2026 Audi vs. Mercedes-Benz Comparison

Audi A3 VS Mercedes-Benz CLA

Both brands offer a compact sedan, and since this is such an incredibly competitive segment, it seems like the perfect place to start. Since all-wheel drive is standard on the Audi A3, we’re looking at the CLA 250 4MOTION for the Mercedes-Benz offering. The CLA starts out a bit pricier, enough that the upgraded Premium Plus trim of the A3 still offers an advantage. While both cars come with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, Audi’s extensive use of aluminum means the A3 is a bit lighter, and you can see the difference this makes in the 0-60 time. 

In such a competitive segment, you would expect the more expensive vehicle to come with more equipment, but that isn’t quite the case. For example, the A3 comes with leather upholstery as standard, but it’ll cost you more than a thousand dollars to upgrade to leather in the already more expensive CLA. The CLA comes with an 8-speaker no-name stereo system as standard, with the option to upgrade to 10 speakers or opt for the 12-speaker premium system, which is another thousand-dollar option. The A3 Premium Plus comes with a Bang & Olufsen® stereo that features 25 speakers. Safety features like rear collision mitigation, lane departure mitigation, and real-time traffic and weather information are also all added extras in the CLA. Features like a top-view camera and adaptive cruise control make daily life with a car easier, but Mercedes-Benz will still charge you extra for them.

Audi Q3 VS Mercedes-Benz GLB

Moving over to the SUV side of things, we have the Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLB. Once again, the Audi has a price advantage, but here the performance advantage is massive. It might not look that way if you’re only looking at the power output, but 0-60 times show why performance enthusiasts are drawn to Audi. You’ll be more comfortable in the Audi while you enjoy that performance too, thanks to standard 3-zone climate control and heated leather seats. 

The Q3 offers clearly superior standard equipment, including features like remote start and adaptive cruise control, both of which are optional extras on the GLB. The cabin of the Q3 is given a more sophisticated look by LED ambient lighting at night and natural light from the panoramic roof during the day. These are features that you can have on the GLB, but once again, they’re extra.

Audi Q7 VS Mercedes-Benz GLE

Lastly, we’re taking a look at these popular larger SUV, the Q7 and the GLE. They start off with a nearly identical price, but the GLE doesn’t come with standard all-wheel drive, and upgrading to have it puts the price much closer to the Premium Plus trim than the base, so to better demonstrate what you get for the money, that’s what we’re comparing here. The Audi has a slight power advantage, but once again, it makes a bigger difference in 0-60 times than you would probably expect. The Q7 comes with a bigger set of wheels, and it’s worth noting that upgrading to 20-inch wheels on the GLE completely erases the small price advantage it enjoys here.

Both of these vehicles are offered with a third row of seats, but Mercedes-Benz will make you pay extra for it, which is pretty staggering, even given everything we’ve already covered. Leather upholstery is again only standard on the Audi, and the LED fog lights that are standard on the Q7 can’t be had on the GLE at any price. The stereo in the Q7 has always been a selling point, and it’s easy to see why when compared to the system that comes in the GLE. Rounding things out, the Audi’s panoramic roof and adaptive cruise control are once again optional extras for Mercedes.