Long live the Dinosaurs | |
| The box on wheels as seen by Mercedes-Benz. |
Lake Placid, New York - There it was: a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a G 320 CDI no less. This was the Mercedes product that I though I would never have the opportunity to drive. Let me tell you that I was first in line on the morning of the test drives to make sure that I was going to get the chance to put it through its paces. This thing, to put it nicely, has been around basically unchanged since 1979. Usually, this is automotive suicide. In the case of the Geländewagen, it could never be any other way. Consider the G-Class the German Hummer and for a Hummer enthusiast, nothing should ever be changed. Same goes for a G lover.The G-Class is unmistakeably what it is: a box on wheels with single-round headlights, a vertical windshield surrounded with flat sides. Once having climbed aboard, the G-Wagen's is actually quite nice. The dashboard is very small much like many 4X4 trucks however it features all the necessary equipment to make all passengers feel at ease. Fit and finish is quite good and the ergonomics are user friendly. The seats could use more lateral and lumbar support especially when off-roading.
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| The G Class offers good road manners. |
On the road, the G 320 impresses by its mild manners. The first thing that is noted, after the torque and power of the engine, is the healthily weighted steering. Combined with a surprisingly comfortable and responsive ride, the G certainly does not feel like a 28-year old design. Over rough roads and crests, not a single noise or rattle could be heard coming from the interior. The suspension does not punish and the brakes perform as well as they should. Has the Geländewagen become a soft-roader?We took the G 320 CDI to the off-road course especially created for this event. Because of the cold, the surface was now frozen stiff and failed miserably at challenging the truck. I purposely went off the track onto a rougher path only to realize once again that, unless I decided to climb Whiteface Mountain, I was wasting my time. The biggest fault with the G was the large turning radius otherwise; I hope that Mercedes puts one on their fleet so that I might take it for a real spin.
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| The G will be glad to take you out in the wild. |
In Europe, not only do they get three different engines, they can also choose from three distinct body styles: a short wheelbase 2-door hardtop or convertible or the regular 4-door. The G-Class' Canadian base price is not listed. In the US, the range begins at $81,675 for the 2006 model.
Photo Credit : Mathieu St-Pierre