Mercedes-Benz G-Class: 2019 Motor Trend SUV of the Year Contender
Capable off-road, but where's the charm?
WE LIKEDedication to design, off-road capability
WE DON'T LIKEHeavy-handed software, too-ritzy interior
Despite its age, the G-Class was loved by consumers and critics alike. It's what makes the redesigned second-generation G-Class such a big deal for Mercedes.
At first glance, Mercedes absolutely stays true to the original's spirit. It looks much like a slightly scaled-up G-Wagen, right down to its boxy design and callbacks such as its (pedestrian-friendlier) fender-mounted turn signals andshunk-shunkmechanical door locks.
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Hop inside, and there's no mistaking that this G-Class is a product of 2018. The now-roomier cabin is jarring in its ode to modernity when compared to the old-school cool the sheetmetal was selling. Up front are massive twin digital displays operated by touchpads on the steering wheel, the left a digital instrument cluster, the right a fussy infotainment system. The rest of the cabin is filled with leathers, woods, and metals, which are welcome but feel more appropriate to an S-Class than this pricey off-roader.
Anchored by a choice of 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8s paired with a nine-speed automatic and four-wheel drive, the new G-Class is worlds better on-road. Although Frank Markus found the AMG version "totally awesome" on winding roads, the base G 550 predictably suffered from understeer when pushed too hard—easy to do with 416 hp on tap. But it keeps its traditional off-road skill set. Both the G 63 and G 550 laughed at our off-road course, especially with the AMG's Sand mode.
But there are issues. Modern nannies were overbearing, even playing the pre-crash safety sound during routine maneuvers. There were also several gremlins, including an improperly adjusting driver-side mirror.
Although the old G-Class was never perfect, it was charming. The new edition may have lost some of that character in embracing the modern world.
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I generally like writing—especially when it’s about cars—but I hate writing about myself. So instead of blathering on about where I was born (New York City, in case you were wondering) or what type of cars I like (all of ’em, as long as it has a certain sense of soul or purpose), I’ll answer the one question I probably get most, right after what’s your favorite car (see above): How’d you get that job? Luck. Well, mostly. Hard work, too. Lots of it. I sort of fell into my major of journalism/mass communication at St. Bonaventure University and generally liked it a lot. In order to complete my degree senior year, we had to spend our last two semesters on some sort of project. Seeing as I loved cars and already spent a good portion of my time reading about cars on sites such as Motor Trend, I opted to create a car blog. I started a Tumblr, came up with a car-related name (The Stig’s American Cousin), signed up for media access on a bunch of manufacturer’s websites, and started writing. I did everything from cover new trim levels to reviewing my friends’ cars. I even wrote a really bad April Fool’s Day post about the next Subaru Impreza WRX being Toyota-Corolla-based. It was fun, and because it was fun, it never felt like work. Sometime after my blog had gotten off the ground, I noticed that Motor Trend was hiring for what’s now our Daily News Team. I sent in my résumé and a link to my blog. I got the job, and two weeks after graduation I made the move from New York to California. I’ve been happily plugging away at a keyboard—and driving some seriously awesome hardware—ever since.
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