Compare the2025 Mercedes E-Class SedanVS 2025 Audi A8

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the E-Class Sedan are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A8 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Mercedes E-Class Sedan achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Audi A8 has not been tested.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The E-Class Sedan has a standard Maneuvering Brake Function that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The A8 doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The E-Class Sedan has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A8’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the E-Class Sedan has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Active Brake Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A8.

The E-Class Sedan’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A8 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the E-Class Sedan and the A8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, around view monitors, available all wheel drive and lane departure warning systems.

There are over 25 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the E-Class Sedan’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 36 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 57 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

The E 450 Sedan’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 40 more horsepower (375 vs. 335) than the A8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the E 450 Sedan 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Audi A8:

On the EPA test cycle the E-Class Sedan gets better mileage than the A8:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes E-Class Sedan higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Audi A8 (4). This means the E-Class Sedan produces up to 13.2 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A8 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes E-Class Sedan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the A8.

The E-Class Sedan’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The A8 doesn’t offer launch control.

The E-Class Sedan stops shorter than the A8:

The E-Class Sedan’s 275/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A8’s optional 35 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the E-Class Sedan can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The A8 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The E-Class Sedan’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The A8 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the E 350 Sedan’s turning circle is 4.2 feet tighter than the A8’s (38.1 feet vs. 42.3 feet). The E 450 Sedan’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the A8’s (39.4 feet vs. 42.3 feet).

The Mercedes E-Class Sedan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 650 pounds less than the Audi A8.

The E-Class Sedan is 1 foot, 2.6 inches shorter than the A8, making the E-Class Sedan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The E-Class Sedan’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The A8 doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

The A8’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The E-Class Sedan’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Mercedes E-Class comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Audi A8 isn’t available as a station wagon.

The E-Class Sedan is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The A8 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mercedes E-Class Sedan and the Audi A8, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The E450 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2025 and 2 more times in the last 8 years. The A8 has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

Motor Trend selected the E-Class Sedan as their 2025 Car of the Year. The A8 has never been chosen.

The Mercedes E-Class outsold the Audi A8/S8 by almost 9 to one during 2024.