Mercedes-Benz C-Class vs. Volkswagen Golf
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen Golf contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Volkswagen Golf.
When we compare the Mercedes-Benz C-Class's and the Volkswagen Golf's specifications and ratings, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class has the advantage in the area of base engine power. The Volkswagen Golf has the advantage in the areas of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars, and fuel efficiency. Based on this comparison of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class's and the Volkswagen Golf's specifications and ratings, the Volkswagen Golf is a better car than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Pricing: A used 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class ranges from $3,400 to $9,914 while a used 2005 Volkswagen Golf is priced between $2,788 to $7,694.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class’s base engine makes 189 horsepower, and the Volkswagen Golf base engine makes 115 horsepower. The C-Class is rated to deliver an average of 23 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 448 miles. The Golf is rated to deliver an average of 24 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 392 miles.This gives the Volkswagen Golf the advantage in fuel efficiency and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class the advantage in maximum range. Both models use gasoline.
Safety Ratings: The Volkswagen Golf has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
26570
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
N/A
Category Starting MSRP Range:
N/A
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
16445
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Compact Cars)
15745
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Compact Cars)
13480 - 19835
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
6343
Price Range:
3400 - 9914
Category Avg Price:
N/A
Category Avg Price Range:
N/A
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
19
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
139055
# Good or Great Deals:
7
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
5395
Price Range:
2788 - 7694
Category Avg Price:
(Compact Cars)
6306
Category Avg Price Range:
(Compact Cars)
4396 - 15228
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
0
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
# Good or Great Deals:
0
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
Not available
Safety:
Not available
Volkswagen Golf Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
8.835605 / 10
Reliability:
8.151849 / 10
Retained Value:
8.354966 / 10
Safety:
10.0 / 10
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Volkswagen Golf
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
9.080640096685155
Typical Category Recalls:
N/A
Category Range for Recalls:
N/A
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
2.0436061544594044
Typical Category Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
3.9
Category Range for Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
1.6 - 18.1
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Rankings
Not yet available
Volkswagen Golf Rankings
Ranking
4 out of / 13Ranking
6 out of / 13Ranking
7 out of / 37Ranking
7 out of / 37Ranking
10 out of / 17Ranking
12 out of / 37Ranking
13 out of / 37Ranking
14 out of / 37Ranking
25 out of / 37Ranking
25 out of / 37Ranking
26 out of / 37Ranking
32 out of / 37Available Body Styles
Hatchback, Sedan, Wagon
Available Body Styles
Hatchback
Available Drivetrain Options
Flex Fuel, Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Diesel, Gasoline
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Trim Levels
C 230 Kompressor, C 320, C 240, C 240 4MATIC, C 320 4MATIC, C 55 AMG
Volkswagen Golf Trim Levels
GL, GL TDI, GLS, GLS TDI
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years / 50000 miles
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
189 hp @ 5800 rpm
Torque:
192 foot-lbs @ 3500 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.058 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
115 hp @ 5200 rpm
Torque:
122 foot-lbs @ 2600 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.042 hp per pound
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
1.8 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Manual
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
RWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
21 / 28 / 23
Range (city/hwy):
336 / 448 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Manual
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
21 / 28 / 24
Range (city/hwy):
294 / 392 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Quad Seats:
Standard
Heated Seats
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Roadside assistance:
Available
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Bench Seats:
N/A
Bluetooth:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Keyless Ignition:
N/A
Leather Upholstery:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Parking Sensors:
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Power outlet:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Voice Recognition:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Available
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Quad Seats:
N/A
Heated Seats
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Roadside assistance:
Available
Satellite radio:
N/A
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Bench Seats:
N/A
Bluetooth:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Keyless Ignition:
N/A
Leather Upholstery:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Parking Sensors:
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Power outlet:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Voice Recognition:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Safety Features
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Backup camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Backup camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.5 inches
Front Leg Room:
42 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
52.8 inches
Rear Head Room:
36.3 inches
Rear Leg Room:
33 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
51.7 inches
Cargo Space:
9.9 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
94.9 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.6 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.5 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
53.7 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.4 inches
Rear Leg Room:
33.5 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
52.7 inches
Cargo Space:
Not yet available
Overall Interior Volume:
Not yet available
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3250 lbs
Width:
68 inches
Height:
54.3 inches
Length:
171 inches
Wheelbase:
106.9 inches
Ground Clearance:
6.3 inches
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
2771 lbs
Width:
68.3 inches
Height:
56.7 inches
Length:
164.9 inches
Wheelbase:
98.9 inches
Ground Clearance:
5.1 inches
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
17.0 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
245/40ZR17
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
15.0 inches
Wheel Type:
steel
Tire Size:
195/65R15
Exterior Colors
Beige
Desert Silver Metallic
Black
Black / Obsidian Black Metallic
Blue
Black Opal Metallic / Capri Blue Metallic / Orion Blue Metallic
Gray
Iridium Silver Metallic / Pewter Silver Metallic / Steel Grey Metallic
Red
Bordeaux Red Metallic / Mars Red / Paprika Metallic
White
Alabaster White
Silver
Not available
Exterior Colors
Beige
Mojave Beige
Black
Black
Blue
Blue Anthracite / Indigo Blue
Gray
Not available
Red
Tornado Red
White
Candy White
Silver
Reflex Silver
Interior Colors
Black
Black
Gray
Ash
Beige
Not available
Interior Colors
Black
Black
Gray
Gray
Beige
Beige
