Lexus GS350 vs Mercedes-Benz GLB

What's the difference?

Ah, yes, the Lexus GS. Toyota's luxury off-shoot had high hopes for the new big boy when I first saw it a few years ago. Not thousands-of-sales high hopes, but the company thought a rear-wheel drive luxury sedan stacked with gear you didn't even know you wanted would be a dead-set winner.

And to be fair, they were right. I ran a GS as a long-termer and it was impeccably-mannered. In hybrid form. It wasn't sparkling, but my goodness, it used barely any fuel; especially impressive given its size.

As the sun is surely setting on the GS, it's time to have a look and see if it's a match for the BMW 5 Series or the Mercedes E.

A new-generation Mercedes-Benz GLB is just around the corner, so the current model is now on its farewell tour.

When it launched in 2019 it stood out from the crowd as a premium small-to-medium SUV with the flexibility of seven seats. Even now no other premium carmaker offers a car that’s a direct rival to this. You need to look at mainstream options instead that are slightly larger.

A mid-life update that arrived in 2023 brought some minor tweaks including different exterior and interior styling, along with mild-hybrid power for certain variants.

On test here is the entry-level GLB200 which didn’t receive mild-hybrid assistance. Read along to find out whether it’s the pick of the line-up.