Mercedes GLA vs BMW X3: Which luxury SUV should I buy for city driving

The car will be self driven by me with mostly one passenger sitting with me.

BHPian Rajvenkat recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi

This is Raj . Present car is a 2021 Tata Safari XZA+. Previous cars owned include the Range Rover Evoque , BMW 320d ( F30) , Porsche Cayenne diesel , Audi A4 2.0 tdi etc . Want to buy a luxury SUV which is primarily intended for city usage with one highway trip a month which is 600 km on the national highway.

Considering the Mercedes-Benz GLA 220D 4matic and BMW X3 30i MSport . Even though both these do not belong to the same segment, these two are in my final shortlist. Considered and removed various other cars from segments below and above as well . The car will be self driven by me with mostly one passenger sitting with me. Want advice regarding which car is most suitable for my usage and in general which is the better car for 90 % city usage and 10 % highway usage.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

This is not even a discussion. BMW X3 all the way. It is vastly superior to the GLA in almost every way:

• Bigger, more space, nicer to drive, way better quality. It's from a segment above.
• Buy a better car and keep it for longer.
• You've owned some really nice cars in the past. I doubt you'll be happy with the GLA. Even if you bring it home now, you'll get bored of it soon, keeping your car history in mind.

Here's what BHPian NarediAni7518 had to say on the matter:

The X3 is a much more superior product in all the aspects in comparison to the GLA. It’s much bigger, more powerful, newer product and feels like a proper luxury SUV, whereas the GLA is just too tiny for the price at which it comes. Also, the quality of materials used in the X3 is much better in comparison to the GLA. Go ahead with the X3 I would suggest.

Here's what BHPian adi.mariner had to say on the matter:

If you can afford the X3, then no need to even look at the GLA. Frankly there is no comparison at all considering the space and engine offered with the X3 are vastly superior to the GLA.

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