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CarsLore / Compare / Small SUVs / GLB-Class vs Tiguan

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class vs Volkswagen Tiguan

Two small SUVs, compared on the same official records: MOT and inspection results, safety ratings, fuel use, recalls and owner complaints. 7 like-for-like measures: the Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class leads on 2, the Volkswagen Tiguan on 4, 1 too close to call.

Where each one leads

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

  • Fewer Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (1.4% against 2.0%).
  • Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the diesel Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class uses 6.6 l/100 km on the road, the Volkswagen Tiguan 6.8.

Volkswagen Tiguan

  • Against cars of the same age, the Volkswagen Tiguan comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 5% more often than average) than the Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class (passes 2% more often than average).
  • New Volkswagen Tiguan cars registered in Europe in 2022 average 145 g/km of CO₂ on the WLTP test, against 157 for the Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class in 2022.
  • Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol Volkswagen Tiguan uses 8.1 l/100 km on the road, the Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 8.7.
  • Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol hybrid Volkswagen Tiguan uses 7.2 l/100 km on the road, the Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 8.7.

Too close to call: NHTSA overall safety rating.

Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare

At a glance

Mercedes-Benz GLB-ClassVolkswagen Tiguan
Model years in the US safety record—2005–2026
New cars registered in Europe79,263 (2019–2022)2,083,956 (2010–2022)
Licensed in the United Kingdom22,654347,496
On the road in the Netherlands3,79294,315
In traffic in Finland71810,223

EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).

Reliability and problems

Mercedes-Benz GLB-ClassVolkswagen Tiguan
UK MOT first-time pass rate90%82%
… against cars of the same age+2%+5%
New York safety inspections failed—1.2%
… against cars of the same year—−3%
Illogical odometer records (NL)1.4%2.0%
US owner complaints—2,326
Most complaints about—Engine
Model year with most complaints—2018 (287)
US recall campaigns—39
Manufacturer service bulletins—10,719
NHTSA defect investigations—19

Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).

Safety

Mercedes-Benz GLB-ClassVolkswagen Tiguan
NHTSA overall rating5★ (2023)5★ (2027)

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).

Fuel, emissions and price

Mercedes-Benz GLB-ClassVolkswagen Tiguan
Official combined fuel use, Canada—8.5 l/100 km (2026)
Real-world use in Europe, diesel6.6 l/100 km6.8 l/100 km
Real-world use in Europe, petrol8.7 l/100 km8.1 l/100 km
Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid8.7 l/100 km7.2 l/100 km
Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe157 g/km145 g/km
Average power of new cars in Europe121 kW (163 hp)119 kW (159 hp)
Average mass in running order1,669 kg1,669 kg
Dutch list price when new (median)€64,930€43,330
Average odometer in Finland121,000 km181,000 km

Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).