Mercedes G-Wagon – anyone know anything about them?
Discussion
Really more out of interest than anything else. But can anyone tell me much about the G-Wagons. I Googled them and read what was on Wikipedia, but in all honesty I didn’t learn that much.
I guess I’m curious on how one would compared to a Tdi Disco today. When I was much younger I vaguely remember going out in a G-Wagon with my parents. Think this would have been in 1989/90.
Can’t really remember much about it though.
How to they drive on and off road compared to a Landy?
How rugged are they off road, I know the locking diffs mean they have a lot of grip and traction, but what about the chassis and suspension? I don’t even know what types of axles or springs they use
or what models/engines/options were available in the UK.Do people lift them and fit bigger tyres as per other 4x4’s? Or are they prone to breaking?
Would be grateful to any info, or links.
Thanks.
Hi 300, it only seems fair that since you gave me so much info about the Wrangler Unlimited I return the favour regarding the G Wagon.I have been fortunate to own a G300 LWB for 10 years so can probably answer most of your questions.
As you probably know the G was originaly designed as a military vehicle and is actualy made by SteyrPuch in Austria not Mercedes. The models prior to 1991 are known as 460's and the later models are 463's.
The 460 was pretty agricultural and could probably be compared to a Defender. The later 463 is more refined and is more comparable to a Discovery.I don't have a lot of experiance of the 460's so I will deal with the 463 which is the more desirable.
The engines available in RHD were limited to the 3.0 litre petrol straight six until 1998. Then you could get a 3.5 litre turbo diesel, a 5.0 litre V8 petrol and a 5.5 litre AMG V8. From 2000 a 4.0 litre turbo diesel V8 and the famous 5.5 litre supercharged AMG G55 were introduced.
The engines were all available in the long and short wheelbase as well as the convertible.All the engines are from Mercedes saloon range which makes spares and servicing readily available
The 463 model G Wagon has always been expensive, both new and secondhand when compared with other 4x4s. They hold their value extremely well this is due to there rarity as well as the exellent build quality. Of course the reason they are rare is because they are so bloody expensive to begin with. My 1994 300 GEL cost £42000 new when a Range Rover was in the showroom for £26000.
I can not make a comparison between the new Disco 3 and the new G wagons because I have not driven either. I can make a comparison between my own G Wagon and a TD5 or Range Rover having owned both. The main difference is the build quality. My G wagon has done 177,000 miles and has never had a major problem. It still drives like it did with 30,000 miles. On the road there are no squeaks or rattles and everything still works. Not something I could of said about the Rangie or Disco.
The on road handling is stable and there is much less roll than the other two, especialy the Range Rover. The cabin air seal on the G is very
good ( which is why the doors are hard to shut) so the external noise is at a minimum which makes it feel like one of Mercs big saloons.
Off road the G Wagons weight (2.4 tons) is its main disadvantage which is probably why it has three locking diffs. These are locked electronicaly from the dashboard switches and work on the front and rear axles as well as the transfer case. I have always been able to go further than the Rangie or Disco off road in the G and this is definetly down to the diffs (and being able to use them properly). The defender probably has the advantage off road because of its weight but my experience has been that the G can hold its own with the 110s. The advantage it has is that it is very difficult to break unlike a Landy !
My G is not modified other than a set of 325x60x15 BFGs which fit under the standard arches. The wider tyres help to compensate for the weight when on boggy ground. Most Gs are not modified for off road because they are pretty well speced as standard with under body protection, heavy duty springs and good articulation.
Hope this is of some interest to you, feel free to ask for more info if you need it.
As you probably know the G was originaly designed as a military vehicle and is actualy made by SteyrPuch in Austria not Mercedes. The models prior to 1991 are known as 460's and the later models are 463's.
The 460 was pretty agricultural and could probably be compared to a Defender. The later 463 is more refined and is more comparable to a Discovery.I don't have a lot of experiance of the 460's so I will deal with the 463 which is the more desirable.
The engines available in RHD were limited to the 3.0 litre petrol straight six until 1998. Then you could get a 3.5 litre turbo diesel, a 5.0 litre V8 petrol and a 5.5 litre AMG V8. From 2000 a 4.0 litre turbo diesel V8 and the famous 5.5 litre supercharged AMG G55 were introduced.
The engines were all available in the long and short wheelbase as well as the convertible.All the engines are from Mercedes saloon range which makes spares and servicing readily available
The 463 model G Wagon has always been expensive, both new and secondhand when compared with other 4x4s. They hold their value extremely well this is due to there rarity as well as the exellent build quality. Of course the reason they are rare is because they are so bloody expensive to begin with. My 1994 300 GEL cost £42000 new when a Range Rover was in the showroom for £26000.
I can not make a comparison between the new Disco 3 and the new G wagons because I have not driven either. I can make a comparison between my own G Wagon and a TD5 or Range Rover having owned both. The main difference is the build quality. My G wagon has done 177,000 miles and has never had a major problem. It still drives like it did with 30,000 miles. On the road there are no squeaks or rattles and everything still works. Not something I could of said about the Rangie or Disco.
The on road handling is stable and there is much less roll than the other two, especialy the Range Rover. The cabin air seal on the G is very
good ( which is why the doors are hard to shut) so the external noise is at a minimum which makes it feel like one of Mercs big saloons.
Off road the G Wagons weight (2.4 tons) is its main disadvantage which is probably why it has three locking diffs. These are locked electronicaly from the dashboard switches and work on the front and rear axles as well as the transfer case. I have always been able to go further than the Rangie or Disco off road in the G and this is definetly down to the diffs (and being able to use them properly). The defender probably has the advantage off road because of its weight but my experience has been that the G can hold its own with the 110s. The advantage it has is that it is very difficult to break unlike a Landy !
My G is not modified other than a set of 325x60x15 BFGs which fit under the standard arches. The wider tyres help to compensate for the weight when on boggy ground. Most Gs are not modified for off road because they are pretty well speced as standard with under body protection, heavy duty springs and good articulation.
Hope this is of some interest to you, feel free to ask for more info if you need it.
Edited by bigblock on Wednesday 4th November 21:01
Thanks for that 
very helpful. I guess kind of a dumb question. But do these use live axles and coils? And do they have a ladder chassis?
If I'm honest I've got a modded Disco tdi. But it's starting to show it's age so I'm toying with the idea of chopping it down to an 80 or 88" trialler with a Series body on. But I could still do with a proper 4x4 to use for camping holidays and going away in. And sadly despite being a great value I don't have the money for a new Jeep JK. But I'm liking the idea of an G Wagen. Do you think I'd be asking for trouble looking at a late 80's one?
Thanks again. BTW do you know of any good G Wagen specific forums?
very helpful. I guess kind of a dumb question. But do these use live axles and coils? And do they have a ladder chassis?
If I'm honest I've got a modded Disco tdi. But it's starting to show it's age so I'm toying with the idea of chopping it down to an 80 or 88" trialler with a Series body on. But I could still do with a proper 4x4 to use for camping holidays and going away in. And sadly despite being a great value I don't have the money for a new Jeep JK. But I'm liking the idea of an G Wagen. Do you think I'd be asking for trouble looking at a late 80's one?
Thanks again. BTW do you know of any good G Wagen specific forums?
A mate of mine has had a number of G-Wagens, for off roading and day to day.
As mentioned the main drawback with them is their weight, and they do have very poor axle articulation - but the locking diffs to make up for that.
They are indeed coil sprung, and have a ladder chassis. The G's are unusual in that the the front propshaft spins in the opposite direction to the rear - this helps prevent the traditional live-axle-lean affecting some vehicles with a similar set up.
My mate had a G280 with a 2.8 6cyl petrol engine - very nice engine, they were also available with a 2.4 and 3.0 diesel I believe.
It takes a lot of abuse to break one, but if you do it won't be that cheap to fix - although a number of parts are generic to the Merc range. Some parts on the Sprinter van are identical yet about a quarter of the price.
Oh, and the rear seats weigh a ton.
As mentioned the main drawback with them is their weight, and they do have very poor axle articulation - but the locking diffs to make up for that.
They are indeed coil sprung, and have a ladder chassis. The G's are unusual in that the the front propshaft spins in the opposite direction to the rear - this helps prevent the traditional live-axle-lean affecting some vehicles with a similar set up.
My mate had a G280 with a 2.8 6cyl petrol engine - very nice engine, they were also available with a 2.4 and 3.0 diesel I believe.
It takes a lot of abuse to break one, but if you do it won't be that cheap to fix - although a number of parts are generic to the Merc range. Some parts on the Sprinter van are identical yet about a quarter of the price.
Oh, and the rear seats weigh a ton.
300bhp/ton said:
Thanks for that
very helpful. I guess kind of a dumb question. But do these use live axles and coils? And do they have a ladder chassis?
If I'm honest I've got a modded Disco tdi. But it's starting to show it's age so I'm toying with the idea of chopping it down to an 80 or 88" trialler with a Series body on. But I could still do with a proper 4x4 to use for camping holidays and going away in. And sadly despite being a great value I don't have the money for a new Jeep JK. But I'm liking the idea of an G Wagen. Do you think I'd be asking for trouble looking at a late 80's one?
Thanks again. BTW do you know of any good G Wagen specific forums?
Yes they do have live axles and coils. The chasis is a ladder frame but has more in common with a truck, it is really chunky and the welding would not look out of place on something with wings.very helpful. I guess kind of a dumb question. But do these use live axles and coils? And do they have a ladder chassis?
If I'm honest I've got a modded Disco tdi. But it's starting to show it's age so I'm toying with the idea of chopping it down to an 80 or 88" trialler with a Series body on. But I could still do with a proper 4x4 to use for camping holidays and going away in. And sadly despite being a great value I don't have the money for a new Jeep JK. But I'm liking the idea of an G Wagen. Do you think I'd be asking for trouble looking at a late 80's one?
Thanks again. BTW do you know of any good G Wagen specific forums?
As far as the 1980s model 460s I don't know if you would like them. They are all pretty slow especialy the diesel, it makes a Unimog look fast. Around £6k will buy you a decent 463 but obviously if this is not in your budget then it would have to be a 460. You could always look out for a "needs attention" 463 they can sometimes be pretty good value if you are willing to spend a bit of time and effort.
The place to have all your questions anwsered by far more knowledgeable people than me is on the G Wagon owners association website at
www.gwoa.co.uk
Check out the forums and ask questions about owning a 460, they are a very helpful bunch.
Bill said:
Very interesting indeed. What are the rear seats like? (If you have a picture that'd be great)
Any thing else feel free to ask.
Edited by bigblock on Thursday 5th November 13:55
Edited by bigblock on Thursday 5th November 13:58
Edited by bigblock on Thursday 5th November 13:59
Edited by bigblock on Thursday 5th November 14:00
Edited by bigblock on Thursday 5th November 14:01
I read this thread and thought how much I liked the G-Wagon and how much fun it would be to use one as our family bus. I then went to Autotrader to have quick at some potential purchases.
OMG how f
king expensive? There's a 10 year old one for sale at £50,000 and a 2 year old one for £85k.
I like them, but I definately don't like them that much.
OMG how f
king expensive? There's a 10 year old one for sale at £50,000 and a 2 year old one for £85k.I like them, but I definately don't like them that much.
JQ said:
I read this thread and thought how much I liked the G-Wagon and how much fun it would be to use one as our family bus. I then went to Autotrader to have quick at some potential purchases.
OMG how fking expensive? There's a 10 year old one for sale at £50,000 and a 2 year old one for £85k.
I like them, but I definately don't like them that much.
Crazy is'nt it !! My G wagon is 15 years old with 177,000 miles on the clock and I could still get £8000 for it.OMG how f
king expensive? There's a 10 year old one for sale at £50,000 and a 2 year old one for £85k.I like them, but I definately don't like them that much.
As I said earlier they are so expensive new that not many are sold which makes them scarce on the used market and maintains their value. It also helps for some reason that Richard Hammond called it the coolest 4x4 in the world on Top Gear
There does seem to be a divide in prices from the commercial more basic 460's to the more luxury civilian 463's. The earlier ones seem to be down as low as £3k. Which to be honest isn't all that different price wise for a half descent 90 or Wrangler of a similar time period. There does seem to be a suddent jump to about £10k for something like a 1992 463.
Bigblock. Are you planning on selling yours?
Bigblock. Are you planning on selling yours?
JQ said:
I read this thread and thought how much I liked the G-Wagon and how much fun it would be to use one as our family bus. I then went to Autotrader to have quick at some potential purchases.
OMG how fking expensive? There's a 10 year old one for sale at £50,000 and a 2 year old one for £85k.
I like them, but I definately don't like them that much.
OMG how f
king expensive? There's a 10 year old one for sale at £50,000 and a 2 year old one for £85k.I like them, but I definately don't like them that much.
And there are only 15 on autotrader. At least the expensive ones are the G55
Bill said:
JQ said:
I read this thread and thought how much I liked the G-Wagon and how much fun it would be to use one as our family bus. I then went to Autotrader to have quick at some potential purchases.
OMG how fking expensive? There's a 10 year old one for sale at £50,000 and a 2 year old one for £85k.
I like them, but I definately don't like them that much.
OMG how f
king expensive? There's a 10 year old one for sale at £50,000 and a 2 year old one for £85k.I like them, but I definately don't like them that much.
And there are only 15 on autotrader. At least the expensive ones are the G55Yep, the 2 most expensive one's on Autotrader definately fit my description.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2009...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2009...
This thread makes me want to buy one!
My family ran two in the late eighties - A 5 door 280 in metallic red with beige vinyl interior bought brand new (bit of a change from the SL that my dad had before...), and a 300GD swb also in red with a Turbo Technics conversion, bought as a demonstrator.
I seem to recall that the GD was the Turbo Technics development car - does anyone know if it still exists or if there are any others around?
My family ran two in the late eighties - A 5 door 280 in metallic red with beige vinyl interior bought brand new (bit of a change from the SL that my dad had before...), and a 300GD swb also in red with a Turbo Technics conversion, bought as a demonstrator.
I seem to recall that the GD was the Turbo Technics development car - does anyone know if it still exists or if there are any others around?
JQ said:
Completely agree, I love the looks of the proper one, but can't imagine paying £50k for the little soft top one.
don't let the looks put you off, they are all the same. I've done some research on them and they are built very much like a Land Rover or Jeep CJ/Wrangler. As in a ladder chassis of various lengths and different body's.Remember a Defender has been available as a pick up, a hard top a county spec (hard top with windows in the side), full tilt (convertible), double cab, hi-cap pickup and lots of customizations in three different chassis lengths too.
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