Compared: 2023 Audi Q5 vs. 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class
Whether you're shopping for style or utility, this pair of German SUVs offers plenty of choices.
Audi | Mercedes-Benz
As the boxier version of the subcompact, GLA-Class, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLB SUV's exterior design pays off in terms of ample passenger space and cargo volume for its size. It's also one of the few small luxury SUVs offering a third row.
The 2023 Audi Q5, compact SUV offers two body styles and four engine tunes, plus the automaker's renowned all-wheel drive (AWD) is standard.
Audi
The Audi Is Priced Higher Than the Mercedes
A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 221 horsepower powers the base Mercedes-Benz GLB 250, which, in front-wheel-drive form, starts at around $41,000. Adding AWD costs an additional $1,900. That extra grip is standard on the performance-minded AMG GLB 35. With an asking price of about $53,000, the AMG-tuned SUV features a punchier 302-hp turbo-four.
Mercedes-Benz
The base Audi Q5 Premium 40 TFSI with its 201-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four starts around $45,000 with AWD included. The 45 TFSI trim gets a 261-hp version of the same engine, starting at $48,000 for the regular body style and $52,000 for the sleeker Q5 Sportback coupe-SUV.
The sporty SQ5 gets a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder with 349 horsepower. That engine is in both the traditional SUV body style starting at $58,000 and the $61,000 Sportback. Unlike the small Benz SUV, Audi offers a plug-in hybrid Q5; the 55 TFSI e begins at $57,000 and is the most potent Q5, with 362 horsepower.
Audi
The Smaller GLB Actually Carries More Cargo Than the Q5
The GLB-Class has the convenience of an available $850 third row, making it a seven-seater. However, the space back there is tight and usable only by children. A notable upgrade to the GLB is the Premium package, which adds a 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster alongside a 10.3-inch infotainment screen — a pair of 7.0-inch screens is standard.
Depending on where you drive, having traction at all four wheels standard can be a major plus point with the Q5 lineup. The Audi also has more standard touches over the smaller Mercedes, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, adaptive cruise control, and a larger 10.1-inch touchscreen.
As for luggage space, the two-row GLB-Class has a roomier cargo area with 27.0 cubic-feet of room behind its second row, compared with the Q5's 25.6 cu-ft and Q5 Sportback's 24.7 cu-ft. However, the three-row version of the GLB offers 24.0 cu-ft when its third row is folded and only 5.1 cu-ft when in use.
Maximum cargo volume for the GLB is 62.0 cu-ft when equipped with five seats and 56.7 cu-ft for the seven-seater. The Q5 maxes out at 53.5 cu-ft of cargo volume with the back seats folded, and Sportback versions swallow up to 51.9 cu-ft.
Mercedes-Benz
The Audi Q5 Can Be the Most Efficient Option Here
The plug-in hybrid is the most powerful Audi Q5 and the most frugal, posting an EPA-estimated 60 MPGe with 23 miles of all-electric range and 26 mpg when operating as a conventional hybrid. The four-cylinder, non-hybrid versions are estimated up to 23/29/25 mpg city/highway/combined, and the sporty SQ5 at 19/24/21 mpg.
At 24/32/27 mpg, the front-wheel-drive versions of the GLB 250 are the most fuel efficient, followed by the 22/30/25-mpg AWD versions. The sportier AMG GLB 35 returns a 21/27/23-mpg estimate.
All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Nick KurczewskiNick Kurczewski is a freelance automotive journalist based in the New York metro area. With approximately 20 years of experience, he has covered all aspects of the car world, from the pit lane at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to car shows around the world, and a Zamboni lesson in Lower Manhattan. He’s also adept at providing helpful car advice and steering people towards the ideal car, truck, or SUV for their driving needs.
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