Volkswagen Jetta vs Mercedes-Benz C-Class

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class displayed a sophisticated blend of exterior styling, borrowing design cues from its siblings within the brand. The front end had a drooping characteristic analogous to the CLA-Class, while the squared-off rear with sleek taillights resembled the S-Class. This cohesive design resulted in a stylish sedan identifiable as a Mercedes from any angle, which was particularly emphasized by the prominent grille adorned with a massive three-pointed star logo surrounded by smaller versions.

Mercedes designed the C-Class with cab-rearward proportions featuring a long hood and short rear deck, underscoring its rear-wheel-drive (RWD) ethos. This distinguished the C-Class from the front-wheel-drive (FWD) CLA-Class and A-Class, which had different proportions.

Standard LED headlights and taillights cemented the C-Class’s premium cues, with an available upgrade to the Digital Light system offering advanced adaptive features. These could shine warning icons on the road, mark lane boundaries, and illuminate pedestrians without causing blindness.

Inside, the C-Class strove to replicate its bigger sibling, the S-Class. The interior featured a freestanding touchscreen and instrument cluster, elaborate air vents, and intricate speaker grilles for the optional Burmester audio system, all evoking a sense of luxury. The ambient lighting, with 64 colors, added a nightclub vibe, making the interior feel extraordinary. Though the standard upholstery was MBTex synthetic leather, higher trims offered Nappa leather.

In contrast, the 2023 Volkswagen Jetta had a more utilitarian and conservative approach to its design. Priced between $20,665 and $31,585, it offered a range of trim levels: S, Sport, SE, SEL, and the sport-tuned GLI (excluded from this comparison).

Our 2023 Jetta SEL in Platinum Gray Metallic, with Volcano Brown over Titan Black interior, felt more upscale inside and out. However, the clean design that once characterized the Jetta was now somewhat bland, even though it did receive some freshening recently.

Visually inoffensive, the Jetta’s no-nonsense interior in SEL trim featured elements to channel the VW Group's Audi luxury brand. With ambient lighting, genuine leather seats, an expansive power sunroof, and increased digital instrumentation and infotainment screen sizes, the Jetta presented itself as an emotionally valuable vehicle for under $30,000.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class came with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in the C300 model, delivering 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The nine-speed automatic transmission paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system added up to 20 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque in spurts. Acceleration from zero to 60 mph took 5.9 seconds, with a top speed capped at 130 mph.

Mercedes introduced the more potent AMG C43, which borrowed a 2.0-liter turbo-four from the SL-Class sports car, producing 402 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. It managed a zero to 60 mph sprint in 4.6 seconds and reached a top speed of 155 mph, or 165 mph with larger wheels.

On our test drive, the C300 4Matic felt powerful but displayed some turbo lag and rough shifts. The ride was smooth, muting bumps and potholes effectively, though there were minor vibrations. The C-Class shined best on twisty roads, offering good body control and precise steering, though it required more deliberate inputs compared to sportier competitors.

For the 2023 Volkswagen Jetta, the performance was relatively more subdued. Equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder, it generated 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. The S and Sport trims featured a six-speed manual as standard, while SE and SEL trims offered an eight-speed automatic with Sport and manual shifting modes.

The automatic transmission exhibited some delay before kicking in, and when the turbo finally engaged, it could lead to sudden surges that spun the tires, which was less than ideal. Fuel efficiency was affected with Sport mode, resulting in an average of 30 mpg during our test drives compared to the EPA rating of 33 mpg.

Despite these quirks, the Jetta felt light and nimble around town and trustworthy on mountain roads. It offered accurate steering, reliable brakes, and an overall rewarding driving experience. The Nexen Nfera AU7 all-season tires performed admirably, providing excellent road communication without squeals during spirited driving.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, an exclusively sedan model, offered a bit more interior room compared to its predecessor, courtesy of its increased dimensions. Front headroom grew by 0.1 inch, rear headroom by 0.4 inch, and rear-seat legroom by 0.8 inch. These changes placed the C-Class at the top of its segment for front-seat headroom and rear-seat legroom. Rear passengers enjoyed decent headroom, although front legroom lagged behind class leaders.

Luxury seats provided comfort with adequate bolstering for dynamic driving. Visibility was excellent upfront but hindered by thick rear pillars, and some dashboard trim created glare in direct sunlight. The wireless charging pad, placed awkwardly near the cupholders, was difficult to reach when in use.

One of the C-Class’s strengths was its trunk, offering 17.9 cubic feet of cargo space, leading its competitors. The wide trunk opening facilitated easy loading and unloading, and the 40/20/40 split-folding rear bench was practical for hauling longer items.

Contrarily, the 2023 Volkswagen Jetta straddled the line between compact and midsize segments. It comfortably seated four adults, with the possibility of squeezing a fifth passenger for short trips. Generous interior storage and a cavernous trunk made it family-friendly.

The Jetta SEL came with an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel, ensuring comfort. Visibility was expansive, thanks to a flat hood and large side mirrors. However, the front passenger seat lacked height adjustment, and the rear seats, though supportive and featuring heated functions, missed out on rear air conditioning vents.

The Jetta’s trunk volume was 14.1 cubic feet, nearly matching some midsize sedans. Its shape and size of the opening made loading luggage easy, and full-size suitcases could be stored on their sides. The 60/40 split-folding back seat enabled longer items to be carried effortlessly.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class adopted technology akin to the S-Class flagship. All trims featured a standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and an 11.9-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen, angled toward the driver for ease of use. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with the MBUX infotainment system.

The C300 Premium trim boasted a Burmester 3D surround-sound system, while the C300 Pinnacle added a head-up display and augmented-reality navigation. The MBUX’s “Zero Layer” allowed multiple items on the screen simultaneously, reducing the need to navigate through menus. The voice recognition was top-notch, and the touch controls on the steering wheel were intuitive, grouped by function for simplicity.

The augmented-reality navigation displayed front-camera feeds with overlaid arrows for turns, enhancing navigation accuracy significantly.

The 2023 Volkswagen Jetta’s SEL trim saw technology upgrades like a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrumentation panel. Its infotainment touchscreen grew from 6.5 inches to 8.0 inches, with proximity-sensing, volume knobs, and shortcut tiles for main menu access.

However, changing radio stations required more steps, and the voice recognition system offered only basic commands unless upgraded through Car-Net connected services. Car-Net provided a Wi-Fi hotspot, SOS emergency calling, automatic collision notification, safe teen driver settings, and remote engine starting for five years. The Beats Audio premium sound system, though included, wasn’t particularly impressive compared to previous partnerships with Fender.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class had no crash-test ratings from IIHS or NHTSA at the time. However, it came equipped with several advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), many as standard features. These included automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, a driver-attention monitor, Pre-Safe technologies, lane-keep assist, a 360-degree camera system, park assist, and Distronic adaptive cruise control, among others. Car-to-X communication allowed vehicles to share information about road conditions, a feature that proved effective during our tests.

For the 2023 Volkswagen Jetta, the SE and SEL trims came standard with IQ.Drive, which included essential driving assistance and collision avoidance systems, along with Travel Assist and Emergency Assist. Travel Assist combined adaptive cruise control with lane-centering for a semi-autonomous experience, working well even on challenging roads. Emergency Assist could identify unresponsive drivers, bringing the car to a safe stop if necessary.

While NHTSA awarded the Jetta a five-star overall safety rating, it only achieved four-star ratings for frontal-impact protection. IIHS rated the Jetta poorly in a new moderate overlap frontal-impact crash test and wasn’t impressed with its headlights.