I live in South Africa and mostly use our 4x4s for expedition and long trails. Defenders and DIscos have earned a reputation for unreliability. Most D's a bit underpowered for sand, especially dunes (like the Namib) The G's prowess, like the Defender, is mud and rocks, because of its good weight distribution and clean undersides. But the G's suspension lifts opposite wheels less than a Defender on a side slope. True.. there is not much in it when a Defender has lockers, but I think a bit better.
They stopped making them in RHD in 2001. The one with leather etc is the 463-series and have big engines. The 461-series are the work-horses like this one. I have owned 8 4x4s, and the G is the best.
At any speed wihc is equivalent - i.e. you wouldn't want to chage into low range when in high range fourth, would you? But if you were in first gear, and it was too high, slip it into heutral, push the low range lever, it goes in, engage forth, or third or second low range and off you go. No need to stop. In the video the vehicle was doing about 5kph.
This is a common judgement of the G. It is not great off road because of its lockers... there are other reasons. I owned a Defender 110 (8 years) and a Rangie (also 8 years). The G, in my view, is a far superior off roader in every respect, other than on sand, where the RR, because of more power, is better. It also easily beats the Rover products in reliability, although not up to Toyota standards.
I drove a RR classic for eight years, cutting my 4x4 teeth on RRs. And if you tried to put it into low range while still moving, the gearbox would try and jump out and wrap itself around the propshaft. That vehicle had to be stopped dead, and then engaged. Low to high yes, but not high to low. Only the centre diff could be engaged while moving. The G is entirely different.
hi again ,cant wait to see series 3!!..im in a 4x4 club here with over a 100 members,i post links regulary to your you tube videos on our forum,and lots watch the tv show too,but theres not many up here in scotland that havent heard of your tv show now,i will send you a picture of my rangie no probs at all,,all the best andrew...wayne.
yet another awesome truck we don't get in the US... Even though we still get all the lockers in the US bound trucks, I can;t tell you how many times I've puled out yuppies in their G-Wagens here in Oregon. Idiots + Lockers = STUCK (one woman was "told to hit the buttons when it's snowy"... yeah, she slid right off the road on fairly flat ground. Still a well build mid w/b 461 TD G-Wagen (OM617T???)would be my 2nd Choice for an Expo truck to a fac.-locked 70-series Cruiser.
hi,,thats very odd,mine seems to be fine high to low whilst moving,mines a 1990,not sure if the older models had a problem doing this,ive seen you great old rangie on the tv show,she was a good looking beast,ive been offroading a year now,and have fitted many things to and in her as recomended by you,your show is massive in the 4x4 comunity here in scotland in the uk,,all the best..wayne.
Now that's it's 2008, do they still build them this way ? Here in the U.S. they only send the models for the elite, base starts at $90,000, lots of leather, made for the glamour, status symbols.
I didn't say modifying the G, I said put the same tires than the rubi. they are bigger and designed for offroad, while the G has street tires. I ment that the new rubicon was designed by mercedes and it looks like a gwagen, you can't deny that. regarding the J8, read a bit and you'll find that was not designed for combat or front line, just as a cargo or transport (military version LOL) drive train is different than the civilian while the G has the same drive train. The G sees front line action.
Ok Just checked it on the swiss Jeep website, and it is a Genuine rubicon with all the gear!! In this case,You were right!! Too Bad we here in Aus dont get rubicon Diesel!! We only get Petrol Rubis and CRD wranglers... The New JK petrol engine is a flop.... For that reason I didn't get one and this Thursday I'll be picking up my new Toyota Prado, after waiting for it for 5 months! :-)
The better Ground Clearance and approach,departure break over angle mean that the LC70 and the Rubicon will get over more obstacles, therefore this gives them better offroad ability then the g!! If i can see that that I might require a LOW range before going up the hill, i will switch to low before going up. Should remeber that the LC70 family and the rubicon also propably have more power and torque, thefore they might not require to even switch down to low range as much you would in the G...
You might have a personal Taste preference for the G... But looking at actual technical dimensions, of wheel articulation and ground clearance the LC70's family and the jeep rubicon are superior offroad!! Not to mention the Rubicon has sway bar disconnects!!! As far as having to stop to change from Hi to Low in my cherokee. I dont really see the benefit in doing it on the run?!!
Great video! I had an old GE230 Worker Gelandewagen wich at it's time was the very basic one with no luxury. Short wheelbase, autotrans, full lockers front and rear. There is no stopping offroad. Take a look at my videos here showing my orange G in action at the Unimog Testtrack in Oetigheim, Germany. BTW: Greets to Andrew from an ex-S.A. resident ;-)
thank you so much 4 the videos. my question is. if the G WAGON has very low gear ratio how can you put in low gear when its moving? i have done it on my range rover classic but the speed must be very low no more than 3- mph but it works 4 sure. whats the speen on the G WAGON during the gear change?
very nice i know its a top of the line 4x4 but unfortunately i haven't seen any one use them 4 what they r made for.. in USA they are all super clean everyday drivers. and most of G WAGONS IN USA are G 500 or G 55 AMG no diesel
the range rover classic 3.9 v8 can be put into low whilst driving too,(i have one,see my vids for non belivers lol),,it can be engaged in speeds up to 6mph..apart from that great show as always andrew,,nice 1..
Is the GD290 a reliable, cost effective vehicle to own and maintain? I'm looking for any problem areas to look out for now given that these cars are now 20+ years old. Thanks!
I disagree a little bit, I drive an 85 230GE and offroad I have not met another truck with the capabilities of the G. a friend has a rubicon, and he had more troubles than me. the G has a fully sincronized tcase which you can change on the fly as well as the lockers. the rubi you have to almost stop to engange lockers or change the tcase and the lockers disengage at speeds than 30 mph. just my 2 cents (by the way I love jeeps I have 2, but My G is better)
The technical dimensions can say whatever it doesn't mean that it performs better. I can not make you change your mind and I'm not trying. For ME the G is better. the advantage of being able to change from hi to low on the fly is simple, in a steep hill where you need to gain momentum and you are running out of power, just switch it to low and all of the sudden you have ore power without stopping. The G is built by hand and overengineered so, when you are offroading nothing breaks.
Superior, please make your homework. The Rubicon may not be offered in the US with the 2.8 CRD engine, but in the rest of world it is. And in Switzerland, you will get the Rubicon ONLY with the 2.8 CRD Diesel engine.
I have got a 86 300 GD> there are probably no differenced between our cars, other than I have a inline 5 Diesel, i can get it up to highway speeds, but im not winning any races on the road. It will tow my boat. Best car I have ever owned. I call it a UV, with no sport.
Did the LC70 have diff locks?? i doubt it!! Also your confusing a CRD wrangler with a rubicon!! Rubicon has never been sold with CRD!! Sure you can get A CRD wrangler with a rear diff lock, but thats no RUBICON!! No D44 front and back, no 4:1 low range, no electronic swaybar disconnects, and no diff locks!!
for you to finish this non sense argument. you WIN the rubicon is better. I'll go tomorrow to trade my Gwagen for a Rubicon. by the way, check the towing capacities of the RUBICON like 3000lb VS 8500lb of the G (I have nothing against the rubicon, I tried to buy one but did not have the money and I like them alot) My other 2 cars are jeeps. FYI my friend has a 05 rubicon and we went wheeling and the G outperformed the Rubi.
I have not own a LC or a Rubicon, but I can tell you that my G is far superior to all the vehicles I have wheeled with(Toys Jeeps, Chevs, fords, nissans, LR). Now that being said. Also I guess any car with the same equipment and mods will perform the same, it is just matter of tastes. you keep thinkig that LC and the rubi are better and i'll keep thinking that my G is better. ( by the way good luck changing from LO to HI and viceversa without stopping in the LC and the XJ)
Mate, the G is a good car!! but the ground clearance and the wheels are just too tiny!! Seriously, if you are doing more then 30mph, you really should have the lockers off,you dont need them, and you do more damage to the car with them off!! My jeep XJ changes from 2wd to 4wd under 80km/ph.... but I wouldnt really care if i really need to stop!!
You've obviously never looked into the running gear on the average LR... Aside from the Sterling axles, they're MASSIVELY under-built (10-spline axles??? yeah screw that). The Disco is probably the worst, but Defenders mostly look cool while Toyotas look cool AND work better. Now Bowler??? yeah, THAT is an awesome LR, but it would SUCK for crawling and Expo travel. here in the PNW US where it's every bit as wet and muddy, Toyota and Jeep are king for good reason. LR's just break down too ez.
you are comparing a new rubicon (copied from the G) with a 30 year old G wagen. compare it with a new G wagen G500 shortwheel base with the same tires than the rubicon. The G has plenty more power, and once you put bigger tires the same than the rubi, the angles of approach and deperture change. there is a reason why some armies prefer the new G wagen than the rubi or LC70. if the others were better why bother to spend the extra bucks in a G?.
HAHAHAHAHA Landrover??? SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?! Try LandCRUISERS, and then you;re onto something. A Dual locked 70-series is as good (if not a bit less "over-built" then the G-Wagen) as the G-Wagen. The G's coolest feature that he never touched on is how you can litteraly have Mercedes build you a "custom" truck from the factory with LOTS of special spec's and options like extra fuel tanks, different ratings for the axles/load capacity of each axle and other neat things. Tom Shepard's G is amazing.
Mate, I been offroad more then you could ever imagine!! G wagon also has relatively poorer offroad dimensions, such as ground clearance and break over angle!!!
It might have a certain reason, why military all over the world are buying new G and not new Rubicons. Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Canada and even the US Marines in Afghanisten prever the G over the Humvee. They can not be wrong, sorry. The Rubicon is good, thats true, but it is not as tough as a G.
Nice to hear these words... massive? WoW! I am on series-3 right now. Its the best TV I have yet done. Email me a pic of your RR. You will find me on facebook. A
Nah mate,There is much more to a military 4x4 purchases then just pure ability!! It's all just corparate politics, and not the capability of the individual vehicle!! Also the military doesnt seem to like too powerfull 4x4s!! Mate the Rubicons the rubicons ability, offroad dimensions, and d44 toughness is seriusly unequalled by the G!! Dont get my wrong, the G is a is a nice classic!! But the Rubicon just severely outclass the G this Day and age!!
Check the materials, armor, the way the car is put together and the G is far ahead than the Rubicon. Also, you are comparing the new rubicon, that has been built and designed by mercedes. but take an older rubicon without your quick disconnects and you have 0 advantage over the G. Mercedes had to redisign it for you to brag about it. LOL, remember that the best offroader in the world comes from Mercedes. (Unimog)
Rubicon Copied from G?? Please thats full of shit!! Please Provide some evidence!!! There is a military version of the Rubicon, well not even the rubicon, rubicon is an overkill!! There is a military version of the wrangler the J8!! As for modifiying the G500 to counter the rubicon, please?! We are talking the best capability stock!! If you start midifying the allready more expensive g500 to counter the rubicon, whats to stop me modifying the Rubicon to make it even better!!
I live in South Africa and mostly use our 4x4s for expedition and long trails. Defenders and DIscos have earned a reputation for unreliability. Most D's a bit underpowered for sand, especially dunes (like the Namib) The G's prowess, like the Defender, is mud and rocks, because of its good weight distribution and clean undersides. But the G's suspension lifts opposite wheels less than a Defender on a side slope. True.. there is not much in it when a Defender has lockers, but I think a bit better.
They stopped making them in RHD in 2001. The one with leather etc is the 463-series and have big engines. The 461-series are the work-horses like this one. I have owned 8 4x4s, and the G is the best.
At any speed wihc is equivalent - i.e. you wouldn't want to chage into low range when in high range fourth, would you? But if you were in first gear, and it was too high, slip it into heutral, push the low range lever, it goes in, engage forth, or third or second low range and off you go. No need to stop. In the video the vehicle was doing about 5kph.
This is a common judgement of the G. It is not great off road because of its lockers... there are other reasons. I owned a Defender 110 (8 years) and a Rangie (also 8 years). The G, in my view, is a far superior off roader in every respect, other than on sand, where the RR, because of more power, is better. It also easily beats the Rover products in reliability, although not up to Toyota standards.
I drove a RR classic for eight years, cutting my 4x4 teeth on RRs. And if you tried to put it into low range while still moving, the gearbox would try and jump out and wrap itself around the propshaft. That vehicle had to be stopped dead, and then engaged. Low to high yes, but not high to low. Only the centre diff could be engaged while moving. The G is entirely different.
hi again ,cant wait to see series 3!!..im in a 4x4 club here with over a 100 members,i post links regulary to your you tube videos on our forum,and lots watch the tv show too,but theres not many up here in scotland that havent heard of your tv show now,i will send you a picture of my rangie no probs at all,,all the best andrew...wayne.
yet another awesome truck we don't get in the US... Even though we still get all the lockers in the US bound trucks, I can;t tell you how many times I've puled out yuppies in their G-Wagens here in Oregon. Idiots + Lockers = STUCK (one woman was "told to hit the buttons when it's snowy"... yeah, she slid right off the road on fairly flat ground. Still a well build mid w/b 461 TD G-Wagen (OM617T???)would be my 2nd Choice for an Expo truck to a fac.-locked 70-series Cruiser.
is the G500 2003 as good as this? asking because I own a G500 and I take this offroad frequently
hi,,thats very odd,mine seems to be fine high to low whilst moving,mines a 1990,not sure if the older models had a problem doing this,ive seen you great old rangie on the tv show,she was a good looking beast,ive been offroading a year now,and have fitted many things to and in her as recomended by you,your show is massive in the 4x4 comunity here in scotland in the uk,,all the best..wayne.
Hello, Great video, as usual with your channel. Are you planning a video about the newer G Wagons ?
Now that's it's 2008, do they still build them this way ? Here in the U.S. they only send the models for the elite, base starts at $90,000, lots of leather, made for the glamour, status symbols.
Hello, what axle ratio does the W461 290gd or 290 Turbo Diesel have?
I know it's in the title but what is the cars exact name I would like to purchase one
I didn't say modifying the G, I said put the same tires than the rubi. they are bigger and designed for offroad, while the G has street tires. I ment that the new rubicon was designed by mercedes and it looks like a gwagen, you can't deny that. regarding the J8, read a bit and you'll find that was not designed for combat or front line, just as a cargo or transport (military version LOL) drive train is different than the civilian while the G has the same drive train. The G sees front line action.
2001 model, 461 series, RHD, 2,9 turbo diesel
Ok Just checked it on the swiss Jeep website, and it is a Genuine rubicon with all the gear!!
In this case,You were right!! Too Bad we here in Aus dont get rubicon Diesel!! We only get Petrol Rubis and CRD wranglers... The New JK petrol engine is a flop.... For that reason I didn't get one and this Thursday I'll be picking up my new Toyota Prado, after waiting for it for 5 months! :-)
The better Ground Clearance and approach,departure break over angle mean that the LC70 and the Rubicon will get over more obstacles, therefore this gives them better offroad ability then the g!! If i can see that that I might require a LOW range before going up the hill, i will switch to low before going up. Should remeber that the LC70 family and the rubicon also propably have more power and torque, thefore they might not require to even switch down to low range as much you would in the G...
@ Elian. For standart 16" rims its ok 235/85 r 16. I use 255/85 r 16. BF Goodrich KM 2. Fits perfect
Thats strange because 255 shouldnt fit on these rims lol
You might have a personal Taste preference for the G... But looking at actual technical dimensions, of wheel articulation and ground clearance the LC70's family and the jeep rubicon are superior offroad!! Not to mention the Rubicon has sway bar disconnects!!!
As far as having to stop to change from Hi to Low in my cherokee. I dont really see the benefit in doing it on the run?!!
Great video! I had an old GE230 Worker Gelandewagen wich at it's time was the very basic one with no luxury. Short wheelbase, autotrans, full lockers front and rear. There is no stopping offroad. Take a look at my videos here showing my orange G in action at the Unimog Testtrack in Oetigheim, Germany.
BTW: Greets to Andrew from an ex-S.A. resident ;-)
thank you so much 4 the videos.
my question is. if the G WAGON has very low gear ratio how can you put in low gear when its moving? i have done it on my range rover classic but the speed must be very low no more than 3- mph but it works 4 sure.
whats the speen on the G WAGON during the gear change?
what tire size do u recomand for this car?
very nice i know its a top of the line 4x4 but unfortunately i haven't seen any one use them 4 what they r made for.. in USA they are all super clean everyday drivers. and most of G WAGONS IN USA are G 500 or G 55 AMG no diesel
the range rover classic 3.9 v8 can be put into low whilst driving too,(i have one,see my vids for non belivers lol),,it can be engaged in speeds up to 6mph..apart from that great show as always andrew,,nice 1..
love the video, love the truck, how old is the video/vehicle
lol
Is the GD290 a reliable, cost effective vehicle to own and maintain? I'm looking for any problem areas to look out for now given that these cars are now 20+ years old. Thanks!
Yes it is. The motor is basically indestructible
@@heiligerjesus1960 Absolutely bullet proof, the 290GD is, that is, as our benignly neglected 1999 Van has proved
I disagree a little bit, I drive an 85 230GE and offroad I have not met another truck with the capabilities of the G. a friend has a rubicon, and he had more troubles than me. the G has a fully sincronized tcase which you can change on the fly as well as the lockers. the rubi you have to almost stop to engange lockers or change the tcase and the lockers disengage at speeds than 30 mph. just my 2 cents (by the way I love jeeps I have 2, but My G is better)
I now own a LC70 with front and rear lockers... and I would take the G off-road any day!
The technical dimensions can say whatever it doesn't mean that it performs better. I can not make you change your mind and I'm not trying. For ME the G is better. the advantage of being able to change from hi to low on the fly is simple, in a steep hill where you need to gain momentum and you are running out of power, just switch it to low and all of the sudden you have ore power without stopping.
The G is built by hand and overengineered so, when you are offroading nothing breaks.
Superior, please make your homework. The Rubicon may not be offered in the US with the 2.8 CRD engine, but in the rest of world it is. And in Switzerland, you will get the Rubicon ONLY with the 2.8 CRD Diesel engine.
More G videos please 😊
I have got a 86 300 GD> there are probably no differenced between our cars, other than I have a inline 5 Diesel, i can get it up to highway speeds, but im not winning any races on the road. It will tow my boat. Best car I have ever owned. I call it a UV, with no sport.
G and all of other off road vehicles discussion is never ends, never , guess why ; )
Did the LC70 have diff locks?? i doubt it!!
Also your confusing a CRD wrangler with a rubicon!! Rubicon has never been sold with CRD!!
Sure you can get A CRD wrangler with a rear diff lock, but thats no RUBICON!! No D44 front and back, no 4:1 low range, no electronic swaybar disconnects, and no diff locks!!
for you to finish this non sense argument.
you WIN the rubicon is better. I'll go tomorrow to trade my Gwagen for a Rubicon.
by the way, check the towing capacities of the RUBICON like 3000lb VS 8500lb of the G
(I have nothing against the rubicon, I tried to buy one but did not have the money and I like them alot) My other 2 cars are jeeps.
FYI my friend has a 05 rubicon and we went wheeling and the G outperformed the Rubi.
Nice Video, and a Good car still!!
But I reckon it is easily touched offroad by either Jeep Rubicon, or LC76,LC70 with factory fitted difflocks...
I have not own a LC or a Rubicon, but I can tell you that my G is far superior to all the vehicles I have wheeled with(Toys Jeeps, Chevs, fords, nissans, LR). Now that being said. Also I guess any car with the same equipment and mods will perform the same, it is just matter of tastes. you keep thinkig that LC and the rubi are better and i'll keep thinking that my G is better. ( by the way good luck changing from LO to HI and viceversa without stopping in the LC and the XJ)
Can you compare it to Wrangler Rubicon?
Djordjeblrs no, it would be unfair for the jeep
The Rubicon has better articulation and a removable top, the G Wagon has a better payload and tow rating.
Mate, the G is a good car!! but the ground clearance and the wheels are just too tiny!!
Seriously, if you are doing more then 30mph, you really should have the lockers off,you dont need them, and you do more damage to the car with them off!! My jeep XJ changes from 2wd to 4wd under 80km/ph.... but I wouldnt really care if i really need to stop!!
You've obviously never looked into the running gear on the average LR... Aside from the Sterling axles, they're MASSIVELY under-built (10-spline axles??? yeah screw that). The Disco is probably the worst, but Defenders mostly look cool while Toyotas look cool AND work better. Now Bowler??? yeah, THAT is an awesome LR, but it would SUCK for crawling and Expo travel. here in the PNW US where it's every bit as wet and muddy, Toyota and Jeep are king for good reason. LR's just break down too ez.
you are comparing a new rubicon (copied from the G) with a 30 year old G wagen. compare it with a new G wagen G500 shortwheel base with the same tires than the rubicon. The G has plenty more power, and once you put bigger tires the same than the rubi, the angles of approach and deperture change. there is a reason why some armies prefer the new G wagen than the rubi or LC70. if the others were better why bother to spend the extra bucks in a G?.
HAHAHAHAHA Landrover??? SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?! Try LandCRUISERS, and then you;re onto something. A Dual locked 70-series is as good (if not a bit less "over-built" then the G-Wagen) as the G-Wagen. The G's coolest feature that he never touched on is how you can litteraly have Mercedes build you a "custom" truck from the factory with LOTS of special spec's and options like extra fuel tanks, different ratings for the axles/load capacity of each axle and other neat things. Tom Shepard's G is amazing.
i simply love my 461 !!!
@godzillaisnuclea123 You dont have idea
Dont get me Wrong, the G is a good solid car, but this day and age it gets outclassed offroad by the made for rock crawling Toy, the rubicon!!
Mate, I been offroad more then you could ever imagine!! G wagon also has relatively poorer offroad dimensions, such as ground clearance and break over angle!!!
It might have a certain reason, why military all over the world are buying new G and not new Rubicons. Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Canada and even the US Marines in Afghanisten prever the G over the Humvee. They can not be wrong, sorry. The Rubicon is good, thats true, but it is not as tough as a G.
The G500 is more expensive purely for the POSE (flashwank) mercedes value, not because of its offroad ability!!
It isn't a German mercedes!!!
It's an Austrian Puch!!!
Philipp Schauzer actually, they were one country not so long ago
Nice to hear these words... massive? WoW! I am on series-3 right now. Its the best TV I have yet done.
Email me a pic of your RR. You will find me on facebook.
A
G is a Good car, But the LC70 family with diff locks and jeep Rubicon are more capable!!
Nah mate,There is much more to a military 4x4 purchases then just pure ability!! It's all just corparate politics, and not the capability of the individual vehicle!! Also the military doesnt seem to like too powerfull 4x4s!! Mate the Rubicons the rubicons ability, offroad dimensions, and d44 toughness is seriusly unequalled by the G!! Dont get my wrong, the G is a is a nice classic!! But the Rubicon just severely outclass the G this Day and age!!
I have never seen it
Check the materials, armor, the way the car is put together and the G is far ahead than the Rubicon. Also, you are comparing the new rubicon, that has been built and designed by mercedes. but take an older rubicon without your quick disconnects and you have 0 advantage over the G. Mercedes had to redisign it for you to brag about it. LOL, remember that the best offroader in the world comes from Mercedes. (Unimog)
base model for the us? damn chicken tax.
Rubicon Copied from G?? Please thats full of shit!! Please Provide some evidence!!!
There is a military version of the Rubicon, well not even the rubicon, rubicon is an overkill!! There is a military version of the wrangler the J8!! As for modifiying the G500 to counter the rubicon, please?! We are talking the best capability stock!! If you start midifying the allready more expensive g500 to counter the rubicon, whats to stop me modifying the Rubicon to make it even better!!