Compare the2024 Lexus RXVS 2024 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 RX 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 Lexus RX 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 GLB doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The RX 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 RX offers optional Intuitive Parking Assist with Automatic Braking 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.

The RX’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 RX and the GLB have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Lexus RX 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 GLB has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

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

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 Lexus RX’s reliability 45 points higher than the GLB and the Lexus RX Hybrid is rated 46 points higher than the GLB.

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 RX 350h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 25 more horsepower (246 vs. 221) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The RX 350’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 54 more horsepower (275 vs. 221) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (317 vs. 258) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The RX 450h+’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 83 more horsepower (304 vs. 221) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The RX 500h F Sport Performance’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 145 more horsepower (366 vs. 221) and 148 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 258) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the RX 450h+ 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Mercedes GLB:

On the EPA test cycle the RX 350h running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the GLB 250 4MATIC (37 city/34 hwy vs. 24 city/32 hwy).

The RX 450h+ can travel with zero emissions for 37 miles. The GLB can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The RX 450+’s standard fuel tank has a gallon more fuel capacity than the GLB (14.5 vs. 13.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The RX 350’s standard fuel tank has 4.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLB (17.8 vs. 13.5 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus RX higher (7 out of 10) than the Mercedes GLB (6). This means the RX produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GLB every 15,000 miles.

The RX offers an available continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The GLB doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

The RX’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 ride, handling and brake cooling the RX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the GLB. The RX’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the GLB.

The RX 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 RX is 2 inches wider in the front and 3.3 inches wider in the rear than on the GLB.

The RX 450h+ executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLB 250 4MATIC (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the RX 500h F Sport Performance’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the GLB’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the RX 350 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the GLB (8.1 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the RX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The RX 350h’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the GLB (8.2 vs. 7.9 inches).

The RX has 2.2 inches more front shoulder room and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLB.

The RX has a much larger cargo volume than the GLB with its rear seat up (29.6 vs. 5.1 cubic feet).

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

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the RX’s optional rear seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The GLB doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The RX offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The GLB has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the RX uses the 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.

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 RX’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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the RX 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.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RX Luxury/500h F Sport offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLB 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 RX has standard extendable sun visors. The GLB doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Both the RX and the GLB have standard heated front seats. The RX also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the GLB.

The RX Premium/Luxury/F Sport has standard front air conditioned seats and the RX offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The GLB doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The RX Premium+/Luxury/F Sport’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional Remote Advanced Park will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The GLB’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the RX first among midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The GLB isn’t in the top three.

The Lexus RX outsold the Mercedes GLB by almost seven to one during 2023.