Lexus or Mercedes? Battle of the Brands
Alexandra Maloney
· 3 min read
If you’re a fan of
luxury cars
, two brands at the top of your mind while you’re thinking about investing in a new car
are likely Lexus and Mercedes.But, how do you decide? Should you buy a Lexus or Mercedes? Which one is better? In a nutshell, the answer is that it depends on your own personal preferences and what you need from your car.
Here, we’re comparing Lexus and Mercedes in three major classes: small luxury cars, luxury
sports cars
, and luxury SUVs to help you answer the question—Lexus or Mercedes—once and for all. 
Lexus or Mercedes: Small luxury cars
For the category of small luxury cars, let’s take a look at the 2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the 2021 Lexus IS.
In
Kelley Blue Book’s
full rundown of these two models, researchers found the Mercedes to be above average in choice of body styles, rear or all wheel drive, its high performance, and having a variety of engines. The Lexus also ranked highly in its choice of engines and rear or all-wheel drive, as well as having comfortable seats. These two
small cars
have a starting price within $2,000 of each other, so price doesn’t play a huge role here. Instead, drivers should look at the features associated with both cars. In the case of these two models, many of the Mercedes’ driver assist features are optional rather than standard, which means it doesn’t come with things the Lexus does. For that reason, in terms of Lexus or Mercedes, Lexus wins out in small luxury cars.
Lexus or Mercedes: Luxury Sports Cars
Cons for both brands in this category are their infotainment systems. While the SL’s is outdated, the LC’s is distracting to the driver. Plus, the Lexus has minimal trunk space for storage while the Mercedes has ample room in the rear.
When it comes to luxury sports cars, it seems Lexus has more cons than pros, giving Mercedes the win in this category.
Lexus or Mercedes: Luxury SUVs
For our final category of luxury SUVs, we’ll compare the Lexus LX and the Mercedes-Benz GLS.
Here, a huge factor to consider is price.
Fletcher Jones Imports
reports that while the Mercedes GLS starts at $76,000 for the 2021 model, the Lexus LX starts significantly higher for the same year model, at $86,830.A $10,000 price difference is hard to justify, no matter the bells and whistles that come with the car. Not to mention, if space is something that matters to you, the Mercedes GLS actually comes with more of it, despite the lower price. While not a huge difference, with the rear seats folded in the GLS you’ll get 84.7 cubic feet of cargo space, while in the LX with the rear seats folded you’ll only get 83.1 cubic feet of space.
With more space for less money, we have no choice but to pick Mercedes again in the category of luxury SUVs. With two out of three category wins, it looks like Mercedes won out in this battle of the brands.
