Compare the2024 Volkswagen AtlasVS 2023 Mercedes GLB

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Atlas are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GLB doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Atlas has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The GLB doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Atlas offers optional Maneuver Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The GLB doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Atlas’ standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLB.

Both the Atlas and the GLB have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Volkswagen Atlas weighs 452 to 1025 pounds more than the Mercedes GLB. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Atlas its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 50 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLB has not been tested, yet.

The Atlas’ corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the GLB’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Atlas for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLB.

There are over 66 percent more Volkswagen dealers than there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Atlas’ warranty.

The Volkswagen Atlas’ engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the GLB’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Atlas’ reliability 16 points higher than the GLB.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volkswagen 1 place higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Atlas’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 48 more horsepower (269 vs. 221) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 258) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Atlas uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GLB requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLB (18.6 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Atlas’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the GLB:

The Atlas’ standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the GLB are solid, not vented.

The Atlas stops shorter than the GLB:

For better traction, the Atlas has larger standard tires than the GLB (245/60R18 vs. 235/55R18). The Atlas SEL Premium R-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLB (265/45R21 vs. 235/55R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Atlas SEL Premium R-Line has standard 21-inch wheels. The GLB’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Atlas has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the GLB; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the GLB don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas’ wheelbase is 5.9 inches longer than on the GLB (117.3 inches vs. 111.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas is 3.8 inches wider in the front and 4.4 inches wider in the rear than on the GLB.

The Atlas’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (55% to 45%) than the GLB’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Atlas more stable handling and braking.

The Atlas SEL 4Motion handles at .84 G’s, while the GLB 250 4MATIC pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Atlas SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLB 250 4MATIC (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

The Atlas has .6 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, 5.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 5.6 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.5 inches more third row headroom, 4.6 inches more third row legroom and 11.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the GLB.

The Atlas’ cargo area provides more volume than the GLB.

The Atlas’ cargo area is larger than the GLB’s in every dimension:

The Atlas has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The GLB doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

The Atlas has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The GLB has no towing capacity.

Standard trailer stability control on the Atlas uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The GLB doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Atlas SEL has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The GLB doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Atlas SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The GLB doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Atlas has standard extendable sun visors. The GLB doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Atlas to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The GLB doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Atlas has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the GLB. The Atlas SEL/SEL Premium R Line also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the GLB.

The Atlas has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the GLB.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Atlas has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the GLB.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Atlas, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mercedes GLB isn't recommended.

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Mercedes GLB by almost four to one during 2022.