Browse over 9,000 car reviews

Mercedes-Benz C-Class vs Lotus Exige

What's the difference?

VS
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Mercedes-Benz C-Class

$69,750 - $238,800

2023 price

Lotus Exige
Lotus Exige

2017 price

Summary

2023 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
2017 Lotus Exige
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.5L

Supercharged V6, 3.5L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded/Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
6.9L/100km (combined)

10.1L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

2
Dislikes
  • On the compact side for size
  • Low-ground clearance may grind the teeth
  • Dynamic guidelines are trippy

  • Sheer impracticality
  • Heavy steering (at low speeds)
  • Getting in and out of it
2023 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Summary

When it comes to choosing a family car, sedans are often overlooked for their long-legged wagon or beefy SUV cousins.

They're a bit of a forgotten hero but they'll always hold a piece of my heart for their practicality and (often) sexier kerb-side appeal.

If you can get used to your body cracking like a glow stick when you get in and out of them, the sedan may make a comeback!

The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class, in entry-level C200 form, has definitely tempted my family to consider a sedan in the future – it looks stately and refined but the driving experience also makes it fun.

Let's see what else it did right and if there was anything that could be improved.

Did I mention, I'm fond of sedans... ?

View full pricing & specs
2017 Lotus Exige Summary

Driving naked is ill-advised, and possibly illegal, but taking a spin in the Lotus Exige 350 Sport is as close as you'd ever want to get. It's not so much that you feel you've left your clothes at home, but that the car has shed its accoutrements, and indeed its very flesh, leaving you with a kind of skeletal vehicle; just bare bones and muscle.

What this punishingly hard and fiercely focused machine does to your bones and flesh is best described as extreme chiropractry - in particular the stress of ingress and egress - but fortunately it makes up for the moans, bangs and bruises by fizzing your adrenal glands in a big way.

The question is whether the fun is worth the suffering, and the  $138,782.85 price tag.

View full pricing & specs

Deep dive comparison

2023 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2017 Lotus Exige

Change vehicle