The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 recently came to me for testing. It’s a well-balanced Mercedes SUV with a surprisingly affordable sticker price. Mercedes-Benz is known for its luxury and AMG performance engineering.

It’s also a brand that isn’t exactly known for producing vehicles and selling them for a budget price. The 2021 GLB250 Mercedes SUV is certainly no cheap product geared toward budget buyers. It is, however, a lot of car for the money with a retail price that’s pretty accessible. You don’t necessarily have to be filthy rich to land yourself in a really nice Benz.

Is the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 a good SUV?

Yes, this Mercedes SUV is a good vehicle. It slots in between the mini GLA-Class and the larger and more expensive GLC-Class. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 start under $40 grand. The suggested retail price for the GLB250 4Matic before any additional equipment is added comes to $40,050––as found on the Monroney in my tester.

“exceptionally comfortable, suitably luxurious and loaded with appealing technology”

Edmunds

According to Edmunds, this Mercedes SUV comes recommended over the BMW X1, Audi Q3, and the Volvo XC40. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 starts at a very reasonable price and offers so much. The infotainment boasts premium connectivity and the display cluster with upgraded navigation (which comes in the $1,295 multimedia package) is so detailed it even shows you what moon phase you’re in.

Does the GLB250 have a third row?

One of the most interesting options available for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 is its third row option. According to MBUSA, you can add a third row to your GLB250 build for $850. The seats are only suitable for small children.

However, it is notable that a Mercedes SUV of this size even offers the option at all. It will crush your cargo space, but sometimes all you need are a couple of extra seats for carpool. Or a place for the kids to sit when the grandparents are in town and you all want to go out for dinner. It’s nice to have this feature available in a smaller luxury SUV without having to class up to something huge like an Escalade or a Navigator.

Is the price jump to a 4Matic Mercedes SUV worth it?

For a more dynamic and agile driving experience, we’d say yes, this price jump of a few thousand bucks is totally worth it. Especially if you think you’ll want to drive your GLB250 off-pavement or in inclement weather conditions. This isn’t a throaty V8 or anything wild to write home about in terms of performance.

That said, it absolutely gets the job done and then some. Our 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 4Matic SUV had some upgrades including some new AMG tweaks. All in, the sticker price came to $49,755. After driving the 2021 GLB250 for a week, I’d say it’s worth every penny––if luxury and refinement go high on your list. It’s also styled well both inside and out.

Our AMG package added an even more appealing grille style to this boxy little Mercedes SUV. It looks rugged in a way that nods to the ever-iconic Mercedes-Benz G-class, or G-Wagon. From the gorgeous black and white piano key leather interior to the clear sound system to the AMG styling tweaks, we loved this model and the complete package it offers to families.