I want to hear your thoughts on this $230,000, 11 City (4.6 KM/L) / 13 Highway (5.5 KM/L), plastic cup holder that gives early 2000's GM a run for there, and these nets that looks like it would snap it you put a hard plastic mug in it . As you can tell I don't really have a positive opinion on it.
Doug Demuro sums up this car well. It is a cool idea, but too expensive and impractical for anyone to even want (unless they have near unlimited amounts of money).
Yes... its really, really dumb. The G-Class is still alive thanks to hipsters and stuff along those lines. I like the way it looks, but not for the price bracket mercedes pretends to sell it.
It is a pointless vehicle. It is a hummer with an identity crisis. It is expensive, boisterous, and looks like an old land rover that someone attempted to make "modern." It exists solely due to existence of suburbanite mothers with husbands that like to throw money around to make sure that his wife is happy, without them the G-series would be in the same boat as the Edsel. Not to mention they are driven almost exclusively by these people, who are far more concerned about themselves and will readily think that doing 100MPH down the freeway with their hands on the phones is an acceptable thing.
With the exception of the 6x6 (which I really like) and a stupid show car at my corner dealer local dealership, all of the G-Series trucks are the same as far as I care. I do like them, but even the cheapest ones are a ridiculous price for what they are.
Wait. That net isn't really the cup holder. Is it? That much money, and all you get to hold your drink is a net?! It doesn't retract or anything?! There's no way that thing is the only cup holder. Right?
Wow, the hate for this vehicle is strong. Is it really that bad? Like I said before, I think Doug Demuro was a bit too critical on a few things about the vehicle. However, the price, reflective windows, and MPG I think is ridiculous. If I ever owned one, I'd probably swap the engine for something with better fuel economy, so that I won't be at the fuel pump every two seconds. Then again, it's a vehicle out of my league. There's no way I could afford a $200,000+ vehicle. Since it a vehicle by Mercedes, I guess they feel the need to make it luxurious. It probably wouldn't be as hated if it wasn't built to be marketed toward the luxury demographic. I feel positive that I've seen vehicles worse than it.
You know, maybe if I did things such as watch the video above and other videos on the thing, I might have been able to atleast hate it alittle less. Well, that was until I knew that the drivers cup holder. The most important person in the vehicle, has to deal with a net of all things. A net! It doesn't even retract or anything! Even the Citroen Saxo has a retractable cup holder! They would've got more positive points if they just didn't have cup holders atall... That, and it's terrible MPG makes it not very good for cruising on road, top speed (if this website I found is correct) of barely over 100MPH doesn't exactly make it a performance anything, it's probably terrible, and way to expensive for any good off roading stuff, and apparently (again, relying on this website I found) it only has 5 seats! Surely something that big has some sorta foldable seats at the back... Aside from the looks, which aren't all that bad, there is little to no reason that anyone would want this, unless they were content on having something different from everyone else, and wanted to spend alot of money during the process. Anyway, I've gotta ask, what did they spend all of their budget on making that thing, if those cupholders were the best things they could get
It is so heavily disliked because it is nothing more than a monument to vanity. It is gaudy, huge, and takes all the inspiration for design from a cardboard box. It exists purely as a way of saying "look at how much money I have!" Unlike supercars, which tend to be expensive because of all the R&D that goes into their engines, drivetrain, and aerodynamics, the G-series is expensive just to be expensive. It doesn't know what it wants to be beyond a rolling status symbol. It is the McMansion of cars - with wheels that wouldn't look out of place on a mid-level Ford Fusion, a front clip that looks like someone tried to redraw a boombox in AutoCAD, an interior that takes all of its design cues from a 70s sofa, and a body that looks like somebody just discovered the "line" tool in MS Paint.
If this specific model were made in '79, then those cup holders could've almost been forgiven. Almost
I'm talking about the newest model in particular, my friend. The older models get some grace because they actually had - and were used for - utility. The newest model is nothing more than a status symbol. I would love to hear you justify spending a quarter of a million dollars on the newest one. The new G-series aren't utilitarian like their older bretheren, and the most "work" they'll ever see is hauling "little angels" to and from soccer practice. The new ones look like a 10 year old designed it on GTA V. Mercedes could've kept the "utilitarian" look of the truck, but no, instead it looks as if Merc slapped a body kit on, stripped it of any semblance of utility that the ones of yesteryear had, and sold it off as a "luxury" car.
Admittedly, the cupholders are pretty bad. It's pretty much the same chassis and body as the original, I can't see how it's any less utilitarian. I do agree that the modern stuff is quite tacky, though, as is the case with any attempt to update an old car.
It is still a capable truck, just has the wrong target audience and price point. Mechanically it's pretty much the same as it use to be, for better and for worse. Just get a model with a decent engine, put some better wheels on, and stop caring about body damage. Of course at that point it's just a +$120k truck from the 1980's. Or buy the 4x4^2 and have an ugly 1980's truck for $230k. The e class 4x4^2 on the other hand... it has crazy in all the right places.
The thing with the G class is because of the AMG models, starting from the G55, up to the G63, than the G65, it's basically like the Range Rover, pretty much EVERYONE buys it, and the actual regular models become the rarer ones compared to the AMG models, which ironically was supposed to have been just that. If anything, and I had to drive one, I'd go for a modest G500 or G550. Doesn't have the gaudy AMG parts, it's more capable offroad with those wheels than the large, 26 inch or whatever rims the G63-5 have, and where I live, it's ironically more rare than the G63-5.
I wish the G-class was sold in some version that would have a small torquey turbodiesel (about 2.5-3.0l and 150-180hp), small rims with high profile tires, only necessary equipment like airbags, A/C, ABS and so on, simple, durable and easily washable interior and a price tag of about 40000$. Would be a big hit among farmers, hunters and fishermen.
You know, there's still the G300 CDI, dubbed as the "Professional". Turbo diesel 3.0L V6, 180-181hp. Or, if you wanted a bit more unf, but still want a diesel, the G350 Bluetec has a modest boost in HP, up to 208hp. But you probably wouldn't find any of these in the US, unless they're the older ones like this There's even a pickup version of the G300 as well. So, basically, there's still the regular G classes being produced since 2012, though in comparison with the G63-5, or the 4x4^2, I honestly can't tell, but they're far and in between.
