Mercedes-Benz 2012 G550 SUV Term: 36 /mo with $0 Down   $Special Order /mo   (Miles per year: 10,000)

Car Additional Photos

Car Description & Info

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a five-passenger SUV available in one loaded trim: the G550.

Standard equipment includes 18-inch wheels, automatic bi-xenon headlamps, automatic wipers, rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, a sunroof, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power front seats (including power lumbar, power adjustable bolsters, heating, ventilation and memory functions), a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, heated rear seats, leather upholstery and auto-dimming driver and rearview mirrors. High-tech features include the Mercedes COMAND electronics interface, a navigation system, real-time traffic, voice controls, Bluetooth, a Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system, HD radio, satellite radio, digital music storage, a six-CD/DVD changer and an iPod/USB audio interface.

The Edition Select package adds an AMG dual exhaust, fender flares, silver-painted wheels, carbon-look exterior molding, leather-covered dashboard with gray contrast stitching, two-tone leather seating and piano black wood trim. There are also numerous special-order Designo exterior paint, leather color and interior trim choices.

Powertrains and Performance

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz G550 is powered by a 5.5-liter V8 that produces 382 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. Standard powertrain equipment includes a seven-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive, a limited-slip rear differential and locking front, center and rear differentials.

In Edmunds performance testing, the G550 went from zero to 60 in a quick 6.6 seconds. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 12 mpg city/15 mpg highway and 13 mpg combined; it doesn't get much worse than that.

Safety

The G-Class comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. Mercedes-Benz mbrace emergency telematics are also standard.

In Edmunds brake testing, the G550 posted a 127-foot stop from 60 mph, an exceptional performance for such a heavy vehicle.

Interior Design and Special Features

Although modern Benz electronics and climate controls are fitted to the G550, there's no getting around the utilitarian truck architecture. The navigation system and its fussy COMAND interface (which mostly relies on a four-button directional pad) are located at knee level; the simple climate controls are at your shins. Some features can be operated with steering-wheel controls, but in general, all other high-end luxury SUVs are more user-friendly. In front, there is a single cupholder that clumsily plugs into the center armrest and another located in the passenger footwell.

Interior quality is excellent, but space is a different matter. Front-seat legroom is insufficient for taller drivers, and the backseat could use some more legroom as well. On the upside (literally), there is no shortage of headroom, and the range of height adjustment for the power front seats is astounding. Flipping the rear seats forward provides 79.5 cubic feet of cargo space, but large humps on each side of the cargo floor (which resemble rear benches for seating troops) make it difficult to stow wider items like golf clubs.

Driving Impressions

Acceleration in the 2012 Mercedes-Benz G550 is always a laugh-inducing experience; something this huge simply should not be moving so quickly. The ride is comfortable on the highway, and only the nastiest potholes will send unpleasant impacts into the cabin. In terms of handling, the tall and narrow G doesn't inspire confidence through turns, and it enjoys the dubious distinction of being the slowest vehicle on record in the Edmunds slalom test, thanks in part to a highly intrusive stability control system. Moreover, the steering is slow and doesn't return to center quickly since this vehicle is set up for off-roading.

The slow steering is a benefit in the dirt, though, as the G-Class can be guided through just about anything nature throws at it and the steering wheel rarely registers the impacts. With its full-time 4WD system with front, center and rear locking differentials, the G goes about its trail bashing (if one is so inclined in a $100,000 vehicle) with a more back-to-basics approach than what you'll get from a high-tech Land Rover or Lexus.