sharifshopping

Hi,
I'm currently driving a 15 year old Lexus IS 250 (& clearly keep my cars for a very long time). I'm finally ready for a new car & I think I've narrowed it down to a GLA or GLB. I typically like driving smaller cars but the back seat in my Lexus is very tight. We have a small family consisting of me, my husband & my 13 year old son. I'd probably be more comfortable driving the GLA due to the smaller size but I realize the GLB may be more practical as my son gets bigger. Can anyone shed some light on both vehicles... pros/cons?
I should also mention that my husband needs to get a new car too (such bad timing) b/c his 10 year old BMW 5 series needs $10,000 worth of work. We are thinking maybe it would be good for one of us to have an SUV so if I get the GLA, he'd probably still get a BMW X5 or Audi Q7 since the GLA is not a true suv.. but if I go with the GLB, he will get an Audi sedan or another BMW5 series...
Thx so much!

E55Greasemonkey

The GLA is junk and the GLB isn't much better. They are both front wheel drive cheaply built entry level cars. I would suggest a GLC at minimum. If price is a factor I'd rather have a CPO GLC with a few miles over a new GLA or GLB. Sometimes you can find an ex-loaner GLC from the dealership with under 10k miles and an extended factory warranty for a good price.

chassis

If your budget requires GLA or GLB, you will likely be better off with a BMW X1. The GLA is built on a Nissan platform. The GLB is very cheaply built compared to higher level M-Bs.

fun33

A well-equipped GLB is a very nice vehicle. I recently drove the GLB. as a loaner, for 2 days and was impressed. My personal daily drivers are an S560 and an SL550. One point of caution. While the MB vehicles are superb, the MB service experience is not even close to your previous15 years of experience with Lexus. Lexus treats all their customers like royalty, they will frequently cover a major repair under warranty when your warranty is expired. Lexus service pricing is always reasonably priced.

Mercedes Service centers frequently treat you like they are doing you a favor doing even the most minor repair on your vehicle. Be prepared to pay 3-4 or 5 times more for a similar MB service than you would at your Lexus Dealer. I still totally love my 2 MB vehicles, but I completely dread the annual visit to the MB service center. It is consistently the worst overall service experience I have ever endured at any manufacturer's dealership.

For reference, my previous Lexus was a LS460L. When I replace the LS460L with a Mercedes S560 the main reason I did not buy another Lexus was the poorly designed Lexus infotainment system that has been the source of over 90% of all Lexus complaints for more than 5 years now. Difficult to understand why Lexus has not replaced this almost universally ridiculed system.

Highline-Autos.com

I agree, the GLB is a nice car if you are not avoiding options, coming from a S550 owner as well. My step-mom has a BMW X3, those used seem to be a bit better value for price. But if it is a new car you are looking for, the B compared to the A seems a better value even at a higher price.

503hp

Hi,

I had a GLB for a few days as a loaner, and I was impressed with it as a family vehicle. (I have two little kids.) I'll agree with the other commenters that the GLB isn't as finely adorned as more expensive Mercedes like the GLC, but you get an amazing amount of practicality and family-friendly features in the GLB. (And frankly the GLC isn't any larger on the interior!) For example, your son should appreciate the high roof and sliding/reclining back seats in the GLB. He'll have room to stretch out as he grows. The trunk space is also quite generous, should you be carting him to sports practice.

Coming from a smaller sedan like the IS, you'll have a little bit of adjustment in the seating position and size of the GLB, but the GLB still fits nicely into tightly packed cities and parking lots.

If you are interested, I wrote a blog post on the GLB here.

I agree with a prior commenter that the BMW X1 is a fantastic competitor to the GLA and GLB. In my experience the X1 drives very carlike, which you may like as an IS250 owner, and is peppier than the GLB. It also has great interior room and should be good for your family of three. If you tried the GLA or GLB and wished it was faster and better handling, the X1 would be an excellent. And I don't think it gives away much on utility vs the GLB.

sharifshopping

Hi,
Thank you so much for this thorough response & the great review; well written! Hmm; I actually test drove a bunch of cars since I initially posted & I've been leaning towards the GLA tbh... I'm still a bit torn b/w the GLA & GLB as I realize the GLB is a lot more practical with having more space.... but I think I feel more comfortable driving the GLA coming out of my IS (like you mentioned). My only fear is that it will be too small for my growing son. I actually test drove the X1 a while back but now I don't really remember why I eliminated that one LOL! Does it have more back seat space than the GLA do you know? Do you think I will be making a mistake with the GLA? Thanks again!!

js_cls

The X1 is a good vehicle but suffers from its age, for example, it doesn't even offer Blind Spot Monitoring at all! I know that's made it an easy pass for most shoppers.

Of the two I prefer the GLB, purely due to styling and practicality. Like others have mentioned, I have also had a GLB for a loaner, although it was the GLB 35, not 250. I can't speak for the base engine, however these cars have been much improved over the previous generation and the GLA. They drive very nicely, and the interior is finally befitting that of a car wearing the three-pointed star. Like 503 mentioned, the sliding and reclining rear seats of the GLB is a huge plus for those needing extra space. I do believe the GLA's are now being made in Germany as well, which is a much better plant than that of the Mexico plant.

I would also look at the Audi Q3, although I am not sure what the interior space and practicality is like, but it is likely a very competitive vehicle for its class. The Volvo XC40 is also nice, albeit likely smaller. If able to stretch your budget, a GLC is also a very nice car, the wife and I quite enjoyed ours, and it offers one of the largest (if not the largest) backseat in its class, as big as that of the BMW X5 while being in a much smaller and more maneuverable package.

Good luck OP!

503hp

I don't have any experience in the back of the GLA. Why not take another GLA test drive and have someone approximately the size of your future/mature son sit in the back seat to render an opinion of the space?

Otherwise, if you really like driving sedans, you could consider an Lexus GS or MB E-Class. Those would be a size larger than your IS but have generous back seats.