Compare the2023 Mercedes GLBVS 2023 Acura MDX

The GLB’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The MDX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the GLB’s standard Downhill Speed Regulation allows you to creep down safely. The MDX doesn’t offer Downhill Speed Regulation.

Both the GLB and the MDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

There are over 41 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the GLB’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the GLB’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the MDX’s camshafts. If the MDX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. With 3 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Acura.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 49 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Acura.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mercedes 8 places higher in reliability than Acura.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mercedes GLB is faster than the Acura MDX V6:

On the EPA test cycle the GLB gets better mileage than the MDX:

The GLB offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The MDX doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The GLB stops much shorter than the MDX:

The GLB’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 MDX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The GLB 250 4MATIC handles at .89 G’s, while the MDX Type S pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the GLB’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the MDX’s (38.4 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the GLB has a greater minimum ground clearance than the MDX (7.9 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the GLB to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Mercedes GLB may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 900 pounds less than the Acura MDX.

The GLB is 1 foot, 4 inches shorter than the MDX, making the GLB easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The GLB is 6.5 inches narrower than the MDX, making the GLB easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The GLB has 2.2 inches more front headroom and 1.2 inches more rear headroom than the MDX.

The power windows standard on both the GLB and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the GLB is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The MDX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The GLB’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The MDX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the GLB offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The MDX doesn’t offer cornering lights. The GLB also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The GLB’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The MDX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The GLB’s optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park by itself, stopping and changing direction automatically. The MDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes GLB will be $6114 to $14816 less than for the Acura MDX.