2025 AMG GLB35: Whole lotta fun with some minor drawbacks
The little SUV from Mercedes gets performance enhancements standard with the AMG name, but there are some quirks along the way.
2025 Mercedes AMG GLB35 4Matic vs. 2025 Cadillac Lyriq Luxury 3: A battle of small SUVs that cost a lot.
This week: Mercedes AMG GLB35
Price: $67,950 as tested. DX1 exclusive trim added active LED headlamps, navigation, and more for $2,150; Driver Assistance Package added a lot for protective features for $1,700; 20-inch black wheels added $1,300; fancy blue paint added $750.
Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver said “It’s got the power,” that it was an “efficient package with good cargo space” and “fun to drive,” but that it comes with a “price that’s not very subcompact, sport suspension too stiff at times, comical third-row legroom.”
Marketer’s pitch: Make your road trips more epic.
Reality: There is much epicness to be had here.
What’s new: The GLB received a new look for 2024 — the model year tested — along with an upgraded interior, so 2025 continues fairly the same.
Competition: In addition to the electric-powered Cadillac Lyriq, there’s the BMW X1 and X2, Lexus UX, and Mini Cooper Countryman. Watch for reviews of the UX and X2 coming soon.
Up to speed: The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine creates an impressive 302 horsepower, and it moves the little box like a jackrabbit. It takes 4.9 seconds to reach 60 mph, according to Car and Driver, an impressive performance.
And it really is a whole lotta fun, just roaring onto highways — literally, with some awesome sound effects.
Shifty: Now here is where the premium brands set themselves apart. I’d experienced so many Kia and other low-budget dual-clutch transmissions that were rough and tumble that I wondered why using clutches for shifting instead of torque converters is even an idea.
But this 8-speed automatic transmission has a way of making it feel like a stick shift. Rather than abrupt peel outs in the driveway, the GLB has a bit of front-to-back sway like I just need to eaaaase off the clutch a bit more. And on the road, the shifts were distinct without feeling jarring. Nice.
On the road: Though the shifts were not jarring, the road seams were. The GLB thumpity-thumps from concrete pad to concrete pad on Route 202 with great force.
But take the back roads, and you’ll be a happy camper. Zig, zag, zig, zag. Whee!
Driver’s Seat: The black velvet surface is no match for the Sturgis family animals. With four dogs and I don’t even know how many cats scurrying about the place, there’s always plenty of hair traveling along for the ride.
But it’s comfortable and highly supportive, and so dense it feels like it’ll not have any indents or sags even after 250,000 miles. (Mr. Driver’s Seat should be so lucky.) And it’s actually not hot to sit in, which I was able to observe first-cheek during 100-degree days in July.
The no-charge Performance Steering Wheel in napa leather, on the other hand, can burn the paws if you’re not careful.
The gauges are as pretty as all the AMG offerings I’ve seen, but the steering wheel controls are hit and miss. The lower row uses some nice ebony buttons, and the volume slider works well.
A multifunction selection slider on the steering wheel works about as well as Google AI results — so randomly, inaccurately, frustratingly, you wonder why it’s even an idea. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Visibility is worth calling out: Here’s a low car with a low belt line and lots of glass. For comparison, it makes next week’s Lyriq feel like you’re riding around while peering up from inside a bathtub or something.
Friends and stuff: Sturgis Kid 4.0 reports the second row offers great space with a nice seat. Plenty of headroom, of course, and legroom, but not so much foot room.
I never thought about there being a third row until I saw Car and Driver’s remark.
Cargo space is 62.7 cubic feet behind the first row and 27 cubic feet behind the second. This is about the size of a Kia Soul, so not looking for a third row makes a lot of sense.
Play some tunes: The Burmeister Surround Sound system with Multimedia Package operates almost entirely through the 10.25-inch touchscreen, with a roller knob on the console for volume. The home menu is a few screens of three icons side by side, so it’s easy to follow at a glance.
Sound from the system is about an A, quite good but not perfect.
Keeping warm and cool: The HVAC system is operated via an attractive row of toggles underneath the infotainment system, a fairly simple setup. The high fan speeds made the hot days more bearable, and the round vents across the dashboard are easy to direct.
Night shift: AMG continues turning the high beam function into a bit of a show, raising the lights and slowly opening them wider like a theater curtain. It’s a signature move and I still give it an “Ooo! Aaah!” Every time.
AMG Night Package did nothing here except make the vehicle darker in many ways for $750.
Fuel economy: I averaged about 23.5 mpg in a raucous round of driving, mostly close to home.
Where it’s built: Aguascalientes, Mexico
How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the reliability to be a 2 out of 5.
Next week: Should we go electric in the Cadillac Lyriq?
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include new pricing information from Mercedes-Benz.