During my active career in the German Armed Forces I drove the milspec equivalent to this which, in spite of its 2.5 l naturally aspirated diesel engine with 90 hp, would outperform almost every vehicle other than our mbt Leopoard 2 off road because it has a seperate off road low gear box and three individually controllable differential locks (one for each axle and the center diff). We drove these things through terrain like you wouldn't believe and they would take it on and come through.
Same here in The Netherlands, I was a Leopard 2A6 driver, and only this specific car mentioned by JCrash came even close in off-roading.. Really a work of art!
I remember pointing out a G Wagon to my wife and telling her how much they cost. Her response was “why do people buy those” and my answer was “because they can and most people can’t”
Back in high school, a friend of mine was gifted a G550 as his first car. He removed the mufflers, made it sound like a Harley-Davison lol. I had an opportunity to drive it, it felt like I was driving a school bus.
Back in high school a girl at my school got a G500 right after MB started importing them. She’s Mattress Mack’s daughter. She wrecked it not long after and got a BMW Z4 consolation prize😅
What you said about the prices in the US makes me really sad. Here in it's place of origin, the prices for the used ones have skyrocketed during the pandemic and stayed that way. In 2019 i saw two 2017 G350CDI with low milieage for 80-90k€ each at an official MB dealer. At the moment a 2013 one with more mileage than those two had is around 80k€ now. So a 10 year old one costs as much as a 2 year old had cost before the pandemic. The official Mercedes dealer near me has a 1 or 2 year old G63 and it's priced at almost 300k€. (used! yes it has very low mileage but it's more expensive than a new one! For a new one you need to wait 2 years though.)
Honestly had no clue M273's were still being used this late. I have it's little brother (3.5 M272 V6) in an E coupe, & the low down torque is great. In regular driving, it NEVER sees 3k rpm. I can be doing 80, get up to 100 to pass a left lane hog all at 2,500-2,700 & it loves it. Heavily underrated engines & stupid easy to wrench on.
Agreed, I've got a 2011 E300 with the M272 (albeit 3 liter) and it remains torquey to this day even with 335,000 kms. The transmission does seem to be on its way out tho.
@@tanishmahamuni6553 good to hear about your distance travelled, but sorry to hear about your gearbox. Has it been serviced regularly? The 1st owner of mine had it flushed w/ new filter at 40k miles & I did the same right at 80k miles. It honestly felt like a new car after I did the service, & it was starting to get a little jerky & clunky on occasion before I did the flush/filter. I'm at 112k mi/180,000 km now.
@@RothBeyondTheGrave That's cool. We've had ours since new, gonna be 13 years next month. Serviced at the dealer for the first 10 years. All services have been done on a timely basis. My transmission is super jerky and holds on to gears for way too long until the car is fully up to operating temperature.. I'm afraid it's either the conductor plate or the solenoid but haven't gotten it diagnosed as such.
@@tanishmahamuni6553 well like you said, 1st step is definitely seeing what the TCM has to say. I do know the screens on the shift solenoids will get clogged, especially if there has only been fluid changes & not full flushes. The solenoids themselves of course go, but they are not VIN coded (I think) unlike the conductor plate, which is. Hopefully if anything, you're just low on fluid. I was just under a liter low directly after my flush & had same symptoms for about a wk until I threw just under a liter back in & have been good since. Since you mentioned km, I assume you're not in the states. There are remote services in which you can send out your valve body & conductor plate as an assembly & they will perform a full service. New conductor plate, solenoids, cleaning channels in valve body & "marry" your VIN to it, then send it back. This of course is a fraction of dealer cost. I imagine this is definitely not US exclusive & shops worldwide are capable of this. I hope it's something simple! A friend just did similar on his 5G at near 500k miles & is doing good!
Super cool, you just came out with this video right in time with Mercedes-AMG announcing the matter of putting back V8s in the C63 and E63. I am so so happy!
I live in LA. This week I drove 6 miles from West Hollywood to Beverly Hills and back. I SAW 14 G WAGONS. Sadly, I saw more people living in tents. What a world.
I want a naturally aspirated v8 and not the bi turbo.i also prefer the analog cluster over the lcd screen.having a computer means move problems. If the engine goes I'll see if i can install a hemi? Turn it into a G55 Trackhawk.
Ahhh the dream. Maybe one day. I was looking at these in white just last week. I remember like a year ago it was said a bunch of tech guys were selling their G classes off. Not sure if that was true or not.
Previous gen G class really got you pumped up huh? 😳 I love the G class, but I have a hard time understanding how it has became a symbol of wealth. I could've understood it with the newest G, but the older ones? That's one pretty interior but whenever I see the center console on photos, it appears way worse than on videos/IRL. That beige touch on here & on the headliner with rest of the interior being red & black makes it look pretty neat though, or maybe it's the V8 purr that makes this car look much more appealing than it really is. :) Thanks for this one, always love to see some G wagons driven.
I love a good off-road vehicle and love a good v8 in them but I find these to be the worst of compromises. I’d happily have a g500 but these exchange all sensible off-road ability for the last bit of performance but in skinny twin live axle vehicle it seems to do little well. Except sound fantastic. It has that nailed.
I'm not a fan of this vehicle but my mom is dead set on getting one. Just looks like a center block with wheels. Looks like less leg room in the back than the s class. I don't get it! But I guess it's not for me.
@@TedwardDrives THANK YOU! that's what I'm saying! it makes sense that it doesn't run at 80C (that would be even weirder), but it doesn't make sense that 80C is in the middle
I called for the 2024 g550 . They still charging 12-20k mark up . wtf is going on . are people growing money tree in the yard or something . It’s so stupid we can’t just buy these straight from factory.
I just don’t get the appeal of the G wagen. It’s both ugly and overpriced. I’m not gonna tell people not to get what they enjoy but man is it not for me
@@realms6845partly the point of it. It is really a utilitarian, off road, military vehicle at its core. That's what the original ones were. Mercedes being Mercedes naturally is going to slap an actual interior in it & somehow create a luxury facade knowing that people will buy into it literally and figuratively. Those same people know nothing of the true heritage of the G, let alone even know how old they actually are, nor would they care unfortunately.
And here we have a wild Tedward, behind the wheel of the California Camry
Ohhhh I like that
as a californian its either this or the model 3 as of recently lol
more like the California Jeep the California Camry is now the Tesla model 3
"California Camry" is absolutely hilarious and true! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@VisionCityMayormodel 3 is 1000% the new Camry
During my active career in the German Armed Forces I drove the milspec equivalent to this which, in spite of its 2.5 l naturally aspirated diesel engine with 90 hp, would outperform almost every vehicle other than our mbt Leopoard 2 off road because it has a seperate off road low gear box and three individually controllable differential locks (one for each axle and the center diff). We drove these things through terrain like you wouldn't believe and they would take it on and come through.
Wish we got the diesel variants in the US. Literally would be perfect that way.
Same here in The Netherlands, I was a Leopard 2A6 driver, and only this specific car mentioned by JCrash came even close in off-roading.. Really a work of art!
Aerodynamics of this car: yes
😂
These pre 2019 Gs heavily personify the “sense of occasion” moniker. Love them. IMO the one to find a deal on is the 09-11 years.
Specifically the G55 AMG from 2009-2011. Solid solid solid car all the way around
I remember pointing out a G Wagon to my wife and telling her how much they cost. Her response was “why do people buy those” and my answer was “because they can and most people can’t”
The correct answer is "because they're awesome".
Back in high school, a friend of mine was gifted a G550 as his first car. He removed the mufflers, made it sound like a Harley-Davison lol. I had an opportunity to drive it, it felt like I was driving a school bus.
Back in high school a girl at my school got a G500 right after MB started importing them. She’s Mattress Mack’s daughter. She wrecked it not long after and got a BMW Z4 consolation prize😅
What a gem! Everything about that is so satisfying, down to the door close sound. I love it! I'll miss the V8 dearly in the new one.
The new one has a V8? And not looking like it will go away anytime soon
@@jodu9965 I heard the new one was electric.
What you said about the prices in the US makes me really sad.
Here in it's place of origin, the prices for the used ones have skyrocketed during the pandemic and stayed that way.
In 2019 i saw two 2017 G350CDI with low milieage for 80-90k€ each at an official MB dealer.
At the moment a 2013 one with more mileage than those two had is around 80k€ now.
So a 10 year old one costs as much as a 2 year old had cost before the pandemic.
The official Mercedes dealer near me has a 1 or 2 year old G63 and it's priced at almost 300k€. (used! yes it has very low mileage but it's more expensive than a new one! For a new one you need to wait 2 years though.)
This old one feels more luxurious, like more of an “icon” than the new one. Plus the sound of this 5.0 V8 is unbeatable!!
I love how you are doing 55 in a 45 and a PRIUS still passes you. I laughed.
One of my all-time dream vehicles. Much prefer the older body style G Wagons over the current one.
These generation Mercedes had the best balance between simplicity and great build quality!
Simply not true.
Honestly had no clue M273's were still being used this late. I have it's little brother (3.5 M272 V6) in an E coupe, & the low down torque is great. In regular driving, it NEVER sees 3k rpm. I can be doing 80, get up to 100 to pass a left lane hog all at 2,500-2,700 & it loves it. Heavily underrated engines & stupid easy to wrench on.
Agreed, I've got a 2011 E300 with the M272 (albeit 3 liter) and it remains torquey to this day even with 335,000 kms. The transmission does seem to be on its way out tho.
@@tanishmahamuni6553 good to hear about your distance travelled, but sorry to hear about your gearbox. Has it been serviced regularly? The 1st owner of mine had it flushed w/ new filter at 40k miles & I did the same right at 80k miles. It honestly felt like a new car after I did the service, & it was starting to get a little jerky & clunky on occasion before I did the flush/filter. I'm at 112k mi/180,000 km now.
@@RothBeyondTheGrave That's cool. We've had ours since new, gonna be 13 years next month. Serviced at the dealer for the first 10 years. All services have been done on a timely basis. My transmission is super jerky and holds on to gears for way too long until the car is fully up to operating temperature.. I'm afraid it's either the conductor plate or the solenoid but haven't gotten it diagnosed as such.
@@tanishmahamuni6553 well like you said, 1st step is definitely seeing what the TCM has to say. I do know the screens on the shift solenoids will get clogged, especially if there has only been fluid changes & not full flushes. The solenoids themselves of course go, but they are not VIN coded (I think) unlike the conductor plate, which is.
Hopefully if anything, you're just low on fluid. I was just under a liter low directly after my flush & had same symptoms for about a wk until I threw just under a liter back in & have been good since.
Since you mentioned km, I assume you're not in the states. There are remote services in which you can send out your valve body & conductor plate as an assembly & they will perform a full service. New conductor plate, solenoids, cleaning channels in valve body & "marry" your VIN to it, then send it back. This of course is a fraction of dealer cost. I imagine this is definitely not US exclusive & shops worldwide are capable of this. I hope it's something simple! A friend just did similar on his 5G at near 500k miles & is doing good!
@@RothBeyondTheGrave Wow thanks for the detailed write-up! Will definitely look into it now 👍
Loving the amount of steering input needed to just meander around town
Best boxy car in the world
G63 is if you need that extra AMG punch!
8:15 guessing there was an upcoming speed trap by the car flashing its brights right before the jump cut lol
Nobody was there but I think so. It was hard to tell in the car if a flash or just bumps
Super cool, you just came out with this video right in time with Mercedes-AMG announcing the matter of putting back V8s in the C63 and E63. I am so so happy!
Where did you hear about the V8 going back in the C63 and E63? Just curious, do you have the source of it?
CarandDriver, a reliable source hahah@@faheemabbas3965
Love these things. They’re the perfect size and they feel so overbuilt. They’re fun to drive in the sense of its maneuverability and the power/noise.
Good visibility and sense of dimensions.
4:23 idk about you but i prefer to have a key for starting a car over some lame button
This Model Is more Reliable then the New Shape
I live in LA. This week I drove 6 miles from West Hollywood to Beverly Hills and back. I SAW 14 G WAGONS. Sadly, I saw more people living in tents. What a world.
5:34 the fuel tank just went down a quarter 😂
Hi Tedward, thanks for the awesome video
I want a naturally aspirated v8 and not the bi turbo.i also prefer the analog cluster over the lcd screen.having a computer means move problems. If the engine goes I'll see if i can install a hemi? Turn it into a G55 Trackhawk.
It would be really cool to see this compared to a new G550
If I owned this I would just open and close the doors all day
White, Designo red with white wood interesting color combination
Ahhh the dream. Maybe one day. I was looking at these in white just last week. I remember like a year ago it was said a bunch of tech guys were selling their G classes off. Not sure if that was true or not.
Wonder how many of these I'll see at road america this weekend...lol. I feel like I always see a bunch there.
that is quite the vehicle! god damn
this was the era when mercedes was putting a V8 in everything. in every 500 or 550 models
The G-Wagen will always be the perfect vehicle for Bond lackeys/bodyguards.
Good videos keep them up👍
Thank you!
Previous gen G class really got you pumped up huh? 😳
I love the G class, but I have a hard time understanding how it has became a symbol of wealth. I could've understood it with the newest G, but the older ones?
That's one pretty interior but whenever I see the center console on photos, it appears way worse than on videos/IRL. That beige touch on here & on the headliner with rest of the interior being red & black makes it look pretty neat though, or maybe it's the V8 purr that makes this car look much more appealing than it really is. :) Thanks for this one, always love to see some G wagons driven.
Do all G wagons have side exit exhausts & Do they have rear overhead AC vents?
I like G Wagons but that interior, like most Mercedes of that era, is such a deal breaker
Nice v8 sound
there are not enough words to describe how much i HATE the G-wagon.
Same, i can't describe how much i LOVE this automobile
I love a good off-road vehicle and love a good v8 in them but I find these to be the worst of compromises. I’d happily have a g500 but these exchange all sensible off-road ability for the last bit of performance but in skinny twin live axle vehicle it seems to do little well. Except sound fantastic. It has that nailed.
W for tedward
G65 is one of the coolest g-wagons besides the g65 6x6
I'm not a fan of this vehicle but my mom is dead set on getting one. Just looks like a center block with wheels. Looks like less leg room in the back than the s class. I don't get it! But I guess it's not for me.
You do need a G63 (especially the GCC specs) they look amazing
toaster-mobile
where to buy g550? is it only US market? what's the VIN or code number for this version ? thnks
I wouldn’t go for a red interior though, it just doesn’t match with the luxury I would want.
Are we just going to ignore the insane amount of veins visible in his left arm at 04:29?
running makes you vascular lol
i believe the 2013-17 550s are 4.0 not 5.5s like the 500s in europe
'09 through '15 are 5.5 liters. The 4.0 began in 2016.
They've never made sense to me. It's kind of a Tonka toy for grown ups but with a Rolex price tag. Some rich folk sometimes make odd choices! 😅
The price tag is because of how it's built. Rolex wishes.
The fact that the water temp needle isn't centered and the middle is at 80C instead of ~90C where it seems to be sitting is bothering me a little bit
G always run above middle. They should have scaled differently
@@TedwardDrives THANK YOU! that's what I'm saying! it makes sense that it doesn't run at 80C (that would be even weirder), but it doesn't make sense that 80C is in the middle
These and the old Landies 🤌🏻
am I crazy to think this car looks pretty good?
it looks like a square turd with an interior straight out of 1990
You right
It’s too bad that they’re completely unaffordable, they’d sell tons of them if they were attainable.
You don't need the G63. You need the G65.
G55*
@@BeshEntertainment Yup. The G55 is the pinnacle in my book.
This is my dream car. 2010+ G class with basically any engine. I just imagine how cool would it be to drive it at night.
G63 vs G550
Cherrybomb color combo 🍒🍦
I called for the 2024 g550 . They still charging 12-20k mark up . wtf is going on . are people growing money tree in the yard or something . It’s so stupid we can’t just buy these straight from factory.
These look 1000% nicer to me then the newer body style
A G-WAGGON
When you got money you don’t give a F
God this thing is ugly, but I'm glad it exists 🙃
Its almost goodbye to the V8, Sad times. 😢
My local Mercedes dealer (Mercedes of Music City) had a G63 listed for $156,000 which isn’t bad. I looked at the markup and it was $150k. 😬 😱 😯
I just don’t get the appeal of the G wagen. It’s both ugly and overpriced. I’m not gonna tell people not to get what they enjoy but man is it not for me
exactly what i think, it looks like how 5 year old me drew a car. this doesn’t look like luxury
@@realms6845partly the point of it. It is really a utilitarian, off road, military vehicle at its core. That's what the original ones were.
Mercedes being Mercedes naturally is going to slap an actual interior in it & somehow create a luxury facade knowing that people will buy into it literally and figuratively.
Those same people know nothing of the true heritage of the G, let alone even know how old they actually are, nor would they care unfortunately.
We all wish we had a G class let’s be realistic
I'd take a 1976 cadillac deville or 1971 mercury marquis over this shit any day.
A 9 year old german car is not a good idea
Especially Audi and BMW
Weird car