Skip advert
Advertisement

Mercedes G-Class (1990-2018) review

The Mercedes G-Class is a bulletproof rugged off-roader with a cabin trimmed in luxury materials

Overall Auto Express Rating

2.0 out of 5

Price
£131,430 to £131,430
  • Off-road ability, rarity, reliability
  • Poor on-road, expensive, high running costs
Find your Mercedes G-Class
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Hassle-free way to a brand new car
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Customers got an average £1000 more vs part exchange quotes
Advertisement

What a strange thing the Mercedes G-Class is: it's trimmed in luxurious leather, comes with a heated steering wheel and heated seats, but it's designed to spend its life axle-deep in mud. There's no denying the G-Wagen's off-road ability, but there's plenty of other cars out there that aren't as poor on the road as the G-Class is. It simply feels too cumbersome for you to ever be able to relax, and the diesel engine can be heard noisily in the cabin. Take your pick between the G350 CDI Bluetec or the storming G63 AMG, both offer impressive performance but will be catastrophically expensive to run. 

Engines, performance and drive

Mercedes offers the G-Class with two different engine choices – the 3.0-litre V6 350 CDI diesel engine and a high-performance twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 AMG version. The former is the best everyday vehicle with plenty of low-down torque and a surprising turn of pace. Go for the AMG version and you get something far madder, resulting in a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds. Whether you'd ever want to go that quickly in a G-Class is another matter. On the road it feels bouncy, unresponsive and incredibly unwieldy. The steering is slow and barely seems connected to the wheels while the cabin is incredibly noisy too. Take it off-road and the G-Class is transformed, it clearly feels at home in the rough with locking diffentials and a heavy duty mechanical four-wheel drive system too.

MPG, CO2 and Running Costs

Picking a diesel engine is normally the perfect way to keep running costs low, but in this case every version of the G-Class will cost a lot to run. The G350 CDI is only capable of 25.2mpg and in the real world this is much nearer to 18mpg. CO2 emissions of 295g/km are also extremely high and will put this car in the second highest road tax bracket. Opt for the G63 AMG and be prepared to spend plenty of time filling up – despite the huge 96 litre fuel tank. The official figures stand at 20.5mpg and 322g/km of CO2. That means over £1000 in road tax during the first year and around £150 every time you fill up.

Interior, design and technology

There's no denying that the Mercedes G-Class has a retro appeal to it. It was first sold in 1979 and the design has barely changed since then, with the turn indicators mounted on the bonnet, the bluff windscreen and the huge slab sides. A recent update added modern touches like LED lights and new trim bits but that's your lot. The interior has been changed throughout the years but only to add more leather and entertainment systems. The result is an environment that feels well screwed together but more than a little bit outdated.

Practicality, comfort and boot space

With its boxy shape the G-Class does boast a very practical boot. There's a maximum of 2,250 litres on offer and the floor is can be had with a wipe clean lining, too, which makes it perfect for carrying dogs or muddy boots. The boot door itself opens sideways rather than upwards, and that means you need a great deal of room behind the G-Class to even open the boot. In the cabin, the rear seats could actually do with being a little more spacious and the car's high ride height can make it difficult to climb in and out of. For something so huge the cramped nature of the cabin will be a real dissappointment if you planned on using the G-class as a plush luxury SUV.

Reliability and Safety

From the minute you close the door shut with a reassuring 'clunk' you know that the G-Class is the kind of vehicle you could run for hundreds of thousands of miles with very few problems. In fact you still see G-Class models from the late seventies and early eighties roaming the streets today. The hand-built vehicle feels extremely solid and all the electrics and mechanical components are tried and tested elsewhere in the Mercedes range with no problems. There's plenty of safety kit included as standard including ESP, Brake Assist and ABS. Driver, passenger and side airbags are also included but the G-Class has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    G350d AMG Line 5dr 9G-Tronic
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £93,250

Most Economical

  • Name
    G350d AMG Line 5dr 9G-Tronic
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £93,250

Fastest

  • Name
    G400d Edition 5dr 9G-Tronic
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £105,775
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in
Skoda Enyaq iV - front cornering
News

Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in

Skoda’s family-friendly EV with 348-mile range is our Car Deal of the Day for 26 March
26 Mar 2024