Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2021 Mercedes GLB

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 Highlander are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GLB doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Highlander has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The GLB doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The GLB doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Highlander Limited/Platinum has standard Automated Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The GLB doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Highlander’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLB.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum’s standard rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The GLB doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Highlander and the GLB have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLB has not been tested, yet.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Highlander 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLB. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the GLB ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLB.

There are over 3 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Highlander’s reliability 37 points higher than the GLB.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander third among upper midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The GLB isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 36 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 25th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 15th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Mercedes is ranked 20th.

The Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 74 more horsepower (295 vs. 221) and 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (263 vs. 258) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GLB requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Highlander has 2 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLB (17.9 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Highlander’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLB:

The Highlander’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the GLB are solid, not vented.

The Highlander stops shorter than the GLB:

The Highlander has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the GLB; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the GLB don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Highlander is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the GLB.

The Highlander’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55% to 45%) than the GLB’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Highlander more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the GLB’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Highlander has a greater minimum ground clearance than the GLB (8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the GLB can only carry up to 7.

The Highlander has .5 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 2.9 inches more rear legroom, 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.3 inches more third row headroom and 11.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the GLB.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Highlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The GLB’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Highlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the GLB.

The Highlander’s cargo area is larger than the GLB’s in almost every dimension:

The Highlander has a 5000 lbs. towing capacity. The GLB has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander uses the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The GLB doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Highlander has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLB only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Highlander’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the GLB’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Highlander has standard extendable sun visors. The GLB doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Highlander to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The GLB doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the Highlander and the GLB offer available heated front seats. The Highlander Platinum also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the GLB.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mercedes GLB isn't recommended.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Mercedes GLB by over 10 to one during the 2021 model year.