If you’ve always wanted to drive a brand-new and luxurious Mercedes-Benz, but you couldn’t justify spending six figures on a car, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is very attractive, offering a full Mercedes experience at a mid-market price.

In more ways than not, the C-Class is everything you want from a Mercedes. It hits 60 MPH in six seconds, it’s loaded up with high-end technology, and it handles beautifully. But, a handful of comfort issues might have you wondering if it’s really worth the cost of specialized maintenance and premium gasoline that comes with driving a luxury car. Check the specs and see if the C300 is worth a test-drive. And if you’re here about the 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG C 43, that’ll be covered in its own guide.

This guide provides comprehensive information provided by the manufacturer. HotCars sourced additional data for reliability (from J.D. Power), EPA gas mileage (Fueleconomy.gov), safety ratings (IIHS), and recalls (NHTSA). We evaluate five different metrics when determining a rating for each model. You can
read our Methodology page
for more information about our rating system.

What’s New For 2024?

Changes to the C300 for 2024 are modest, mostly involving updated safety equipment and onboard tech. Other than that, the 2024 model looks, drives, and feels the same as the 2023 edition, inside and out.

2024 Highlights

• Wireless device charger
• Sirius XM satellite radio
• Front and rear parking sensors

Exterior Dimensions

Engine Specifications And Performance

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz C300 delivers 255 horsepower through a mild hybrid system pairing a 48v electric motor with a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine, producing an i4 that almost feels like a V6, hitting 60 MPH in 6 seconds. Drivers have praised the overall feel of driving the C-Class, such as from our own review of the 2022 C300, which boasted great handling credentials, in addition to respectable fuel economy. You can choose between a standard C300 or an AWD C300 4MATIC. Performance specs are largely the same, but you sacrifice a few MPGs for the 4MATIC in favor of superior all-weather handling.

Performance Specifications

Interior Technology And Comfort

Best Interior Features Of The 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Sunroof
• Ambient interior lighting
• Keyless entry and ignition

It’s a Mercedes-Benz, so you can expect top-shelf upholstery and high-end tech throughout the cabin. Unfortunately, some poor ergonomic choices mar an otherwise top-notch interior. Some owners may feel a bit awkward in the cluttered, crowded driver’s seat with its sloping infotainment screen and oversize center console.

If you can get past these issues, the cabin does a fine job of incorporating classic and modern touches with a generous suite of gadgetry paired with gorgeous authentic wood panels and synthetic leather. A handful of awkward ergonomic decisions aside, it’s still a Mercedes-Benz, after all.

Technology

There’s nothing missing from the C300 if you’re looking for high-end tech. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 11.9-inch touchscreen infotainment display are both fast and responsive, and you’ve got intuitive steering-wheel-mounted buttons for pretty much everything, all running on the MBUX operating system.

Interior Dimensions

Safety And Reliability

The newest model C-Class has yet to be tested by the NHTSA, but the platform has earned high-marks from the IIHS, with the 2021 and 2022 models both scoring a Top Safety Pick+. Current IIHS scores are based on the 2016 edition C-Class, which is built on the same platform as the 2024 model.

Driver Assistance Features

Driver assistance features in the 2024 C-Class are built around enhancing the driving experience rather than automating it. Features like DISTRONIC, for instance, help you keep a safe distance from other vehicles without having to count car-lengths in your head. While Tesla is pushing toward self-driving cars, Mercedes is simply trying to take the busywork out of driving.

• Active blind-spot assist
• Active steering assist
• Adaptive braking
• Available GUARD 360 advanced security system
• DISTRONIC distance-keeping assist
• Available adaptive cruise control with lane-center assist

IIHS Crash Testing

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

• Recalls (NHTSA): 2 (a number of units were recalled for 80-amp fuse failure, and for fuel pump shutdown)
• NHTSA Investigations: 0
• NHTSA Consumer Complaints: 0
• Awards:Top Safety Pick+ (2022)

Warranties

Mercedes-Benz has never been one of the best warranty providers in the auto industry. The 48-month full warranty plan is appreciated, going a year above and beyond the industry standard, but they don’t even offer maintenance coverage, allowing owners to pre-pay for repairs, instead.

2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Versus Its Competitors

If you want a “compact executive” car, but you’re not that interested in the futuristic trappings of a Tesla, then it’s really a race of three, being the C-Class, the BMW 3 Series, and the Audi A4 sedan. All three have gone hybrid for 2024, so the contest is still neck-and-neck. Ultimately, this is a question that comes down to personal preference. But there are some clear advantages and disadvantages to each model, so if you’re not loyal to one brand over another, you might as well compare and contrast before taking your test drive.

How The 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Compares To The 2024 BMW 330e

• 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

  Trim

  Premium / Exclusive / Pinnacle

  Model

  C-Class

  Segment

  Luxury Car

  Engine/Motor

  2L four-cylinder with mild hybrid drive system / 2L four-cylinder with hybrid assist and electric exhaust-gas turbocharger

  Horsepower

  255 – 402 HP

  Torque

  295 – 369 LB-FT

  Drivetrain

  RWD / AWD

  Transmission

  9 Speed Automatic with Manual Mode Select

  MSRP

  $46,950 – $59,900

  0-60 MPH

  4.6 Seconds – 6.0 Seconds

• 2024 BMW 3-Series

  Trim

  330i Sedan / 330i xDrive Sedan / 330e Sedan / 330e xDrive Sedan / M340i Sedan / M340i xDrive Sedan / M3 Sedan / M3 Competition Sedan / M3 Competition xDrive Sedan

  Model

  3-Series

  Segment

  Luxury Car

  Engine/Motor

  2.0L Turbo Inline-4 / 2.0L Turbo Plug-In Hybrid Inline-4 / 3.0L Turbo I6

  Horsepower

  255-503 HP

  Torque

  295-479 LB-FT

  Drivetrain

  RWD / AWD

  Transmission

  8-Speed Automatic / 6-Speed Manual

  MSRP

  $44,500 – $84,300

  0-60 MPH

  3.8 – 5.6 Seconds

There are a lot of variants of the BMW 3 Series to choose from, but the 2024 BMW 330e is the one you want if you’re after a powerful hybrid luxury sedan. The base 330e is a RWD delivering 288 horsepower and hitting 60 MPH in a clean 5 seconds flat, making it the drag strip king of these three models. Expect to spend around $45,600 on the 330e. The Mercedes still sports a more elegant and luxurious aesthetic when compared to the 3 Series, so prospective buyers will need to evaluate which model bests suits their individual needs and styles.

330e reviewers generally love the car’s high-tech gadgetry, sporty performance, and crisp BMW handling, but the consensus is that the interior is a bit cramped and upgrade options are few.

How The 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Compares To The 2024 Audi A4 Sedan

• 	2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class	2024 Audi A4
  Make	Mercedes-Benz	Audi
  Model	C-Class	A4
  Segment	Luxury Car	Luxury Cars
  Engine/Motor	2L four-cylinder with mild hybrid drive system / 2L four-cylinder with hybrid assist and electric exhaust-gas turbocharger	2.0L Turbo Inline-4 mild hybrid, 3.0L Turbo V6
  Horsepower	255 – 402 HP	201-349 HP
  Torque	295 – 369 LB-FT	236-369 LB-FT
  Drivetrain	RWD / AWD	AWD
  Transmission	9 Speed Automatic with Manual Mode Select	7-Speed Automatic
  MSRP	$46,950 – $59,900	$42,295
  0-60 MPH	4.6 Seconds – 6.0 Seconds	5.2-6.3 Seconds

The entry-level Audi A4 may seem a bit underpowered at just 201 HP, but the all-wheel-drive 2024 Audi A4 45 TFSI offers a fair counterpoint to the 255 HP C300 4MATIC at 261 HP with a 0-60 of 5.2 seconds. Both cars use a mild hybrid system to squeeze some extra horses out of their already-imposing 4-cylinder engines.

Check the specs on each, and you won’t see too many dramatic differences. Both get considerable fuel economy, they both sell in the mid-$40k range. The A4 shaves nearly a full second off the 0-60 time, but that has as much to do with driver ability as torque. The tiebreaker here may come down to the simple fact that the C-Class tends to earn stronger praise for its sharp handling, while the A4’s cabin generally earns higher scores for its comfortable seating and ergonomic layout.

How Much Does A 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cost?

The Mercedes-Benz C300 is available in a standard rear-wheel model or an AWD 4MATIC, and you can upgrade either of these with the Exclusive ($2,050) or Pinnacle ($4,100) packages. With the Exclusive, you’re adding surround-view cameras, online music streaming, and GUARD 360, while the Pinnacle adds all that plus a HUD, LED headlights, and MBUX augmented video for navigation.

Fuel Economy

The mild-hybrid system in the 2024 C-Series is less about getting your MPG up into the triple digits than it is about delivering peak performance without the need to burn through a gallon of gas just to hit that 6-second 0-60 time. You’re spending less at the pump than you would be in an all-gas alternative, but the electric motor is mainly there to boost the i4.

Is It Worth Buying A 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class?

No luxury car is ever going to be a practical purchase. If you’re looking for a smart, pragmatic option, a Volvo S60 is a better use of your money, and boasts more comfortable seating. But you don’t buy a Mercedes because it’s practical, you buy it because it’s stylish, classy, and, most importantly, fun to drive.

To that end, the C-Class is a very worthwhile purchase. Fuel-efficient and selling below $50k, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is one of the most accessible premium cars available today.

Sources: BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, IIHS, NHTSA, Fueleconomy.gov, J.D. Power