening or closing a sedan boot, the powered lid was a nice feature to have this week.

The tech throughout is great and intuitive to use. The massive 11.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system is cool and is easy to use once you become acclimatised to Mercedes system.

The customisable digital instrument panel makes the driving experiences feel individualised.

The interior is a chilled out space with gentle scrolling touchpads taking the place of most 'push' buttons and dials.

Think of each surface as being a bit like a touchscreen tablet in how you operate it. I was a little worried the touchpads would be laggy but they're very responsive.

There's only one USB port in the whole car, which limits charging for other passengers but I did enjoy the easy connectivity of the wireless Apple CarPlay.

The electric heated front seats are a nice touch but I was amused by the 'kinetic' function on both. It's what you might call a 'massage' function on another car but here they don't really work. It's best to think of them as a way to do some (very) gentle stretching on a long trip.

The 360-degree camera view is super clear and crisp but the dynamic guidelines (which tilt the camera angle) are a bit too dynamic for my liking and I relied mostly on the bird's eye view to park.

As I've mentioned, the ambient lighting system creates a stellar atmosphere inside. I've often wondered why other car manufacturers haven't jumped on that bandwagon because it's a relatively cheap way of creating wow factor. And it generates massive wow factor in here.

…and that gear selector is a bit indicative of the new A5’s interior. It’s now more of a switch that requires a little more attention than the traditional shifter, just like the way the more screen-focused interior requires a little more of your eyeball time than physical buttons.

Don’t get me wrong, as far as screens in modern cars go, Audi seems to have made it as easy as possible to use the new-gen software in the A5. The menus are clear, there are good shortcuts and there’s no lag… but buttons are always better when your focus needs to be on the road.

Fortunately the driver display is nice and clear, it’s a good update on Audi’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’ and you can set it to display important information without looking too busy.

Ergonomically, the way the central screen is angled towards the driver, the centre console layout and the small control panel on the door for lights, mirrors and the like all seem to be well considered and mean you don’t have to awkwardly reach for anything.

There are a few quirks specific to the A5 and S5, one being that if you opt for the panoramic sunroof, it comes with a transparency switch rather than a physical cover, so it doesn’t do much to keep the light out.

It’s also good to note that the passenger screen - again, if optioned - turns to privacy mode when playing media so as to not distract the driver. Pretty handy!

Behind the front row, a regular-sized adult should have enough room to sit comfortably for a decent amount of time without feeling cramped. The light through the sunroof comes in handy here.

Behind that is a 445L boot in Sedan form, or 1299L with the rear seats folded down. As an Avant, the space increases to 448L and 1396L respectively.

The new Audi A5 range starts from $79,900 before on-road costs for the standard A5 Sedan, though the rest of the models available at launch are all S5 variants. A more powerful A5 with 200kW and quattro all-wheel drive will come later, as well as a 270kW plug-in hybrid A5 quattro variant.

For now, the sole A5 in the line-up is well equipped for the price, coming with standard 19-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights with adjustable lighting signatures, keyless entry and digital key via Audi’s app, electric bootlid (or tailgate, given its liftback style) and S line styling as standard.

Interior features include sports seats in real and synthetic leather, heated and electrically adjustable up front, leather steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, a 14.5-inch OLED multimedia touchscreen and 11.9-inch driver display, wireless phone charging as well as wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The A5 can be optioned with a Style pack for $3000 which adds 20-inch wheels, tinted glass and black exterior trim. There’s also a Premium pack for $3769 which adds a head-up display, high-power USB ports, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, ambient lighting and front door acoustic window glazing.

The other key variants in the line-up from launch are the S5 Sedan and S5 Avant, coming in at $114,900 and $117,900 respectively. Aside from the more advanced drivetrains, the S5s also gain plenty more features over the A5 including 20-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels, selectable OLED rear lights, tinted windows and more paint colour options.

Inside, Nappa leather-upholstered seats gain cooling and massage functions up front, the steering wheel is heated, and there’s ambient lighting with a ‘dynamic interaction light strip’ that changes colour based on vehicle functions like indicating or changing temperatures.

There’s also a head-up display, high-power USB outlets, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and, perhaps most notably, a 10.9-inch touchscreen for the front passenger as standard. It’s a $1500 option in the A5.

Audi also has a launch variant of the S5, the Edition One, which comes at a lower price and a trim spec closer to the A5, but with the S5’s performance. It has non-adjustable sport suspension, for example, and to score much of the main S5’s kit requires cost-options or option packs.

But the prices are tempting, just $99,900 for the S5 Edition One Sedan or $102,900 for the Avant, $15,000 less than their same-power siblings. For an extra $6000, you can add a head-up display, high-power USB ports and the Bang & Olufsen sound system to the Edition One.

Comparing the entry A5 to the recent entry-level A4, the new A5 wears a price increase of $8000 (the ageing A4 is $71,900), but has more power and a much more modern interior. On price alone it seems a steep jump, but the value is still there compared to rivals. A Mercedes C200 currently starts from $89,900, while a BMW 330i is $92,900.

The C200 has a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine with an integrated starter-generator. 

What's that, you ask? So, glad you did. It's basically an electric battery that also acts as your starter... or alternator.

It smooths out vibrations from the engine and generates some power from braking. Making this a very mild hybrid. Note the 'mild'.

Is it powerful? Surprisingly, yeah. It has a maximum output of 165kW and 300Nm of torque. Combine that with the starter-generator and we have a powerful little engine that can push the C200 from 0-100km in 7.3 seconds, while still feeling like there's power in reserve.

The nine-speed auto transmission is damn smooth and there's no clunky gear changing at any speed. It's got great pick-up, too, for when you need to overtake or zip across traffic.

The Audi A5 is powered by a four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which powers the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It makes 150kW of power and 340Nm of torque, and should, Audi says, propel the A5 to 100km/h in 7.8 seconds before (eventually) reaching a top speed of 248km/h.

The S5, in all its variants, is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6 which is assisted by a mild hybrid system. It produces 270kW and 550Nm, sending that to all four wheels via a similar seven-speed dual-clutch.

The S5 is much quicker as a result - 100km/h comes along in just 4.5 seconds according to Audi, before reaching a 250km/h top speed.

The official combined cycle fuel figure is 6.9L/100km. Real world testing saw my figure at 7.2L, which was awesome for the heavy driving I did this week on a combo of urban and open-roads.

The light regen braking probably helps this coast comfortably into being a very efficient sedan for its size.

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded and you'll need 66 litres of it to fill the tank.

Driving range using the official consumption figure is around 950km, and 915km using our real-world number.

Audi claims the A5 uses 6.9 litres of fuel per 100km, which should theoretically deplete the 56-litre fuel tank after 811km of driving. We couldn’t test this on the launch, but reaching claimed fuel efficiency figures remains an elusive challenge.

The S5, according to Audi, comes with an impressive 7.1L/100km figure in Sedan form, or 7.2L/100km as an Avant. That’s 788km and 777km of theoretical driving range if you’re up for a challenge.

The steering feels solid and concise. The tyres seem like they're glued to the road, making winding roads downright fun to tackle. Oh, and the sharp 11 metre turning circle is wonderful.

The handling makes this your best friend in a car park. The lower ground clearance did elicit some unladylike grunts when I parked on a hill, but otherwise the wide door apertures makes it easy to get in and out of.

The only thing I would note is the low-profile ground clearance. Just be aware of your speed and angle when you handle car park ramps or road bumps in this. They are not your friends.

One of the first press cars I ever drove as an even younger lad than I am now was the circa-2017 Audi S4.

Without the perspective of all the many, many cars I've since driven, that S4 blew my mind a little bit with its combination of capability and refinement.

Now, with the context of most of the cars available to the Australian buyer in mind, it’s reassuring to get into this new generation and find that the mid-size Audi torch has been gracefully passed on.

Audi says the new generation, sitting on its new platform, has more focus on balanced driving dynamics, steering precision and steering feel. Without sacrificing comfort, Audi wants the A5 to be a sharper driver’s car.

It might not gel with the Euro tradition of a rear-drive executive sedan given the base A5 is front-wheel drive - the brand of course focusing on its quattro all-wheel drive system - but the A5 is decidedly agile for its size. 

Compared to the S5 especially, as the A5’S 1770kg plays the S5’s 2025kg in Sedan form (2040kg as an Avant). It’s a noticeable weight difference, and it makes the A5 more playful without getting properly ragged.

It also rides on smaller 19-inch wheels and would overall probably make for the better daily driver. Even without the all-wheel-drive traction and extra power the S5 offers, the A5 makes a good case for properly plush commuting. Its 150kW isn’t lacking by any means, and that 340Nm does plenty to help when overtaking.

Its suspension feels well damped, keeping the road’s imperfections out of the cabin without numbing the ride and leaving you without feedback. The steering is similarly direct without being too heavy, making the A5 feel athletic for its size.

But for all the A5’s strengths, there is something undeniable about a six-cylinder European sedan (or wagon). The S5 is heavier, sure, and therefore not as naturally nimble, but it makes up for it. And it’s not just the extra power and mild-hybrid assistance.

It’s a great highway cruiser for a start, but it also adds the confidence of all-wheel drive to a trip, which proved extremely useful on the very rainy winter day we tested it. It holds up well on rough surfaces despite the bigger wheels and extra heft, plus it doesn’t feel out of hand when cornering fast, rolling into a predictable understeer rather than quickly losing traction.

But if you’re in any way conscious of your budget, consider the Edition One. It doesn’t lack any of the key things that make the S5 great, and you get to pocket enough money to buy a second used car.

The A5 and its S5 variants share the same safety features, with the full suite of Audi’s more-than 30 safety and driver assistance systems standard across the line-up.

Physically, the A5 has nine airbags and has been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, the firm awarding it five stars. There's no local ANCAP score as yet.

Some of the key safety features in the A5 and S5 models include a driver attention alert, seatbelt reminders, tyre pressure indicator, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings and lane assist, front braking assist, front and rear cross-traffic alert, speed limit sign recognition, surround view cameras and park assist with front and rear parking sensors.

There are also ISOFIX points for fitting child seats to the rear outboard seats.

The C200 comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is standard for the market.

There are multiple servicing options and on the five-year plan, the services average $1090 annually, which is quite expensive.

Servicing intervals are pretty good at every 12 months or a longer than usual 25,000km, whichever comes first.

Audi’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is starting to fall behind the industry standard, though is about normal for a premium brand. On top of this, customers can opt to purchase extra years of warranty up to a maximum nine years which costs $3590.

Audi does also offer 12 years of bodywork manufacturing warranty against corrosion or perforation. There’s also five years of Audi roadside assistance.

Servicing intervals for the A5 come in at every 15,000km or 12 months, with customers able to purchase fixed-price servicing plans at a discount compared to paying per service.

A five-year servicing pack for the A5 Sedan is $3360, and for the S5 it’s priced at $3540.