Boxy on the Outside, TARDIS on the Inside: My Love Affair With the Surprisingly Spacious GLB

Calling all you sisu’s out there! Let me tell you, low to the ground cars, a dodgy spines don’t exactly go hand-in-hand. Cruising around in my trusty 2013 B220 CDI, that was not exactly low, for a quarter of a million kilometres was a dream, but then my back decided it preferred saunas over Swedish meatballs. Low cars? More like low tolerance for joyrides. So, with a grump that could rival a grumpy troll, I embarked on the hunt for an SUV that wouldn’t make me look like I was trying to conquer a reindeer herd.

The Great SUV Showdown

I was determined to find the perfect balance between size, capability, silence and usability. My initial browsing led me to the Mercedes-Benz GLC, a mid-size SUV that exuded sophistication and power.

Man, but then this SUV thing is turning into an odyssey. Started off smitten with the Volvo X60, all sleek and Swedish. Then I saw the X90 and who wouldn’t want to feel like a Viking captain on the road? Unfortunately big car, small chairs, no way to cope with the very sporty chairs from inside. Then practicality kicked in, and suddenly I was elbow-deep in Skoda’s SUV lineup, but again, no way to fit in them anymore. Ether people now are shrinking, all are contortionists or just the car manufactures decided that tall (and old) people are not allowed to drive anymore. Almost pulled the trigger, but then Renault swooped in with the Austral – gotta admit, that French name had a certain je ne sais quoi. At least I could fit quite well in it!

Well, in the end, here’s the funny part: after all that, I keep circling back to the Mercedes GLC. Maybe I should just accept it’s my automotive soulmate? Look, no judgment, everyone goes through this car-window shopping phase. Just gotta find that perfect fit for cruising around, confortable.

But as I delved deeper into my research, a new possibility emerged: the Mercedes-Benz GLB. This slightly smaller on the outside SUV offered a surprising amount of interior space, making it perfect for weekend adventures or some long rides with the whole familly but also able to ingest some diving gear in the trunk without complaining about. While it lacked the GLC’s aura, its boxy design hinted at a more adventurous spirit.

Now, this little GLB surprised me more than a moose on the motorway! It’s like the GLC that is looking bigger but it seems to be shrunk in the sauna on the outside and expanded like the ice on a frozen winter day on the inside, but in a good way. All the Mercedes class, but without the proportions that make you look like you’re compensating for something…other than needing a Sherpa to help you out of a regular car, that is.

Interior Paradise for a Grumpy Person

Alright, enough about the outside. Let’s talk about the inside, my personal haven of comfort. First up, the digital dash. Looks like something straight out of a spaceship commercial, which is perfect for those times you get lost and accidentally end up in Lapland thanks to the utterly brilliant MBUX infotainment system. It responds faster than a startled elk on the ice, even to my grumpy mumbling in Finnglish. Also the whole interface is very, very simple and intuitive with three ways to maneuver it: touchscreen, middle console touch pad and steering-wheel buttons. Just briliant.

And the semi-autonomous driving features, called nowadays “Distronic Plus with Steering Assist” ? Don’t even get me started! Now, I wouldn’t trust this thing to navigate the some rush hour city in the middle of the Finnish winter, with all the trams, delivery vans and the piles of snow, but on those long stretches north to the cabin? Pure bliss! It’s like having a personal Lappi chauffeur who doesn’t judge you for blasting Finnish tango at top volume. Only annoying thing is that you need yo push some kind of “dead man button” (touch the steering-wheel or some buttons from it) every 30 seconds or so if you don’t wan you car to switch to “Emergency stop” mode. It seems that this have to do with legislation, autonomous cars not allowed in Finland for now, and it seems that this would break that regulation if left alone.

The (Almost) Perfect Compromise

Speaking of long journeys, the seats! Like sinking into a cloud of the finest Finnish reindeer fur (faux, of course, gotta keep the reindeer happy). No more backache, just pure comfort that would make even a grumpy troll crack a smile. Very good driving position, with all kind of adjustments on all directions, including lumbar adjustment and bottom extension. Just briliant! If you can’t find your best position, then you should just walk home! Plus, the rear seats slide, giving you the choice between a cavernous boot for all your sauna essential supplies, and the boot is enormous or enough legroom to seat a small herd of reindeer calves, again, so much room for your knees that you think that the car has been split in two and front somehow is living the building. Genius!

Is it All Sunshine and Salmon Soup?

Now, before you start picturing me skipping through a field of wildflowers with a cloud of mosquitoes buzzing around, there are a couple of niggles. Let’s not forget the price tag. You’ll need to win the national lottery to afford all the bells and whistles. Very typical Mercedes. Base model price: x. Add few extra, price: 2x. Grrr. I got mine second hand, Mercedes Guaranteed, so good part was that have some decent equipment in it, sure depending on your mind. There are few must have options like Distronic Plus with Steering Assist, Heated front seats, 10,25″” dual displays (don’t even think going with the default), ambient light. But then other that not that important but nice to have once I notice them: like that augmented reality navigation that overlays directions onto the real world. Fancy? Absolutely. Essential for navigating the Finnish wilderness? Not quite, especially when nowadays there all phones have Google Maps that gets the job done most of the time. Or a towing hook, very important for me (I tend to need ample space sometimes for my ego) but not necessary important for everybody (mine have an aftermarket one installed, not the fancy electrical one that comes as optional in all MB). Android Auto / Apple Auto, is there but for some odd reason, is not going to be full screen and then the augmented reality navigation from MB is bit more nicer to use, but again, not dealbreaker.

Then comes some typical Mercedes “easter eggs”, means broken things, that has been the norm on all my Mercedes that I owned form 2008 or so in the first year of ownership.
In the GLB, it started with back wheel plastic fenders coming off, back side left door need realignment, Mercedes logo getting rusted (it seems that has a heating coil so that ice doesn’t stays there as behind it are the radars), steering wheel column contacts broken, need replacement (all kind of warnings and errors from the self driving system). All replaced under warranty so far.

Final Verdict: Grumpy Finn, Satisfied

Overall, the GLB has been a pleasant surprise. It’s comfortable, surprisingly practical, and packed with enough tech to keep even a grumpy person like me entertained. So, if you’re looking for an SUV that’s not too monstrous, has a cracking interior, surprising enough punch from the 150HP engine that lets you pretend you’re a rally driver on occasion (on empty roads, of course), then the GLB might just be your cup of lingonberry juice.

About the car:

Mercedes-Benz GLB 200d Business
Fuel: diesel
Power: 150 HP
Model: 2020