Compare the2024 Lexus RZVS 2023 Mercedes EQB

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

The Lexus RZ has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The EQB doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The RZ 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 EQB 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 RZ has a standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The EQB doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The RZ’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 EQB.

Both the RZ and the EQB 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, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Lexus RZ achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The EQB has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RZ 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the EQB. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the EQB ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The RZ’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the EQB’s (6 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus first in overall reliability. Mercedes is ranked 29th.

The RZ has more powerful engines than the EQB:

As tested in Motor Trend the RZ 450e electric motors is faster than the EQB 350:

On the EPA test cycle the RZ gets better mileage than the EQB:

The RZ 300e w/18" Wheels FWD can travel longer on a full charge than the EQB 250+ FWD (266 miles vs. 245 miles).

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

The RZ stops much shorter than the EQB:

For better traction and acceleration, the RZ has larger rear tires than the EQB (255/55R18 vs. 235/50R19).

The RZ’s optional 255/45R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the EQB’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RZ offers optional 20-inch wheels. The EQB’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The RZ has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The EQB’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the RZ is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the EQB.

The RZ 450e Luxury handles at .86 G’s, while the EQB 350 4MATIC pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The RZ 450e Luxury executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the EQB 350 4MATIC (25.9 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the RZ’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the EQB’s (36.8 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The Lexus RZ may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 200 pounds less than the Mercedes EQB.

The RZ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The EQB doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The RZ has 1 inch more front legroom and 1 inch more front shoulder room than the EQB.

The RZ has a much larger cargo volume than the EQB with its rear seat up (34.9 vs. 10.7 cubic feet).

The RZ’s cargo area is larger than the EQB’s in almost every dimension:

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Mercedes. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 48% lower rating, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

The RZ’s standard Smart Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless-Start standard on the EQB only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RZ offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The EQB doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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

The RZ has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the EQB. The RZ Luxury also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the EQB.

The RZ has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the EQB.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Lexus RZ has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the EQB.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lexus RZ, based on reliability, safety and performance.