2009 Mercedes-Benz G-Class

2009 G-Class Photos
Still – and we'll be the first to admit that this is this blogger's personal view – the G550 is not unattractive. In fact, it actually seems to transcend the idea of attraction at all; it is simply the ultimate in pragmatism. Crampons aren't beautiful, but they are wonderfully useful. Tubas aren't beautiful, but they can make wonderful noises. A Porsche key fob isn't beautiful, but it can make wonderful events happen on any given night. Likewise, the G550 isn't exactly beautiful, but it can do wonderful things. Number one among them: it's nothing but fun to drive. As soon as we got in, we were all smiles. Why? Because -- and Mercedes might shoot us with a Heckler & Koch for this – the seating position takes us back to being behind the wheel of our favorite old pickup truck. The G550 is bolt upright and close; there's plenty of room, but the cabin isn't spaced out like it is even in current trucks. Everything is a flick away: you roll down the giant windows and slide back the giant sunroof, rest your left elbow on the door, rest your right wrist on the steering wheel, and cruise the streets like an urban cowboy with in a leather-lined chariot with 610 watts of 5.1-channel audio gold pumping out the latest T.I.... or Rhinestone Cowboy, if that's how you roll. We had fun, fun, fun, until Mercedes took the G550 away. What's wrong with it? Well, technically, nothing, since the G550 is a niche vehicle that sells not even 3,000 units a year. It's like asking 'what's wrong with the Koenigsegg?' If you have the dosh to throw $100,250 at an eight-cylinder brick, then you've got at least four other cars that can check off all the necessary luxury boxes. And that's not including the rides stored at your villa in Mallorca. But if we must compare, we'll say that the design of the G550 is all over the place. It's best not to think of the G550 as a dated military-derived SUV but as a dated military vehicle with some consumer concessions. It's silly tall, but the door handles are way down low. It has a giant windshield, but tiny windshield wipers, like the arms on a Tyrannosaurus Rex. If you want to hear the sound of small-caliber gunshots, close the doors; it's an undamped explosion of metal-on-metal. Mercedes' typical Rube Goldberg multiple cupholder contraptions are replaced by a single cupholder and a bunch of netting elsewhere. Other than the windshield, the vehicle is utterly vertical and this leads to a woeful degree of reflections. Given the cover of night to play with, light bounces so freely around the cabin that when we had our Blackberry in the center console behind the gearshift, buried deep between the front seats, we were distracted by the flashing light of the phone on the driver's side window because it was bouncing off the windshield. None of that matters, however, and for …
Full Review
Still – and we'll be the first to admit that this is this blogger's personal view – the G550 is not unattractive. In fact, it actually seems to transcend the idea of attraction at all; it is simply the ultimate in pragmatism. Crampons aren't beautiful, but they are wonderfully useful. Tubas aren't beautiful, but they can make wonderful noises. A Porsche key fob isn't beautiful, but it can make wonderful events happen on any given night. Likewise, the G550 isn't exactly beautiful, but it can do wonderful things. Number one among them: it's nothing but fun to drive. As soon as we got in, we were all smiles. Why? Because -- and Mercedes might shoot us with a Heckler & Koch for this – the seating position takes us back to being behind the wheel of our favorite old pickup truck. The G550 is bolt upright and close; there's plenty of room, but the cabin isn't spaced out like it is even in current trucks. Everything is a flick away: you roll down the giant windows and slide back the giant sunroof, rest your left elbow on the door, rest your right wrist on the steering wheel, and cruise the streets like an urban cowboy with in a leather-lined chariot with 610 watts of 5.1-channel audio gold pumping out the latest T.I.... or Rhinestone Cowboy, if that's how you roll. We had fun, fun, fun, until Mercedes took the G550 away. What's wrong with it? Well, technically, nothing, since the G550 is a niche vehicle that sells not even 3,000 units a year. It's like asking 'what's wrong with the Koenigsegg?' If you have the dosh to throw $100,250 at an eight-cylinder brick, then you've got at least four other cars that can check off all the necessary luxury boxes. And that's not including the rides stored at your villa in Mallorca. But if we must compare, we'll say that the design of the G550 is all over the place. It's best not to think of the G550 as a dated military-derived SUV but as a dated military vehicle with some consumer concessions. It's silly tall, but the door handles are way down low. It has a giant windshield, but tiny windshield wipers, like the arms on a Tyrannosaurus Rex. If you want to hear the sound of small-caliber gunshots, close the doors; it's an undamped explosion of metal-on-metal. Mercedes' typical Rube Goldberg multiple cupholder contraptions are replaced by a single cupholder and a bunch of netting elsewhere. Other than the windshield, the vehicle is utterly vertical and this leads to a woeful degree of reflections. Given the cover of night to play with, light bounces so freely around the cabin that when we had our Blackberry in the center console behind the gearshift, buried deep between the front seats, we were distracted by the flashing light of the phone on the driver's side window because it was bouncing off the windshield. None of that matters, however, and for …
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Retail Price

$100,250 - $119,450 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 5.5L V-8
MPG Up to 11 city / 15 highway
Seating 5 Passengers
Transmission 5-spd auto w/OD, 7-spd w/OD
Power 382 - 500 hp
Drivetrain 4MATIC all wheel, all wheel
Curb Weight 5,511 - 5,633 lbs
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