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Mercedes-Benz C-Class vs Porsche Panamera

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

$69,750 - $238,800

2023 price

Porsche Panamera
Porsche Panamera

2021 price

Summary

2023 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
2021 Porsche Panamera
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.5L

Twin Turbo V6, 2.9L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded/Electric

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

8.8L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

4
Dislikes
  • On the compact side for size
  • Low-ground clearance may grind the teeth
  • Dynamic guidelines are trippy

  • Rear room compromised
  • It gets expensive
  • V8s are thirsty
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... ?

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2021 Porsche Panamera Summary

It’s a good thing the Porsche Panamera doesn’t feel emotions. Otherwise it might be feeling like the forgotten member of the Porsche family.

While the 911 remains the evergreen hero, the Cayenne and Macan the popular sales darlings and the new Taycan the exciting newcomer, the Panamera simply plays its part. 

It fills an important but small role for the brand, giving Porsche an executive sedan (and wagon) to compete against the big players from the other German brands - Audi A7 Sportback, BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLS

However, while it may have been overshadowed of late, that doesn’t mean Porsche has forgotten about it. For 2021 the Panamera has been given a mid-life update, after this current generation launched back in 2017. 

The changes are subtle in isolation but add up to some big improvements across the range, most notably extra power has seen the previous range-topper, the Panamera Turbo, become the Turbo S. 

There’s also a new hybrid model and tweaks to the air suspension and related systems to improve the handling (but more on that later).

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Deep dive comparison

2023 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2021 Porsche Panamera

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