2016 Mercedes-Benz G-Class Review - The Car Connection

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The 2016 Mercedes-Benz G-Class has come very far from its roots as a utilitarian vehicle for soldiers. Dating back several decades, it's now so archaic and old-fashioned that it's hopelessly hip. It's a ridiculous anachronism that gets a smile from whoever's driving it, even if onlookers don't quite get the brash, boxy, menacing look. The G stands for "Geländewagen," though in some quarters it might as well indicate "gangsta." Either way, you'll be hard-pressed to mistake it for anything else.

The G-Class is pure old-school SUV from every angle. It's said that the G-Wagen was originally designed in the 1970s for the Shah of Iran's military. Since then, it has only evolved when absolutely necessary—to meet safety regulations impossible to envision when it launched about four decades ago, and to add luxury technologies equally unimaginable back then. It's an automotive piece of amber jewelry—nearly prehistoric, but in a way that makes it that much more desirable in a modern world. It's also one of the most luxurious, most capable and most expensive SUVs on the market, with a base price starting north of $120,000.

For 2016, the G-Class is once again updated with a modern engine. The base G550 is powered by a new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that produces 416 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque, numbers that are up 38 and 59, respectively. The G63 AMG model features a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8 that churns out 563 hp (up 19 horses from last year) and 560 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes also revives the G65 AMG this year; it is motivated by a 6.0-liter V-12 that makes a whopping 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. All three engines are mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission, and they channel their power through a four-wheel-drive system with low and high ranges, and three locking differentials—front, center, and rear.

The new turbocharged base engine offers a little more pep than the outgoing engine, launching the G550 from 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds versus 6.1 seconds for the old naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V-8. This engine delivers smooth power with a hint of turbo lag at low revs and a throaty burble appropriate of a V-8. The G63 AMG is faster yet, cutting the 0 to 60 mph time to 5.4 seconds and sounding even more menacing. We haven't driven the G65 AMG yet.

Considering that this is a 5,700-pound truck, the 0-to-60-mph times are very quick. But given that this vehicle is so tall and cumbersome, maybe all that power isn't a good idea.

On-road performance is, well, cumbersome. The top-heavy feel and hefty controls demand attention. The steering doesn't have much self-centering assist, meaning you'll have to unwind the wheel when coming out of a turn. Ultimate grip is often tempered by aggressive traction and stability control, and that's necessary to manage the G's plentiful body roll. Ride quality is managed well enough for such a rugged 'ute, though with solid front and rear axles it's predictably jittery and bouncy. Noise levels also climb on textured pavement and gravel paths.

The G's real appeal is its amazing off-road prowess. Locking any or all of the differentials exposes the real SUV underneath the layers of refinement, and it just keeps clawing its way over rocky paths and plugging through muddy bogs, places where you'll only find Defenders, Wranglers, and a few other endangered species. If you plan serious off-road excursions, though, you'll want to replace the G's road-oriented rubber for something a little more rock-friendly. You'll also want to steer clear from the AMG models—rocker mounted exhausts probably aren't the best for fording or crawling, in our estimation.

Despite its off-road prowess the G-Wagen is softer inside. High-quality materials with excellent fit and finish mark the cabin, and the doors close with a solid bank-vault-like thud. The G-Class is tall enough that some people will want to use the running boards to get in. It impresses with all the headroom you're likely to need, but it's so narrow that the driver can touch the passenger door pretty easily and the driver's door is so close that you can hit your left elbow on the top of the door when making turns. The seats themselves are typically firm and power-adjustable, with multi-contour adjustments, but they are fairly flat and have short bottom cushions. The lack of width also makes the rear seat far more hospitable for two than three.

The rear cargo area is smaller than the SUV norm. Thanks to the tall roof, the G-Class still has 45.2 cubic feet of space with the rear seats up and 79.5 cubic feet with them down, but unless you want to stack stuff high, this space won't be nearly as useful as the 82.8 cubic feet in the wider Land Rover Range Rover. The tailgate also opens like a door instead of a liftgate, and has a skinny aperture and a high load floor. The cargo area is finished out nicely, though.

Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS have crash-tested the G-Class, partly because it is so expensive and partly because it sells in such low volumes. We would expect, given Mercedes' safety history and the over-engineered feel of this big box, that it would be safe for occupants in the case of an accident. Then again, this is an old platform, so it probably wouldn't perform well in the newer IIHS small overlap front crash test. It certainly has plenty of safety features. Side-seat and curtain side airbags are standard, as are a rearview camera, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, and blind-spot monitors. The camera is useful since visibility is constrained at the rear, where a wide frame surrounding the rear window blocks out most of the view. A lane-departure warning system is also available.

This current-generation G-Class has more equipment than ever. Standard features include leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, illuminated door sills, ambient lighting, and a sunroof. Tech and entertainment features include a Harmon Kardon surround sound system, Bluetooth connectivity, a navigation system with 40GB of hard drive space for maps and music, a six-DVD audio system, satellite and HD radio, real-time traffic information, and an iPod interface. Also standard is mbrace2, a mobile-app connectivity suite that enables apps like Yelp and Facebook through the G's COMAND controller. A variety of Designo packages with nappa leather upholstery are offered, as are exclusive full-leather Designo packages with diamond-pattern nappa leather upholstery on the seats and doors and smooth leather on the dash.

If you're looking for fuel economy, look elsewhere. The G-Class is about as low as it gets. The new G550 has been rated by the EPA at 13 mpg city, 14 highway, 13 combined. The 563-horsepower, twin-turbo G63 AMG is rated at 12/14/13 mpg, aided somewhat by standard stop-start technology can soften the blow on the G63 AMG's city-cycle economy. The V-12-powered G65 AMG is rated at 11/13/12 mpg.

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