What kind of G-Wagen will $15-20k buy?

[Longtallsally]

Diesel is everyone first choice. Mine as well. That wouldnt stop me from getting a petrol G. MPG is similar as 100 TLC, Discovery (Ive owned both those) and most V8 SUV's. My only knowledge of the G is via a work friend who has an 05. He has over 100K. Mixed he states about 14+. His is stock.

Good point- in that they match the Rover or V8 Land Cruisers in economy, but I'd wager just as good if not better in durability.

 

[DUTCH]

Personally, I don't think I'd consider a 463 series, as acquisition cost + pathetic fuel economy, coupled to expensive parts repair and replacement make them still a rich person's vehicle in my mind's eye.

I have never made it to the "rich person" category, but have been driving a G since 1984 - currently a 2000 G500.

A good place to look for G specific information is: http://pointedthree.com/disc/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=57

 

[4D55 Performance]

Diesel is everyone first choice. Mine as well. That wouldnt stop me from getting a petrol G. MPG is similar as 100 TLC, Discovery (Ive owned both those) and most V8 SUV's. My only knowledge of the G is via a work friend who has an 05. He has over 100K. Mixed he states about 14+. His is stock.

I think 14mpg is a realistic figure. I have seen up to 18mpg on the freeway but 15 mpg is what I see in mixed driving. I am also at 4500ft so my MPG is inflated. For what it is, the mpg's are pretty good.

 

[zimm]

15-20k will buy a G that requires 5-10k of work.

go onto dutches site, read what are the common ailments for the early MBUSA G's, 'cause thats your most realistic price range, and make sure the G has had ALL the fixes done. for example a window regulator is 700 bucks, it will need 4 of them. they will go bad. do not settle for less than a complete service history if you are not a mechanic. nothing is cheap on these. a CV that matches an audi CV but with a small ring cut in it for a cap, is 400 bucks, not the 99 bucks VW charges. my AC fan motor was 80 bucks for a slightly differing version from the OEM supplier Bosch. the same motor with a simple internal resistor from MB is 700. and on and on and on. get the point?

then pay the 25-30g the cheapest a solid, well maintained G will run ya.

 

[zimm]

You can get parts for them well 2002 models and up at least from autozone...So they are getting more affordable all the time.

which parts are you getting from autozone?

there are a few reasonable suppliers on the interwebs, that know the G quite well, and are worth whatever points youre paying them over discount brake pads from the zone. on other things its a slog to cross reference the parts, and youre lucky if someone else has put the 6 months in to find it, and they share the information. in my case a real nice guy helped me on P3 with the AC fan motor.

letting on that someone has a chance at fixing a beat G with autozone parts, like its an 89 cavalier, is very misleading. MB makes $$$$BANK$$$$ on parts for a reason.

 

[ScottReb]

Listen to Zimm. It has been beat to death on the G forums. The best bang for the buck is the MBUSA 2002 or later. Most fixes are already there, they are new enough that the person who spent 100K for it originally has probably done the the things that were needed initially. Like Zimm said most of the 02 G are in the 25K range and the couple I have spoke with had service records.

 

[JOnesbilt24]

which parts are you getting from autozone?

there are a few reasonable suppliers on the interwebs, that know the G quite well, and are worth whatever points youre paying them over discount brake pads from the zone. on other things its a slog to cross reference the parts, and youre lucky if someone else has put the 6 months in to find it, and they share the information. in my case a real nice guy helped me on P3 with the AC fan motor.

letting on that someone has a chance at fixing a beat G with autozone parts, like its an 89 cavalier, is very misleading. MB makes $$$$BANK$$$$ on parts for a reason.

Im not misleading anyone just staing a fact. You pompous ***.

 

[762X39]

Im not misleading anyone just staing a fact. You pompous ***.

Settle down there cowboy. I can buy stuff at the local Autozone (in New York State) for my Unimog if I know what to ask for, like 30mm coolant hose (after I argue with the counter boy for 20 minutes that they do in fact sell hose by the foot and I translate the size to 1 1/4" and finally the old guy gets off his break and asks me how much coolant hose I need...). Just because you can buy an oil filter, plugs or an air freshener for your G at Autozone doesn't mean parts are available there (if you don't own a Mercedes vehicle specific service manual with part numbers in it you can barely buy parts at a dealer!)

 

[JOnesbilt24]

Zimm started this direction with his condescending remarks. Lord knows auto zone is not a one stop shop but the fact remains they carry G class parts, not everything I admit but at least they are making an effort and at reasonable prices as well.

 

[zimm]

Zimm started this direction with his condescending remarks. Lord knows auto zone is not a one stop shop but the fact remains they carry G class parts, not everything I admit but at least they are making an effort and at reasonable prices as well.

this isnt true.

you can buy industry standard parts IF the G uses them, thats not carrying G class parts.

 

[zimm]

i just checked brake pads, ABOUT AS BASIC AS YOU CAN GET, a completely wearable part.

Eurotruck, OEM, 67 bucks, in stock.

Autozone, Aftermarket crap, 48 bucks.... SPECIAL ORDER.

i wonder what the odds are of actually getting a G water hose... i bet you'll place that order and be sitting there for quite some time.



lesson? there is no chance in hell of maintaining a G using autozone. dont tell someone interested in being seen in a 100,000 dollar designer label they can. its disingenuous at best, and will eventually hurt someone with little spare money.

 

[Vasir]

Hey now. im a MB fan myself. I pretty much get everything from autozone/kragen/oreilly's.

I cant say for G-wagons, but owning 2 w140s (90's series S-class), s320 and s600; and a 2001 clk55, i wrench on my cars myself. I dont go to the dealership unless its for something like a waterpump or a part that is necessary to get oem. no reason to get brake pads from the stealership when you can get them from those one stop shops for significantly cheaper...

I could see there being issues for pre 2002s since those are grey market vehicles, but I guess id just order overseas and have it shipped out. all things said and done, i prob would get a 2002+ just because of parts supply availability nearby and modern creature comforts that the early 90s and prior dont have.

from my own point of view, id say cost of owenership on an MB isnt too much higher than other vehicles... my lx450 and s600 are neck and neck on cost spent on parts. also, id say that general build quality of MB means longer duration of a part breaking, but the higher price of said part reflects this by being pricier.
some things do have sticker shock though... i needed new cats for my s320. they were ~600 a piece and i needed 2, even though its an I6 motor! then again the car has 220k miles and has had low cost of ownership. I did put in a new trans at 140k miles that ran me 4k, and redid the head at 190k that ran me 1.2k but if you think about it, those prices arent far off from normal non-3 star vehicles..

edit: looking back reading everything. personally, i wouldnt buy a g-wagon thats sub 20k. vehicles are priced what they are for a reasonl unless its your grandmas car and shesells it to you for 5k just so she can say she 'sold it' to you...
these vehicles are often looked at for thier golf club curb appeal, not thier offroading qualities. Id spend the 15-20k on a decked out 80 toyota thats been taken care of, with records to prove it, since you clearly arent in the market of g-class for thier fuel economy...

 

[mk216v]

My '03 G500 (weighing in at about 6400lbs right now w/ heavy Hutchinson beadlocks, rack, RTT, fridge, etc) gets about 13.3mpg average. That's the downside I knew about going in. The upside is that so far it's been very reliable(had been maintained well), goes anywhere, comfortable, built like a German tank. Every vehicle has a downside of some sort. Get the best-maintained vehicle with as many goodies factory(ie 3 locking diffs for a G) as you can. No aftermarket manufacturer spends as much in engineering dollars as the OEM's.

Would I rather have a G with a turbo diesel powerplant? Yeah, for mileage. But then again, the cost to swap one in would pay for a lot of petrol for a long time.

 

[4D55 Performance]

My '03 G500 (weighing in at about 6400lbs right now w/ heavy Hutchinson beadlocks, rack, RTT, fridge, etc) gets about 13.3mpg average. That's the downside I knew about going in. The upside is that so far it's been very reliable(had been maintained well), goes anywhere, comfortable, built like a German tank. Every vehicle has a downside of some sort. Get the best-maintained vehicle with as many goodies factory(ie 3 locking diffs for a G) as you can. No aftermarket manufacturer spends as much in engineering dollars as the OEM's.

Would I rather have a G with a turbo diesel powerplant? Yeah, for mileage. But then again, the cost to swap one in would pay for a lot of petrol for a long time.

It seems to be common that a lot of owners only get 13-14mpg on a G500. I consistently see 18-19 with mixed driving with the AC on and carrying a full load of passengers and cargo. My vehicle is currently still stock and I have no issue the MPG's on my G500. I think it does great for a vehicle of its size and drive system. I would love to have a turbo diesel but the 5.0L has been a great power plant.

 

[mk216v]

It seems to be common that a lot of owners only get 13-14mpg on a G500. I consistently see 18-19 with mixed driving with the AC on and carrying a full load of passengers and cargo. My vehicle is currently still stock and I have no issue the MPG's on my G500. I think it does great for a vehicle of its size and drive system. I would love to have a turbo diesel but the 5.0L has been a great power plant.

Did you remove all the seats and window glass? ;-)
I have no idea how you're getting 18-19mpg on a G500. I got 14.9mpg when going 55mph this weekend (of course I have more weight in my rig and less aerodynamic with stuff on top).