Compare the2023 Jeep Grand CherokeeVS 2023 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 Grand Cherokee 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Grand Cherokee has standard ParkSense Rear Park Assist with Stop that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The GLB doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk/Overland/Summit helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The GLB doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Grand Cherokee’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.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Grand Cherokee its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLB has not been tested, yet.

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Grand Cherokee 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.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Cherokee for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 3 visits). Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLB.

There are over 6 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Grand Cherokee has a standard 850-amp battery. The GLB only offers a 800-amp battery.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

The Grand Cherokee’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 72 more horsepower (293 vs. 221) and 2 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 258) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Grand Cherokee’s optional 5.7 V8 produces 136 more horsepower (357 vs. 221) and 132 lbs.-ft. more torque (390 vs. 258) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Grand Cherokee 4xe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 154 more horsepower (375 vs. 221) and 212 lbs.-ft. more torque (470 vs. 258) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Grand Cherokee 4xe 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Mercedes GLB:

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Cherokee running on electricity gets better mileage than the GLB:

The Grand Cherokee 4xe can travel with zero emissions for 26 miles. The GLB can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Grand Cherokee V8’s fuel efficiency. The GLB doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Grand Cherokee 4xe’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The GLB doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Grand Cherokee uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Grand Cherokee 4xe for maximum performance). The GLB requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Grand Cherokee 4xe Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLB (19 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Grand Cherokee’s standard fuel tank has 7.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLB (23 vs. 15.9 gallons).

The Grand Cherokee has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The GLB doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

The Grand Cherokee’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.

For better traction, the Grand Cherokee has larger standard tires than the GLB (245/70R17 vs. 235/55R18). The Grand Cherokee Summit’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLB (275/45R21 vs. 235/55R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Grand Cherokee Summit offers optional 21-inch wheels. The GLB’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Grand Cherokee has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The GLB doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare 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.

The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The GLB doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Grand Cherokee’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The GLB doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Grand Cherokee’s wheelbase is 5.3 inches longer than on the GLB (116.7 inches vs. 111.4 inches).

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

The Grand Cherokee’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the GLB’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Grand Cherokee more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee has a greater minimum ground clearance than the GLB (8.4 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 3 inches higher than on the GLB (10.9 vs. 7.9 inches).

The front grille of the Grand Cherokee uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GLB doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Grand Cherokee offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The GLB doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Grand Cherokee has .2 inches more front legroom, 3.3 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, .1 inches more rear legroom and 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLB.

The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GLB with its rear seat up (37.7 vs. 5.1 cubic feet). The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLB with its rear seat folded (70.8 vs. 62 cubic feet).

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

The Grand Cherokee has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The GLB has no towing capacity.

The Grand Cherokee 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Grand Cherokee can be unhitched and driven around locally. The GLB can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Grand Cherokee uses the Electronic 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.

The engine in the Grand Cherokee is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the GLB. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Grand Cherokee’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The GLB does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Grand Cherokee Overland/Summit offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, certain gauge and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The GLB doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Grand Cherokee 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 Grand Cherokee’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 Grand Cherokee has standard extendable sun visors. The GLB doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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

Both the Grand Cherokee and the GLB offer optional heated front seats. The Grand Cherokee Limited/Trailhawk/Overland/Summit also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the GLB.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the Grand Cherokee’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The GLB doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the Mercedes GLB by almost 10 to one during 2022.