Does Mercedes' Updated GLB-Class Baby G-Wagen SUV Have More Hybrid Kick?
Electrification is good on the base GLB250 4Matic, which is now quicker and more efficient than before.
Pros
- Quicker and more efficient
- Good cabin space for its size
- Mostly quiet and composed ride
Cons
- We’d like a more premium interior
- Infotainment needs shortcuts
- More expensive than a similar BMW
Electrification has finally trickled down to Mercedes-Benz’s smallest SUVs in the form of RSG Boost 48-volt mild hybrid technology. Rejoice for some improved performance, one of the ways we thought the pre-refresh GLB250 4Matic let us down. Mercedes addresses another of our concerns with an MBUX infotainment update on larger standard screens, too. The GLB also picks up standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED headlights, and a Nappa-leather-trimmed steering wheel for 2024.
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Slotting just below mid-pack in our luxury subcompact SUV rankings, we set out to see if the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB’s changes this year move the needle. Mercedes loaned us a well-equipped 2024 GLB250 4Matic, the all-wheel-drive variant of the base model (there’s also a front-drive version and pricier AMG and electric alternatives). It competes in a crowded and still-expanding class that includes the likes of the impressive BMW X1.
Quicker, Quieter, Better Gas Mileage
Mercedes found that sweet spot with the 2024 GLB250’s new hybrid boost, eking out both efficiency and quickness gains. Its 2.0-liter turbo-four mild hybrid powertrain picks up 2 mpg in city and highway driving compared to the 2023 model’s 22/30 mpg city/highway, moving it a bit closer to the top-ranked 2024 BMW X1 xDrive28i’s 25/34 mpg.
The entry-level Mercedes-Benz GLB is quicker now, too, though only past pokey and into “adequate” territory. The advertised 13-hp boost during quick-acceleration launches knocks a full second off the same-gen 2020’s 7.2-second sprint to 60 mph, but the more powerful BMW X1 AWD still leaves the Benz in its dust: It can make that speed in 5.6 seconds.
We had powertrain refinement beefs with the last GLB250 AWD we tested, namely some transmission indecisiveness and stumbling of its Sailing function, the fuel-saving feature that effectively puts the eight-speed automatic into neutral and allows the car to coast when your foot is off the throttle. This time, however, shifts were quick and almost imperceptible, a credit to the GLB’s good noise/vibration/harshness mitigation and gearbox tune. As for the coasting feature, we wish it was a little more seamless, especially at slower speeds, but it didn’t offend any more so than your average engine’s auto stop/start routine.
Living With the GLB250—More Good
Cabin space remains a strength for the big-for-its-class GLB, but because it’s built for an optional third row, its 22 cubic feet of standard cargo capacity trails rivals like the X1 (25.7) and Audi Q3 (23.7). Our 2024 GLB test SUV only came with two rows, though, and when you fold the second row, there’s a massive 62 cubic feet of space, 14 more cubes than the Q3. Pull up the rear floor, and there’s some decent space there, too. The Mercedes also offers a tiny bit more front and rear legroom than those two rivals, and more headroom than the Q3. The rear doors open wide, making it a breeze to move stuff in and out of the second row.
We love how Mercedes puts the GLB’s engine stop/start activation button right beneath the SUV’s pushbutton start. Generally, the switchgear is thought out pretty well, like the single strip of HVAC toggles below the center vents. Touch controls are limited to the heated steering wheel, which comes with the $450 Winter package. Whether or not this cabin feels more Mercedes than before is subjective, but we dug the metal accents, no-cost star-pattern trim, and slight resistance felt when articulating the circular A/C vents. The GLB’s available $970 Burmester 12-speaker surround sound system hits hard, too, and this may have been one of the most seamless Apple CarPlay experiences we’ve ever had.
Living With the GLB250—The Less Good
Interfacing with the vehicle’s MBUX infotainment system is still needlessly complex. It’s not confusing, but there are just too many steps at times, and you still must dig into many menus for some features. Maybe it’s just Mercedes’ penchant for big dashes (see the EQS), but these standard 10.3-inch screens—while an upgrade this year compared to the dinky 7.0-inch units—seem kind of small in this setting.
Front- and rear-seat padding are on the stiff side, but we appreciate the standard power front seats come with pull-out thigh rests. Extendable sun visors would be good, too, but our GLB came with fixed-length versions. The rear seats recline but only by a single click. Mercedes gives rear-seat passengers some storage options via the wide door pockets, front seat-back elastic netting, and the rear cubbies at the back of the center console, including one that folds away and features two USB-C ports.
Space might not be used totally wisely in the first row. The center console is slim and has a proportionally small and shallow storage bin. The dash has a shelf ahead of the front passenger, but it’s for show only. It’s lined with the same shiny plastic used for the interior trim and isn’t grippy on its surface in the least—but it matches the doors.
Is the Entry-Level GLB Fun to Drive?
It’s nowhere near sporty, but that isn’t surprising or even why people will buy the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB. What’s slightly unexpected is how well behaved and decent the SUV was on our test track.
From 60 mph, our best stop in the almost 3,900-pound GLB AWD measured 130 feet, 15 feet more than the 100-pounds-lighter 2023 X1’s best stop. It’s largely an undramatic affair, though, as the brakes offer good bite while pedal pressure is predictable and easy to modulate.
There wasn’t much perceptible dive from sudden stops or body roll in cornering, the smooth ride assisted by our GLB’s optional $850 adaptive suspension dampers. Composure in our racetrack-in-a-bottle figure-eight test was notable because the baby SUV tracked well. We could get on the gas early, and it didn’t spin a tire or produce any notable understeer, likely because of the brake-based torque vectoring. The GLB AWD’s handling remained impressively neutral on the skidpad, too.
Is the GLB250 4Matic a Good Value?
Pricing for the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 4Matic remains on the high side. Without options, it starts at $6,105 more than the same-year entry-level BMW X1, the xDrive28i. As well as options mentioned earlier, our test vehicle featured the available $1,700 Driver Assistance package, $750 digital white metallic exterior paint, $1,450 black leather upholstery, and $170 all-weather floormats, bringing the total up to $54,080.
A similarly equipped BMW X1 is roughly $5,000 less expensive. The GLB might better earn its price bump with a more premium cabin, or more performance chops, but we’re otherwise hard-pressed to justify this MSRP.
Who Should Get a GLB250?
An objectively better GLB base model is good for Mercedes-Benz intenders eying their first small luxury SUV and/or who are partial to the brand. The company ironed out some of the ride-refinement quirks from the previous version with the optional suspension, and it’s a better performer by more than one metric. The cabin’s not terrible, either, offering a quiet ride and tons of cargo space if you get the two-row and don’t need the back seat.
However, we’re not sure the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 4Matic has moved very far past its commodity Mercedes image. Even with features like standard ambient lighting and tinted windows, we still have doubts about whether this interior is upscale enough for the badge (there’s a fair number of hard plastics here). We’d like to not have to dig so deep into MBUX for features we use frequently, and we’d prefer cushier seats. When the best SUV in the class costs thousands less, this one becomes more difficult to recommend. But the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 4Matic is a solid little luxury SUV, and it gets close to truly being Mercedes-Benz nice, but your money stretches farther with other brands.
My dad was a do-it-yourselfer, which is where my interest in cars began. To save money, he used to service his own vehicles, and I often got sent to the garage to hold a flashlight or fetch a tool for him while he was on his back under a car. Those formative experiences activated and fostered a curiosity in Japanese automobiles because that’s all my Mexican immigrant folks owned then. For as far back as I can remember, my family always had Hondas and Toyotas. There was a Mazda and a Subaru in there, too, a Datsun as well. My dad loved their fuel efficiency and build quality, so that’s how he spent and still chooses to spend his vehicle budget. Then, like a lot of young men in Southern California, fast modified cars entered the picture in my late teens and early 20s. Back then my best bud and I occasionally got into inadvisable high-speed shenanigans in his Honda. Coincidentally, that same dear friend got me my first job in publishing, where I wrote and copy edited for action sports lifestyle magazines. It was my first “real job” post college, and it gave me the experience to move just a couple years later to Auto Sound & Security magazine, my first gig in the car enthusiast space. From there, I was extremely fortunate to land staff positions at some highly regarded tuner media brands: Honda Tuning, UrbanRacer.com, and Super Street. I see myself as a Honda guy, and that’s mostly what I’ve owned, though not that many—I’ve had one each Civic, Accord, and, currently, an Acura RSX Type S. I also had a fourth-gen Toyota pickup when I met my wife, with its bulletproof single-cam 22R inline-four, way before the brand started calling its trucks Tacoma and Tundra. I’m seriously in lust with the motorsport of drifting, partly because it reminds me of my boarding and BMX days, partly because it’s uncorked vehicle performance, and partly because it has Japanese roots. I’ve never been much of a car modifier, but my DC5 is lowered, has a few bolt-ons, and the ECU is re-flashed. I love being behind the wheel of most vehicles, whether that’s road tripping or circuit flogging, although a lifetime exposed to traffic in the greater L.A. area has dulled that passion some. And unlike my dear ol’ dad, I am not a DIYer, because frankly I break everything I touch.
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