Thread: Test Drove a G-Wagen

Originally Posted by Ace

Sorry mate, but a well maintained Defender with the money that bloke has to spend on servicing and repairs as soon as needed should do 400000km easily.

Im sorry, but for one I have never liked mercedes, dont think they have ever made an attractive one, and secondly I just dont see value for money in the G-wagon. I just cant see how its worth $160000, for that price i'd want it to climb mount everest and have a specially built lodge for me and other G-wagon owners to enjoy because we are the only ones who can get there because of our $160000 defender look alike.

I imagine they can charge that much because of the badge but its a badge I never intend on having on the front of my vehicle.

Dont get me wrong I cannot justify 160k for any vehicle let alone a 4x4, as mentioned earlier on in the thread if they could release something like the professional series G in Australia for 80-90k then to me it would be a real proposition. Over here in the UAE G's are a dime a dozen, they are everywhere and sell for much less than what Merc AU are trying to flog them to the Aussies for. Over here you will pick up a new G500 for under 100k which is realistic, the G55 is much dearer and sadly they don't sell the diesel one here at all.

The Australian government is one of the real reason people in OZ get ripped off blindly for products like this as they are trying to protect the un-competative Australian car production industry.

Originally Posted by Naks

It amazes me that the G-wagen is hand-built, but when you compare the build quality with a Defender, there is a world of difference.

You really cannot fault the Germans for the quality of their work and their attention to detail

My defender is 13 years old,has near 450,000k's on it,has never been in a shed,always parked outside and everything works.The doors haven't fallen off,it start's first time everytime and I spend bugger all on it.All my defender gets is good serving when it's due and nothing more.I like the G wagon and always have since my dads mate owned one for years when I was young but 50K compared to 160?.They are good but not that good. Pat

Originally Posted by Naks

It amazes me that the G-wagen is hand-built, but when you compare the build quality with a Defender, there is a world of difference.

You really cannot fault the Germans for the quality of their work and their attention to detail

They used to say that about BMW....but you read some woefull stories about those these days....

At $160K it really is a "if money wasn't a factor" option.

Just spoke to the dealer and quizzed him about the G-Wagen Professional. No, it's not planned to release it in Australia, not even alongside Mercedes trucks and vans as a commercial vehicle. They are however, happy to down-spec a G350 with cloth seats but you still get all the electronic reversing camera, sat-nav, computer stuff as standard. Carpet is also forced as standard so you have to fork out more money for rubber mats.

I mentioned that there was a big price gap between the Professional and G350 (25% cheaper in Eurpoe) and he made an interesting comment... "We've got a sale on this week only and could look at getting the price closer to the G-Wagen Professional" with the reduced specification I'm after. Yeah, right! That would mean knocking $40K off the price and that ain't gonna happen. I may however take advantage of their coffee whilst I sit there and he does the maths.

I just want to explain some of my more detailed thinking as to why I'm even looking at the G-Wagen...

Like a lot of people here, I'm very aware that 2014 is coming and we still have no teasers from Landrover as to what form "Project Icon" is going to take. I am concerned that when eventually the time comes to move on from this current Defender, the only available option from the green oval will be very much at the beginning of it's design life and may be more Discovery than Defender.

I broke my own rule of never buying the first version of anything and bought an 07MY Defender. Although the fact that it was still 90% previous Defender and only 10% Ford has been discussed at length, there have still been far more bugs to iron out than a customer should expect. I also feel like I got lucky as mine has had nowhere near as many issues as some and many of the ones I have had were dealer created anyway.

The list of solid-axled off-road vehicles is steadily diminishing. Short of going over to a 70-series Landcruiser (shudder) the G-Wagen is one of the few other options. It is also not in the early stages of its design life.

As some of you are frustratingly aware, I am also not a big fan of aftermarket accessories. I like designs that are fully integrated and work straight out of the box. Again, the Defender fitted this bill. Several people here have said "just get a Defender and put lockers and this and that onto it". Well the G-Wagen has the lockers and this and that already on it. All designed for the vehicle by the manufacturer and standard equipment. I prefer this to the Frankenstein approach.

But yes, it is unrealistically priced.

So here's an idea...

If we all go down to our local Mercedes dealer and test drive a G-Wagen - Get the salesman all excited that he has a real, potential customer - Then tell him that we want a base spec one for around $80K. Maybe, just maybe, they will get the message and consider importing the Professional for sale as an actual off-road vehicle instead of an urban pimp-mobile.

But we don't !

We want a base spec one for $50K !

So let me get this straight? You want us to help you get a cheaper merc, just because you don't like accessories and think the defender has no future.

Originally Posted by VladTepes

But we don't !

We want a base spec one for $50K !

$50K is fine by me too.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

So let me get this straight? You want us to help you get a cheaper merc, just because you don't like accessories and think the defender has no future.

Ummm... yes.