Page 44 - MotorTrend (March 2020)

BUTCHERS’
FIRST DRIVE I 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB 250

ey, can we talk? You, the car enthu- children only. Why even offer it, then?
siast who devours MotorTrend for Because it’s a great selling proposition
the high-end stuff. And you, too, the to get your whole school-run carpool in
retail-ready shopper who comes to a Mercedes SUV for a budget price. As
us for practical buying advice. You shoppers at every price point turn their
H both have lots of questions about eyes away from minivans and toward
the new Mercedes-Benz GLB crossover. SUVs, especially luxury ones, it’s a market
But what you really want to know is, segment just waiting to be served.
simply: Is it any good? Similar to its direct competitors, the
Let me respond just as simply: Yes, it is. Land Rover Discovery Sport and VW If you’re cross-shopping the GLA or
The enthusiast wants to know if it’s a real Tiguan, the GLB’s third row is for emergen- CLA- and A-Class sedans, you’ll find the
Mercedes, one worthy of a three-pointed cies only. The sliding and reclining second GLB’s forward cabin otherwise familiar.
star among stalwarts like the GLS, GLE, row will see far more use, and it provides The instrument panel and center stack
and our 2017 SUV of the Year, the GLC. plenty of space for adults, nearly adult kids, are doppelgängers, and you’ll notice many
Does it drive like a Mercedes despite its and car seat–bound children alike. The of the same features.
front-drive underpinnings? Meanwhile, front seats, as always, will get the biggest Agree to a high enough price at the
smart shoppers want to know if it feels like workout, and they’re up for it, remaining dealer, and you can get a combination of
a Mercedes inside, if it’s a good value, and comfortable after 400-plus miles on the adaptive cruise control, advanced lane
whether there’s space for all their needs. road (unlike the seats in the mechanically keeping, and navigation data that func-
Yes, it does all those things. similar CLA-Class sedan). tions nearly as well as Tesla’s Navigate on
These are fair questions to ask. This is
only Mercedes’ second crack at a front-
drive SUV. It’s also taking a risk by mating a
compact footprint with three rows of seats.
Let’s just get the latter out of the way:
The third row is optional, and it’s for

44 MOTORTREND.COM MARCH 2020