2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class Review

The G 550's V8 engine sounds burly and muscular — and feels it, knocking out the 0-60 mph run in a respectable 5.6 seconds. Beyond that, the G isn't much of a performer. The high center of gravity and noticeable body roll don't instill confidence around corners, and the aggressive traction control cuts in early to keep your wheels on the ground. The steering is precise and weighted appropriately but entirely numb. A wide turning radius makes navigating tight spaces a chore. When it's on, auto engine stop-start is jarring and intrusive. On the plus side, the transmission is smooth and responds quickly to driver demands.

There's a definite feeling of power behind the wheel of a G 550 but not much else.

A bit of a mixed bag, the G is compromised in places by its design. The ride is a bit truckish, but it takes the edge off bumps and avoids feeling busy over rough pavement. Noise from the road and from other traffic is pleasantly muted, and the motor settles into a deep, unobtrusive rumble when cruising. The seats are nicely cushioned and quite supportive as well.

But the seats are also rather narrow, especially for a vehicle in this class. The adjustable side bolsters just didn't open enough for even relatively svelte drivers. There's also wind noise over the square body and noticeable whistling from around the pillars at freeway speeds.

The G-Class' shape creates some serious ergonomic limitations. The seats are rather high, and while there's some adjustability the only seating position that really works is to sit tall and square. While the headroom is superb, the shorter door openings and high seat cushions mean passengers will have to duck while navigating the high step up. The step rail is too high to be very useful. While rear passenger space is reasonable, the rear doors' limited range of motion creates more issues.  

You get a commanding view of the road ahead, but the front pillars are thick and upright — enough to hide pedestrians waiting to cross. The rear view is partially obstructed by the spare tire, and the sleek side mirrors feel small (and a bit out of place) on this brick of a vehicle.

The G 550 is far from the most practical large SUV. The side-opening cargo door requires space to operate, but at least it's hinged properly for curbside use. But the load floor is high and not that deep, and it is limited on the sides by large suspension well intrusions. The second-row seat doesn't fold flat. Its resulting ledge makes it so long, and bulky items can't simply be slid back. Cabin storage for personal items is also rather limited for such a large SUV.

Installing child seats in back is helped by car-seat anchor points that are easy to access. But lifting kids and seats up and in could be an issue for some. And bulkier rear-facing seats and infant convertibles might force front passengers to scoot forward more than they'd like.

Sadly, the G-Class is stuck with Mercedes' old COMAND system rather than the newer MBUX. It's not a bad system, but it's more limited in terms of functionality. The navigation display and commands are less sophisticated, and the voice commands are finicky and limited compared to MBUX.

We also had some issues with the G-Class' driver aids. Adaptive cruise works well enough, though it lacks the traffic jam assist features of other Mercedes products. Lane keeping, however, is shocking and abrupt in its intervention, engaging the brakes to drag the vehicle back into line. It's upsetting to experience, and it makes the car unpredictable to other drivers. Worse, it only intervened occasionally, without any real way to tell whether it was primed to go off or not.