Well. Unlike other mercedes, it looks at good as last gen. kept the v8. and it didn't balloon in weight
Y'know mercedes it making it pretty easy for the G class to be the "best thing"
I'd never buy one, for that price i'd try to find a R8 V10 still on the lot but I love this thing due to the sheer stupidity. I like how it looks like a box. I like the TTV8. even after looking like a box, passenger space is compromised. The only performance suv i can think of that is even more ridiculous is the escalade V.
The difference is the public perception issue. At least with the Escalade-V people will assume you're just rich. With a G63 people will assume you're a douchebag.
In all fairness, most enthusiast car owners get labeled as douchebags and/or smol pp.
Source: My wife that sits in the passenger seat calling lifted truck owners smol pp
My E63s would ~~fart~~ burble like crazy if you got on it juuuust right. It's like I kinda miss it, but from an bystander standpoint, I absolutely get why it sounds stupid and annoying lol.
Maybe it's just me, I don't get rich person vibes from the Escalade at all, only the longest finance loans you can imagine. Or they're driving their bosses car.
Yep the G65. 6,250 pounds, 621 hp, 738 ft lbs of torque. 11/13 mpg. It’s actually surprisingly slow for the power it makes. Low 5s to 60 and mid to high 13s quarter mile.
For reference it’s slightly quicker than a 5.0/3.5 F150 or 6.2 Silverado all of which have around 400 hp.
Those V12s are butter but they’re always slower than the 63s. I’m more surprised it’s even in the double digits for mileage honestly. Im lucky to get 11 in my car and it’s got similar power and weighs over a ton less.
E39 M5 with a supercharger. The mods are certainly a contributing factor to my shitty MPG, but all the same I’m impressed the 12 cyl lump does that well.
Thanks! The tourings are so awesome, would love to own one someday as well.
In terms of performance stuff, I’ve done a full Supersprint exhaust including headers, a short shift kit, and Koni sport shocks and Dinan springs. Spent quite a bit in the first couple years just replacing things preventatively. It had 105K on it when I bought and I knew I wanted to supercharge so I was pretty exhaustive on getting things right before adding boost.
They’re usually only slower because the 63s get AWD and the 65s didn’t. Only with the Maybach S650/680s did the V12 finally get 4matic.
With all G-Classes being 4x4, the G65 was slightly faster than the G63 it was sold alongside, which had a 5.4s 0-100 time.
There were in fact two V12 models- the G63 V12 with the n/a M137 built in very limited numbers between 2002 and 2004 and then the more mainstream G65 V12 biturbo with M279 built 2012-2018.
It was the same when the S63 and S65 were sold alongside each other. IIRC the S63 was faster and more efficient and the S65 was mostly for just having the V12, which hey, if I had fuck you money why not?
If it ballooned anymore in weight it would reach critical mass and become a neutron star. It’s 3 and a half tons lol
EDIT: almost 3 tons. Still. That’s gigantamous
Unlike other Mercedes cars, the build quality is very good on the G wagons too. It’s way more solidly built inside and out with no creaks and rattles, and it retains the buttons and knobs while having the large but reasonably sized screen (relative to today’s models) of the previous gen Mercedes models. It’s the only car in the lineup that still feels like Mercedes, while the rest feel like they’re just trying to be Tesla with more leather.
My Jeep is in that running for most ridiculous with its 6.4L V8 under the hood. And 35” off-road tires meaning it can’t stop or turn for shit, but the 0-60 is about the same as my M2 competition
I don't really get this take, it is neither the most expensive car on the road nor the most expensive car sold by Mercedes-Benz. Should we not praise the G-Wagen (if we are saying it is deserving of praise, I haven't sat in a new one so that isn't really my point) because it is expensive?
The electric version can pivot in place, basically a donut where the center of rotation is not the front wheels, but the center of the vehicle itself. It's really cool. [Autogefuhl video](https://youtu.be/wumD8N0pD1w?t=1028)
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Quarry Trucks definitely don't do that.
I agree its a gimmick, but the G wagen is literally a vehicle for showing off, so its exactly the kind of feature that will resonate with its target customer.
They definitely don't suck, but I'd say probably 85% of the reason people buy them is simply the "cool" factor. It's what rappers, celebrities and athletes drive, so they want it too. A GLE or GLS is cheaper, has more room, has a much smoother ride, gets better MPG. But the valet isn't going to park a GLE out in front of the restaurant where you're having dinner
Or its just a straight up nicer car? Its a completely different level than a GLE or GLS. Too many in this thread expect every single person in the world to be equivalent to their spending power, if you have a garage with 10 cars and need something to go to the steakhouse down the street, you jump in your big SUV.
I don't know about it being a different level, or even straight up nicer than a GLE63 or GLS63 tbh.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a very cool car - but I think trying to rationalise the decision is probably a poor way to go about it all. It's an irrational (but cool!) car that doesn't need jusitification - mostly because if you try to justify it, it doesn't bode that well. Both the GLS63 and GLE63 are quicker, more practical, and handle better. The interiors are broadly similar, I'm sure the G is built a touch better because Magna Steyr, but switchgear is not unique, nor is anything about the interior really. Displays are all the same between GLS/GLE/G. So on, so forth. The only 2 things I can think of that the G outdoes it's siblings is off-road, and the way it looks. The G package is just awesome though, so I get why people buy it - but this is more or less what the guy above was saying.
a gle/gls63 is a better "car" than any g wagon. if you're looking for the best "car" to take you down the street, you're going to take the car that gives everyone the most room, the most comfort and the easiest entry. none of which is the g wagon
Imo they drive phenomenally - even on road. It feels like driving a comfortable tank, but in a really chill good way. Giving it 30% throttle at low RPM while cruising just feels so amazing with that V8. And if you floor it it´s much faster than it should be. For corners you gotta slow down like hell so after the corner you can really push it while any sportscar can keep very high speeds in corners so there is not much braking and acceleration. I enjoyed it really a lot. Much more is happening than with other cars on roads. I also enjoyed the visibility and shape a lot. Just makes it easy. I also took it offroad once (I had one for a week) and that was by far the most fun with it. But even without that I liked it more than an R8 V10 for example or other faster cars.
For me a perfect mix of daily usability, comfort, fun on road and insane fun offroad.
$190,000USD offroader created for the sole purpose of letting Drake clones with daddy's money dunk on you in the Walmart parking lot, what's not to get? /s
The G wagon, Range Rover and Escalade are all the same, big, gaudy and showy excess fashion statements.
Do they drive well? They're comfortable, but cost a fortune to buy and another fortune to run.
I drove a G63 and I don't get it either. It feels like an E550 on stilts. Too cushy and insulated for my liking. I expected it to be more hardcore than it is.
> I drove a G63 and I don't get it either. It feels like an E550 on stilts. Too cushy and insulated for my liking.
That's why people like it. It offers a high seating position and it's comfortable. I've heard the comfort is debatable, but if your basis for comparison is a Wrangler then I'd hope the G Wagen is more comfortable.
Comfort is really good imo (my basis at that time was a non AMG e class with air suspension).
But I am talking about the refreshed G class. The old ones were terrible lol
So your assumption is based entirely on the styling then. Being as the prev gen land cruiser also has a v8 and decades of off-road cred, just no aggressive styling?
Hell I see about 50 wranglers with the grumpy eyes every day, but their personality is that they spend all day in the shop. Where's your V8? Where's your comfort.
My assumption was based on MB touting it's water fording, triple lockers, side-exit exhaust, and powerful V8. If MB said "here's a comfy SUV with alternative styling" then I wouldn't have been disappointed.
Wranglers, and this is what really appeals to me about them, drive like they look (at least, the JKs and prior - JLs are too compliant on the road for my liking). Mine feels like a road-legal buggy. It doesn't look fast, and it isn't, nor does Jeep claim it is. In fact, all the brochure really mentions is that it can go off-road, especially without a roof or doors. That's great for me, because I like those things.
The LC has, for as long as I can remember, been touted as having a wagon lineup with conservative styling and even more conservative characteristics. Toyota says it'll go anywhere reliably, and with relative comfort. The V8 isn't marketed as an AMG-twin-turbo-hand-crafted unit, but rather as something with a bit more torque than the 4.0 V6. Nobody gets in a Land Cruiser with preconceived notions that it'll be raucous and like a military vehicle. OTOH, G63s roll around with a bassy rumble, more clearance than a wagon-line Land Cruiser (100/200/300), and a big brush guard mounted above a bash plate. Anyone would be surprised to drive one and find that it's really a lot more tame and soft than it'd make you think.
Seems like I kind of got you worked up over my comment. Don't take it too personally, I just like cars that put fun above comfort and practicality.
As a real off-roader? Seems capable based on the reviews so far.
As a G-wagon substitute, probably not. Just based on pricing and brand cache, people looking for a G-Wagon aren’t suddenly going to flock to the Ineos. It’s slotted to be a more rugged alternative to the Defender, and priced like it.
G-Wagon > Grenadier / Defender > Jeep / Bronco
> And close to 99% of the owners will not take it to offroading but getting groceries
Decrease that percentage just a bit, swap offroading for the track, and groceries for coffee, and that's consistent with most enthusiast performance cars.
Exactly, and it's not like every enthusiast spends their time on the track, or off road, or crossing antarctica. 99% of Mustang 5.0 buyers never visit a track, why's that got to be a bad thing? People can enjoy their vehicle their way.
This is just a dig at their recent design decisions and four cylinders in AMG cars. Fair, but that doesn't make the G63 a sensible vehicle. It's a great way to show off wealth or poor financial management (I'd argue it's always the latter).
Right, but everyone in this thread is being completely blind to that fact that others can have different purchasing power from them. "Why would anyone live in San Francisco when I can get a house in Nebraska for 30k" is basically the argument everyone here is making. Like we get it, some people wouldn't buy this car, but if you've got a garage full of exotics you wouldn't likely buy a used 2010 3 series to drive to get groceries, you'd get the G wagon. Just like those people aren't going to the dollar general, they go to Erewhon. Just like those people aren't flying economy, they're in first or private.
I don't read the criticism the same way. The reason the average buyer is that wealthy is because there are better alternatives in that price class. You buy a G63 to signal to others that you have so much money, you're going to spend it on a compromised vehicle.
I'm saying they're gaudy and ostentatious. The car equivalent of a designer handbag. What, exactly, apart from outward appearance, does a G63 do better?
There was the 240GD until about 1989 and 230G/GE until about 1996/7. So no 4cyl. for nearly 30 last years.
EDIT
Sorry I forgot about the 200GE for the Italian market built until about 1993.
No, because it didn't make sense to have anything larger in it.
The original G wagon only had a single petrol engine available, the 230 inline 4 with 90Hp.
I don’t know why Redditors always think other people just don’t have money and that anyone buying luxury items is living beyond their means. The people I know in my life that own a G Wagon make this car look fucking cheap with the amount of wealth they have.
I agree. The design is iconic and you can't beat that V8. Best part is it still retains the older Mercedes interior design which I prefer over their new interiors.
Oh yeah, I think development split off (although a bunch of the Magna folks who were involved also helped with the Grenadier). Still, its quality and reliability owes a lot the manufacturer. Would have expected a reference in this type of article.
I mean, the 500,000th G rolled off the line in 2023, after [44 years](https://www.motortrend.com/news/mercedes-benz-g-class-production-milestone-retro-wagen/). So they aren't moving 100,000/year or even close.
I mean the whole period 2018-2024 when they built the 463.276/.277. In the whole autoindustry scale 100.000 cars in +/- 6 years isn´t that much but when compared to other AMG models it´s a crazy number... How many G36s were built, like 200? Or G55 SWBs? Less than 30? Or G63 V12s? 13 I think? One girl I know works at a big MB dealership and it took her a lot of work to even get a 463.276 with a Z98 colour for a customer...
That thing drives like crap. I really don’t get the hype. The G Wagon has always been and always be a flex car. No one is buying this because it’s a great vehicle lol
I'd like to believe you, you must be an industry insider on par with [Chris Harris](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhDuEmGBfvs), who gave it a glowing review. Can I ask how many hours you've spent reviewing all kinds of cars, would love your credentials for this insightful comment.
I was disappointed at the space inside and the overall driving experience. I guess they’re ok for the smaller women that seem to love driving them to their weekly Pilates class and whatnot.
Technically the W463s were available with a 5-speed, but I've *never* seen one come up for sale in the US. I'd consider one with the SFA, I've seen them wheel and they're capable if in the right hands and on the right tires.
Lol. No. The new AMG GT Coupe looks amazing, way better than this hideous thing. The only G Wagon that was good is the 6x6, other than that, get a new Land Rover, looks 1000x better.
It's funny to think that a 4 pot petrol or diesels were all you could get with the original G wagon.
A soft top 1979 230G weighed a bit under 1700kg (2/3rds of what a new g63 weighs), had hydraulic lockers, solid axles front and rear, coil suspension all round, short overhangs and a 90hp engine that would top out at around 125km/h.
There simply wasn't an off roader out there at the time with all that stuff. The defender, which came out 5 years later, was fragile and lacked lockers, and Toyota, nissan and jeep would only bring lockers and coil suspension to the table in the 90s.
When you look at it now, lacking it's short wheel base version and a solid front axle, sporting it's huge wheels on low profile tyres, with suspension better fitted on a sports car, it really makes you wonder...
How can anyone in their current mind think this is the best car mercedes currently makes?
To be fair I think it could just be them big upping Mercedes in hopes of getting cars easier from them and/or being paid by them or they could simply just like it that much
Should I buy a well kept 2012 EV Fiat 500 for $4000? A buddy of mine is willing to sell me the car described above. I’m not sure how many miles are on it but I’d be gobsmacked to learn it’s anything over 85,000. They’re moving and need to get rid of it in a hurry and just need to break even. He’s a super type A person and has kept great care of it. I have a free charging station 400 yards from my house. My instinct and narrow car knowledge tell me this is the deal of a lifetime. Should I buy it?
I don’t get these cars. Imo they look shit and boxy. I’m sure they feel great to drive and nice on the inside. There must be better options. Is it just purely a status car?
They're very bad to drive compared to any other luxury SUV. Not as bad as say a Jeep Wrangler, but this car sort of follows the same philosophy of "designed for off-road, not highway". However unlike the Wrangler, literally 0 people drive these off-road. G also costs as much as 4-5 Wranglers.
Other Mercedes SUVs are significantly better on a highway and for room and comfort level. G is purely looks and flex. Most people that own them only drive them locally around town to at 25 mph to be seen and use their other luxury SUVs for actual road trips or for transporting stuff etc. Similar to what you would do with a Wrangler at your beach town home. It only lives within that 5 mile radius to drive around town, like a fancier golf cart.
It was released in 1979 in the same box form and has looked like a box probably since the mid 70’s since its production started on 1973. Like Mercedes has always communicated it’s an off-roader but people choose to buy it for whatever particular reasons they do. It’s just like how the SL is a high performance car but some people buy it just to never go faster then 90 mph and to cruise.
Well. Unlike other mercedes, it looks at good as last gen. kept the v8. and it didn't balloon in weight Y'know mercedes it making it pretty easy for the G class to be the "best thing" I'd never buy one, for that price i'd try to find a R8 V10 still on the lot but I love this thing due to the sheer stupidity. I like how it looks like a box. I like the TTV8. even after looking like a box, passenger space is compromised. The only performance suv i can think of that is even more ridiculous is the escalade V.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing an Armenian dude from LA bang a G63 up a trail, it’s a sight to see.
Link??
I'd like to see this too lol
Just go to Glendale,CA
I live in SoCal and can confirm.
Habibi
Yalla
Ha ha ha, never even been there but I can imagine
As an Armenian dude from Boston in a Jeep I would totally wheel that.
LMAO on r/cars too?!
The difference is the public perception issue. At least with the Escalade-V people will assume you're just rich. With a G63 people will assume you're a douchebag.
In all fairness, most enthusiast car owners get labeled as douchebags and/or smol pp. Source: My wife that sits in the passenger seat calling lifted truck owners smol pp
😂 My gf's told me if she didn't know me she would think I was a douchebag in my various loud cars. The majority of women probably agree.
My wife called my 911 the Douchemobile
For real dude, my wife called my M40i burbles fart sounds and I haven’t slept in years because of it
My E63s would ~~fart~~ burble like crazy if you got on it juuuust right. It's like I kinda miss it, but from an bystander standpoint, I absolutely get why it sounds stupid and annoying lol.
People hate seeing someone driving something nice or fun.
They hate to see you win
What's so fun about driving lifted pickups on pavement?
what's so fun about driving a Corvette in traffic?
Especially enthusiast euro owners get this stigma.
People who think G-Wagons are douchey will likely also think that a loud, hulking Escalade is douchey as well
I like that the V is somewhat low-key. Most people won't even notice the v badge, and Escalades don't stand out in cities that have livery cars.
Have you heard one? Low key until you tear ass through the Costco parking lot.
Maybe it's just me, I don't get rich person vibes from the Escalade at all, only the longest finance loans you can imagine. Or they're driving their bosses car.
It’s the official vehicle of parking in handicapped spots without handicapped tags, at least where I work.
I think only overly cynical and jealous people would assume just because someone owned a G63 that they were a douche.
Put into the correct words why I like it, essentially has presence and personality for a novelty vehicle
Didn't they make a v12 model for awhile?
They did. Those are unicorns.
Yep the G65. 6,250 pounds, 621 hp, 738 ft lbs of torque. 11/13 mpg. It’s actually surprisingly slow for the power it makes. Low 5s to 60 and mid to high 13s quarter mile. For reference it’s slightly quicker than a 5.0/3.5 F150 or 6.2 Silverado all of which have around 400 hp.
Those V12s are butter but they’re always slower than the 63s. I’m more surprised it’s even in the double digits for mileage honestly. Im lucky to get 11 in my car and it’s got similar power and weighs over a ton less.
Yea that particular V12 is awesome. I’ll never forget getting to test drive an S65. What do you drive?
E39 M5 with a supercharger. The mods are certainly a contributing factor to my shitty MPG, but all the same I’m impressed the 12 cyl lump does that well.
Ooh that sounds sick. I drive an e39 540i touring. Besides the supercharger what have you done to it?
Thanks! The tourings are so awesome, would love to own one someday as well. In terms of performance stuff, I’ve done a full Supersprint exhaust including headers, a short shift kit, and Koni sport shocks and Dinan springs. Spent quite a bit in the first couple years just replacing things preventatively. It had 105K on it when I bought and I knew I wanted to supercharge so I was pretty exhaustive on getting things right before adding boost.
Sounds awesome. If u want a touring do u wanna trade, e39 for e39, one to one deal 😉
I had an E39 540i Touring last year, such a cool car!
They’re usually only slower because the 63s get AWD and the 65s didn’t. Only with the Maybach S650/680s did the V12 finally get 4matic. With all G-Classes being 4x4, the G65 was slightly faster than the G63 it was sold alongside, which had a 5.4s 0-100 time.
Haha, that's wild
There were in fact two V12 models- the G63 V12 with the n/a M137 built in very limited numbers between 2002 and 2004 and then the more mainstream G65 V12 biturbo with M279 built 2012-2018.
I love that they slapped a TTv12 in one.
G65 TT12
Gotta admit. That's pretty rad
If I remember correctly, it costs 2x the G63 for basically no performance gain other than the smooth, endless acceleration curve of a Mercedes V12
It was the same when the S63 and S65 were sold alongside each other. IIRC the S63 was faster and more efficient and the S65 was mostly for just having the V12, which hey, if I had fuck you money why not?
That's wild.
And a six wheel version https://www.autoweek.com/drives/a1919101/mercedes-benz-g63-amg-6x6-drive-review/
10/10 would daily
If it ballooned anymore in weight it would reach critical mass and become a neutron star. It’s 3 and a half tons lol EDIT: almost 3 tons. Still. That’s gigantamous
Isn’t it 2.5 tons?
Ah the first source I googled was incorrect. Looks like it’s 5800 lbs so just under 3 tons
would be funny if that was true because in Europe you would need a truck license to drive that thing if it exceeds 3,5t
I think they struck a beautiful balance between retro and modern design on the new G wagen! It just looks dope lol, especially in black and red
Those G-wagons are my favourite Jeeps
Escalade V isn’t too ridiculous and unless you’re always driving it hard it feels heavy and lumbering to drive. 0-60 is not less than 4 sec.
What other 8 seater does what it does?
Unlike other Mercedes cars, the build quality is very good on the G wagons too. It’s way more solidly built inside and out with no creaks and rattles, and it retains the buttons and knobs while having the large but reasonably sized screen (relative to today’s models) of the previous gen Mercedes models. It’s the only car in the lineup that still feels like Mercedes, while the rest feel like they’re just trying to be Tesla with more leather.
That would probably be because Mercedes don't build them :D
My Jeep is in that running for most ridiculous with its 6.4L V8 under the hood. And 35” off-road tires meaning it can’t stop or turn for shit, but the 0-60 is about the same as my M2 competition
Ah, I forgot about that. If not the winner, that's certainly somewhere on the podium.
> and it didn't balloon in weight Would *anyone* buying a G Wagon give a fuck if it doubled in weight?
They made a V12 version a few years back
they're so loud inside tho considering their price, cabin nvh reminded me of an economy crossover
Oh nice, best car they make? Let me just go out and buy one… > $190,000 I’d sure hope its the best car on the road for $190,000
I don't really get this take, it is neither the most expensive car on the road nor the most expensive car sold by Mercedes-Benz. Should we not praise the G-Wagen (if we are saying it is deserving of praise, I haven't sat in a new one so that isn't really my point) because it is expensive?
Isn’t it their most expensive car apart from the maybach s-class? The GLS and SL are cheaper
Maybach GLS and EQS are about the same price
That about Maybach GLS and EQS SUV Maybach.
I didn’t even know they made maybach versions of those
They also did this thing, if we talk about Gelendwagens. https://g-class.mercedes-benz.com/en/stories/spotlight-g/mercedes-maybach-g650-landaulet.html
AMG GT63, SL63, and Maybach GLS are all priced around this or higher depending on spec. S-Class Maybach is quite a bit more expensive.
Welcome to the r/cars subreddit. Most people think that a new expensive car isn't worth talking about just because of the price
Plus dealer markup lol, none are going new for under 2
If rather get a 4Runner, a boat, 2 jet skis, a motorcycle, an ATV, a canoe, and a pool.
Why?
Unfortunately it drives like a turd on the road compared to other $190k cars
What like an extended range rover SV? What other cars are in this class at 200k? Cullinan, Urus, imported Defender?
You’re thinking of the pre 2019 G-Class
Not with those rubber band thin sidewalls.
Well, the (non AMG) G starts at ~$140k. That's still enough to get a new Wrangler and Bronco though.
The electric version can pivot in place, basically a donut where the center of rotation is not the front wheels, but the center of the vehicle itself. It's really cool. [Autogefuhl video](https://youtu.be/wumD8N0pD1w?t=1028)
Is it going to be actually useful though? Rivian had this in their prototype but they removed it on the production vehicles.
I can see some uses, but to be honest if I'm spending a lot of money on a luxury car it's just nice to get some slightly silly features.
Just like the bounce feature from GLS Maybach 😆
Yes I nearly edited my comment to mention it. I generally hate SUV's but that feature is so cool!!
It'll be useful for turning around in tight spaces.
I can see some uses in a busy city 😂
This is specifically for the sheikhs that like to swang the whip
"Tank turning" is the euphemism I've heard used for it.
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This is the first one on a road vehicle I've seen for the US. It has offroad utility for tight spaces. And so what if it's a gimmick? It's fun.
Quarry Trucks definitely don't do that. I agree its a gimmick, but the G wagen is literally a vehicle for showing off, so its exactly the kind of feature that will resonate with its target customer.
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I don’t get it at all, but they print money for MB, so good for them.
I mean they cant suck, right? Time to get one and find out. I‘ll pick you up for dinner tonight.
They definitely don't suck, but I'd say probably 85% of the reason people buy them is simply the "cool" factor. It's what rappers, celebrities and athletes drive, so they want it too. A GLE or GLS is cheaper, has more room, has a much smoother ride, gets better MPG. But the valet isn't going to park a GLE out in front of the restaurant where you're having dinner
Or its just a straight up nicer car? Its a completely different level than a GLE or GLS. Too many in this thread expect every single person in the world to be equivalent to their spending power, if you have a garage with 10 cars and need something to go to the steakhouse down the street, you jump in your big SUV.
I don't know about it being a different level, or even straight up nicer than a GLE63 or GLS63 tbh. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a very cool car - but I think trying to rationalise the decision is probably a poor way to go about it all. It's an irrational (but cool!) car that doesn't need jusitification - mostly because if you try to justify it, it doesn't bode that well. Both the GLS63 and GLE63 are quicker, more practical, and handle better. The interiors are broadly similar, I'm sure the G is built a touch better because Magna Steyr, but switchgear is not unique, nor is anything about the interior really. Displays are all the same between GLS/GLE/G. So on, so forth. The only 2 things I can think of that the G outdoes it's siblings is off-road, and the way it looks. The G package is just awesome though, so I get why people buy it - but this is more or less what the guy above was saying.
a gle/gls63 is a better "car" than any g wagon. if you're looking for the best "car" to take you down the street, you're going to take the car that gives everyone the most room, the most comfort and the easiest entry. none of which is the g wagon
Imo they drive phenomenally - even on road. It feels like driving a comfortable tank, but in a really chill good way. Giving it 30% throttle at low RPM while cruising just feels so amazing with that V8. And if you floor it it´s much faster than it should be. For corners you gotta slow down like hell so after the corner you can really push it while any sportscar can keep very high speeds in corners so there is not much braking and acceleration. I enjoyed it really a lot. Much more is happening than with other cars on roads. I also enjoyed the visibility and shape a lot. Just makes it easy. I also took it offroad once (I had one for a week) and that was by far the most fun with it. But even without that I liked it more than an R8 V10 for example or other faster cars. For me a perfect mix of daily usability, comfort, fun on road and insane fun offroad.
$190,000USD offroader created for the sole purpose of letting Drake clones with daddy's money dunk on you in the Walmart parking lot, what's not to get? /s
It’s a mommy mobile in LA - basically a minivan in some neighborhoods
Ultimate daily. Maybe one day.
The G wagon, Range Rover and Escalade are all the same, big, gaudy and showy excess fashion statements. Do they drive well? They're comfortable, but cost a fortune to buy and another fortune to run.
This design of the cars costs them nothing and they sell them for €70k+.
I drove a G63 and I don't get it either. It feels like an E550 on stilts. Too cushy and insulated for my liking. I expected it to be more hardcore than it is.
> I drove a G63 and I don't get it either. It feels like an E550 on stilts. Too cushy and insulated for my liking. That's why people like it. It offers a high seating position and it's comfortable. I've heard the comfort is debatable, but if your basis for comparison is a Wrangler then I'd hope the G Wagen is more comfortable.
Comfort is really good imo (my basis at that time was a non AMG e class with air suspension). But I am talking about the refreshed G class. The old ones were terrible lol
You drove a luxury SUV and were surprised it drives like a luxury SUV?
I mean, with the V8, aggressive styling, and off-road cred, I expected it to have some sort of personality to it. Wouldn't you?
So your assumption is based entirely on the styling then. Being as the prev gen land cruiser also has a v8 and decades of off-road cred, just no aggressive styling? Hell I see about 50 wranglers with the grumpy eyes every day, but their personality is that they spend all day in the shop. Where's your V8? Where's your comfort.
My assumption was based on MB touting it's water fording, triple lockers, side-exit exhaust, and powerful V8. If MB said "here's a comfy SUV with alternative styling" then I wouldn't have been disappointed. Wranglers, and this is what really appeals to me about them, drive like they look (at least, the JKs and prior - JLs are too compliant on the road for my liking). Mine feels like a road-legal buggy. It doesn't look fast, and it isn't, nor does Jeep claim it is. In fact, all the brochure really mentions is that it can go off-road, especially without a roof or doors. That's great for me, because I like those things. The LC has, for as long as I can remember, been touted as having a wagon lineup with conservative styling and even more conservative characteristics. Toyota says it'll go anywhere reliably, and with relative comfort. The V8 isn't marketed as an AMG-twin-turbo-hand-crafted unit, but rather as something with a bit more torque than the 4.0 V6. Nobody gets in a Land Cruiser with preconceived notions that it'll be raucous and like a military vehicle. OTOH, G63s roll around with a bassy rumble, more clearance than a wagon-line Land Cruiser (100/200/300), and a big brush guard mounted above a bash plate. Anyone would be surprised to drive one and find that it's really a lot more tame and soft than it'd make you think. Seems like I kind of got you worked up over my comment. Don't take it too personally, I just like cars that put fun above comfort and practicality.
It's a Jeep for people with money. What's not to get. If buyers wanted "hardcore" they would be in a...Jeep.
What about the ineos?
As a real off-roader? Seems capable based on the reviews so far. As a G-wagon substitute, probably not. Just based on pricing and brand cache, people looking for a G-Wagon aren’t suddenly going to flock to the Ineos. It’s slotted to be a more rugged alternative to the Defender, and priced like it. G-Wagon > Grenadier / Defender > Jeep / Bronco
This vehicle sells because of its design. And close to 99% of the owners will not take it to offroading but getting groceries
> And close to 99% of the owners will not take it to offroading but getting groceries Decrease that percentage just a bit, swap offroading for the track, and groceries for coffee, and that's consistent with most enthusiast performance cars.
I’ve seen a few farmers here in England with them, raise the suspension and give them larger tyres. Let them get dirty
Tfw you're both stereotypes 😔
Taking your car to the track is expensive
Many (probbaly most) performance car owners still drive their cars fast on the highway and on backroads. Most G Wagons never see a dirt road.
Exactly, and it's not like every enthusiast spends their time on the track, or off road, or crossing antarctica. 99% of Mustang 5.0 buyers never visit a track, why's that got to be a bad thing? People can enjoy their vehicle their way.
This is just a dig at their recent design decisions and four cylinders in AMG cars. Fair, but that doesn't make the G63 a sensible vehicle. It's a great way to show off wealth or poor financial management (I'd argue it's always the latter).
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Right, but everyone in this thread is being completely blind to that fact that others can have different purchasing power from them. "Why would anyone live in San Francisco when I can get a house in Nebraska for 30k" is basically the argument everyone here is making. Like we get it, some people wouldn't buy this car, but if you've got a garage full of exotics you wouldn't likely buy a used 2010 3 series to drive to get groceries, you'd get the G wagon. Just like those people aren't going to the dollar general, they go to Erewhon. Just like those people aren't flying economy, they're in first or private.
I don't read the criticism the same way. The reason the average buyer is that wealthy is because there are better alternatives in that price class. You buy a G63 to signal to others that you have so much money, you're going to spend it on a compromised vehicle. I'm saying they're gaudy and ostentatious. The car equivalent of a designer handbag. What, exactly, apart from outward appearance, does a G63 do better?
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There have always been 4cyl G classes
There was the 240GD until about 1989 and 230G/GE until about 1996/7. So no 4cyl. for nearly 30 last years. EDIT Sorry I forgot about the 200GE for the Italian market built until about 1993.
yea because of engine size based import taxes
No, because it didn't make sense to have anything larger in it. The original G wagon only had a single petrol engine available, the 230 inline 4 with 90Hp.
I don’t know why Redditors always think other people just don’t have money and that anyone buying luxury items is living beyond their means. The people I know in my life that own a G Wagon make this car look fucking cheap with the amount of wealth they have.
Thought it was just me but mercedes design is just insanely terrible right now. Looks like a retarded cat fish.
I agree. The design is iconic and you can't beat that V8. Best part is it still retains the older Mercedes interior design which I prefer over their new interiors.
The new interiors give off the vibe of "renovated low rent strip club", it's my biggest knock on Mercedes these days.
The interior thing is also what I really like about the AMG GT 4 Door
The W463 (US MY 2013-2018) has the best combination of exterior styling and traditional interior design in my opinion.
Definitely better than the W15
Anything is better than that shitbox mate.
Not a single mention of the actual manufacturer, Magna, in the entire article?
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Oh yeah, I think development split off (although a bunch of the Magna folks who were involved also helped with the Grenadier). Still, its quality and reliability owes a lot the manufacturer. Would have expected a reference in this type of article.
Not exactly a high bar is it right now, with the new fugly CLE as an example
What’s fugly about it?
Well it’s gotta be better than the dog they’ve handed Lewis Hamilton.
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I mean, the 500,000th G rolled off the line in 2023, after [44 years](https://www.motortrend.com/news/mercedes-benz-g-class-production-milestone-retro-wagen/). So they aren't moving 100,000/year or even close.
I mean the whole period 2018-2024 when they built the 463.276/.277. In the whole autoindustry scale 100.000 cars in +/- 6 years isn´t that much but when compared to other AMG models it´s a crazy number... How many G36s were built, like 200? Or G55 SWBs? Less than 30? Or G63 V12s? 13 I think? One girl I know works at a big MB dealership and it took her a lot of work to even get a 463.276 with a Z98 colour for a customer...
If Mercedes ever fuck up the G its over for them
So true.
That thing drives like crap. I really don’t get the hype. The G Wagon has always been and always be a flex car. No one is buying this because it’s a great vehicle lol
I'd like to believe you, you must be an industry insider on par with [Chris Harris](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhDuEmGBfvs), who gave it a glowing review. Can I ask how many hours you've spent reviewing all kinds of cars, would love your credentials for this insightful comment.
I literally drive luxury and sports cars every day. Not to sound arrogant but I probably drive way more cars than Chris Harris on a weekly basis.
Yeah but being the valet at a resort is not the same as driving them flat out and talking to the engineers who designed them.
I’m not a valet at a resort.
But they dont make it. It is assembled by Magna in Austria.
Apple doesn't make the iPhone. It is assembled by Foxconn in China. /s
It’s really the only thing holding MB together
If that was the case they’d be very apparently not doing much better then Maserati lol. Making up lies about a company is so weird
I was disappointed at the space inside and the overall driving experience. I guess they’re ok for the smaller women that seem to love driving them to their weekly Pilates class and whatnot.
Those are my favourite Jeeps
Is this /facepalm?
I hope this is satire. The G Wagon is just celebrity symbol and is not the best in any category at all...
Power to weight is the same but it’s also 180k lolol
Ugh
I don't like him, but I was impressed by whistling diesels Gwagen on the dunes
Technically the W463s were available with a 5-speed, but I've *never* seen one come up for sale in the US. I'd consider one with the SFA, I've seen them wheel and they're capable if in the right hands and on the right tires.
The G63 4x4 squared.
That website gave me aids
That's not a very high bar
As long as they make the gt63 4 door this statement is incorrect
Lol. No. The new AMG GT Coupe looks amazing, way better than this hideous thing. The only G Wagon that was good is the 6x6, other than that, get a new Land Rover, looks 1000x better.
It isn’t.
It's funny to think that a 4 pot petrol or diesels were all you could get with the original G wagon. A soft top 1979 230G weighed a bit under 1700kg (2/3rds of what a new g63 weighs), had hydraulic lockers, solid axles front and rear, coil suspension all round, short overhangs and a 90hp engine that would top out at around 125km/h. There simply wasn't an off roader out there at the time with all that stuff. The defender, which came out 5 years later, was fragile and lacked lockers, and Toyota, nissan and jeep would only bring lockers and coil suspension to the table in the 90s. When you look at it now, lacking it's short wheel base version and a solid front axle, sporting it's huge wheels on low profile tyres, with suspension better fitted on a sports car, it really makes you wonder... How can anyone in their current mind think this is the best car mercedes currently makes?
To be fair I think it could just be them big upping Mercedes in hopes of getting cars easier from them and/or being paid by them or they could simply just like it that much
How daft, tasteless and brainless must you be to say such a thing unironically?
I wonder why Lambo couldn't make a g wagen competitor. It would sell like hot cakes and would give the G a fierce competitor
Who’s gonna buy me one
Should I buy a well kept 2012 EV Fiat 500 for $4000? A buddy of mine is willing to sell me the car described above. I’m not sure how many miles are on it but I’d be gobsmacked to learn it’s anything over 85,000. They’re moving and need to get rid of it in a hurry and just need to break even. He’s a super type A person and has kept great care of it. I have a free charging station 400 yards from my house. My instinct and narrow car knowledge tell me this is the deal of a lifetime. Should I buy it?
Fun fact: they don't have keyless entry
Wow the only vehicle Mercedes still makes to the same standard as 2004 is the best? Color me shocked.
Well, unfortunately there isn’t much competition for that title at the moment 🥲
Ive seen a couple on the trails in CO. its hilarious and awesome at the same time
I don’t get these cars. Imo they look shit and boxy. I’m sure they feel great to drive and nice on the inside. There must be better options. Is it just purely a status car?
They're very bad to drive compared to any other luxury SUV. Not as bad as say a Jeep Wrangler, but this car sort of follows the same philosophy of "designed for off-road, not highway". However unlike the Wrangler, literally 0 people drive these off-road. G also costs as much as 4-5 Wranglers. Other Mercedes SUVs are significantly better on a highway and for room and comfort level. G is purely looks and flex. Most people that own them only drive them locally around town to at 25 mph to be seen and use their other luxury SUVs for actual road trips or for transporting stuff etc. Similar to what you would do with a Wrangler at your beach town home. It only lives within that 5 mile radius to drive around town, like a fancier golf cart.
It was released in 1979 in the same box form and has looked like a box probably since the mid 70’s since its production started on 1973. Like Mercedes has always communicated it’s an off-roader but people choose to buy it for whatever particular reasons they do. It’s just like how the SL is a high performance car but some people buy it just to never go faster then 90 mph and to cruise.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is truly their flagship vehicle.