Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring this video! Head to keeps.com/smokingtire to get a special offer.

Love this review format, thanks guys!

Time + depreciation = enthusiast appreciation Bingo.

@faheemabbas3965

3 ай бұрын

Time and depreciation are an enthusiast’s best friends.

"These things are driven by short kings" ....most accurate car review ever.

@chrisboldon

3 ай бұрын

Am short and drive one. Checks out.

love the old vs new reviews. porsche next

@MattJelonek

3 ай бұрын

Old vs new Cayenne

Had a ‘08 G55 Kompressor superchargers 5.5L. Traded for a new ‘09 GL550. Put about 250 000km I’m guessing (350k miles) at least half on dirt roads/trails. This was before The G63 came out, people loved hearing the exhaust and supercharger, but funny enough EVERBODY thought it was a custom Defender 110 (welcome to South Africa) The early 2000s Merc V8s are bullet proof, ‘08 G55 493hp new, probably closer to 400 near the end of ownership (supercharger payed its dues) but with the nifty diff lockers the leaf-spring suspension couldn’t handle much of it anyways. Only big work we did was a repaint. All the body panels (we dented) and suspension are dirt cheap since they bolt on direct from any G wagon 2018-1979 *avoid dealership parts unless AMG specific (basically the engine and trans) The interior layout (same as the car in video) was pure garbage. Two airbags and five economy airline chairs complemented by an asthmatic air-conditioner and a 5 inch non-touch screen, positioned at knee height… paired to non-Bluetooth or AUX speakers with quality worse than an IPhone 4… BUT that didn’t matter since the stock exhaust drowned it out… This could only be fixed by wind-noise from the vertical windshield… Which caught insects like an industrial fishing net… Fortunately this wouldn’t go on for more than 4 hours due to fuel consumption. It was ugly, loud, uncomfortable and had a tendency to tip over but never failed its family. A true wife.

@GettingGood

3 ай бұрын

Got me at the end nice story, Benz v8s are reliable indeed

@nirfz

3 ай бұрын

Leaf springs? As far as i know, the G never had leaf springs.

@MrSonUMad

3 ай бұрын

5.4L and coil springs. Love my 2010!

@premonemo

3 ай бұрын

@@nirfz My mistake I was thinking about it’s steering knuckles then my brain decided leafsprings

Thought this was a Throttle House old vs new….LOL

@davidfung2082

3 ай бұрын

Me too!

@ryanhines219

3 ай бұрын

Omg I’m glad I’m not the only one! Haha

Format is fire

Most realistic g-wagon review ever.

Great video Matt/Zac! Keep doing what you’re doing!’

@MattJelonek

3 ай бұрын

I concur!

Matt's laugh at the end of Zack's joke made it funnier.

Great video. Love the G-Wagon, any generation/year Thank you for making actual reviews and not clickbaits.

This is what TST needs to do more of! Ever since the one take series came to an end, I feel like I haven’t seen TST pop up in my recommendations as much. More of these casual comparison videos is what we want to see!

@TheSmokingTire

3 ай бұрын

We've been making videos consistently but the algorithm is showing you other things. *Shrug.

Brilliant video. I've no idea how TST don't get way more views. Definitely deserve it. More of these kinda thing mixed in is a win from me 👏🏻

@TheSmokingTire

3 ай бұрын

Like and share, babayyyyyy.

@BarbWaltersMusic

3 ай бұрын

because their subscribers are from 10 years ago

I've always loved the G wagon, as a kid it was a sign affluence and much more rare than it is today. A used 550 is probably a great buy.

@kbcarroll

3 ай бұрын

G500 and G55 are far more reliable and cheap to maintain. A whole engine for a G500 is $500 all day long.

Best one yet guys! 100% on the "I want to hate it but I can't" take. The new GWagons are well done but the silliest of automotive excess. If Zack were driving a better sorted GWagon, I think the competition would have been much tighter. I don't think there is any other car where the performance difference per dollar is so low.

“about the length of a new m4/M3” - let that sink in

Like this format of review. Great job guys!

I love that you pointed at yourself when you said, "...even with the spare tire." 😉

Looks like a 4 DOOR HARDTOP SUZUKI SAMURAI with a BENZ BADGE

🧑🏾‍💻I'm here and im under attack from booty bots!!!

@ImOldGregg

3 ай бұрын

Do you love me?

@Veritas925

3 ай бұрын

Finally the G wagon ownership experience in a youtube video.

@cendris123

3 ай бұрын

Lmao, perhaps there is an overlap of the G-wagon and OnlyFans demographics ...

@TheSmokingTire

3 ай бұрын

We all are! Put on your protection and don't send them any money! - ZK

Yo I'm really enjoying you both speaking about this car while driving slowly

Great video as always! I’ve always wanted an older G wagen. It doesn’t need to be fancy, I want that small truck feel and swaggy look.

I’m a sucker for green vehicles already and that 2024 is STUNNING 🤩

Those NBs are fire. Also the old tan g wagon is in desperate need of engine mounts.

@cpkmet

3 ай бұрын

The engines in the w463 are tilted like that to clear the steering shaft

@NoClassic

3 ай бұрын

@@cpkmetYes but to the degree that this example is showing?

Love this, more comparisons videos.

I like this format. Could you guys do a Head to Head with cars on Turo? Say by a certain price point or category?

Canada still uses them for military. I’ve seen a few driving thru Windsor with troops inside.

The two doors are my favorite. But the 5.0 V8 models with A/Ts like a few on Cars and Bids look so cool to me

Great video!

3 locking diffs on 22s with the smallest piece of rubber you can fit around them

@nirfz

3 ай бұрын

You can change the wheels and tires, they are bolted on, not welded on...

0:23 what about Rivian? I think that you hit on something about the eventual charm of durable goods - it equally applies to G Wagons, 911s, Rolexes, etc. New ones invite mockery while old ones create appreciation. Also, I was not expecting the House MD denouement theme music at the end. 😅

Great content and jacket👍

The videography and audio work are under-appreciated

I’ve got the ‘07 supercharged G55 AMG with 500 hp, rooftop tent, and I love it. It’s great for offroading and camping but as you say, it’s also good for the city (easy to see edges and feels safe to park next to any car).

Many years ago I took my 80 series LC on a 4xtrail drive with a bunch of built Jeeps and FJ40's. Airing down at the trailhead it was obvious the others had little faith in the 'mall crawler'. That stock cruiser was the only one to make it off the trail without damage. Tl;dr? It would be rad to see a new G63 out on a trail.

I’ve been looking to get my wife an older g55. Now I may need to show her older land cruisers 😅

My pick would be a G400d adventure edition out of the new ones.

@youtubecarspottersguide1

3 ай бұрын

me too....... @9:30 a true utilitarian model

I have missed my 1981 W460 Diesel one

Hannah's dream match up...boxy vs boxy.

Great video

Loved this comparison

The Patagonia line had me rolling

Fantastic comparison!!!

Isnt this a throttle house thing?

Looking slim Matt! Nice work.

Those wheels on the new G are, as Matt would say, de-lightful!

Great video, but should have compared to my 1989 G Class (230GE)

I like the setting of Elysian Park by Dodger's Stadium. Really more of a low rider or classic Impala kind of park but the old G-wagen fit in.

I'm watching this and literally as we speak a red G wagen pulls up and parks next to me.

this and the 4Runner are holding the torch of old new cars proudly

Just a FYI. The exhaust is under the doors so they didn’t have to snake it around the rear axel. On the regular G vs AMG it doesn’t take away from ground clearance.

Love love love 2005 g55 supercharged, engine and transmission is bulletproof, those solid axles are my seat massage, window regulators are known problems but with tons of aftermarket support, it’s an hour job at the backyard. Just make sure to change oil every 6k miles, it will be quite reliable for at least 200k miles.

It would've been great to have a 1984 model alongside these too. Yeah it's much slower but it's the one I'd pick.

@magedowning

3 ай бұрын

Head on over to Donut bc they already did it

Have the G550, love it. Never understood the demand for the G63, the platform this is an over-engineered offroader, spending extra for side pipes and low profile tyres is like buying a dive watch but studding the bezel with diamonds

I've seen a couple of these in person, and all I can say is... "lmfao". It's like a jeep wrangler, which is hard to make worse but -they did it!

5:35 Jeep jl rubicon 392 has entered the chat lol

Matt summed it up best: short people buy it; tall people don’t need it. :-)

The old G doesnt need attentiveness, it needs MAINTENANCE.

Repair costs are probably the same for both despite the old one being on sale forever. A $100k+ car still costs big money to keep up even if its depreciated.

@Bostongreenm3.

3 ай бұрын

Wrong. The older one is much more affordable and the average Joe can still work on it. The 722.6 transmission and the M113k engine are still some of, if not the most, bulletproof drivetrain ever made by Mercedes.

Holy shit!! Yeah those were the correct conclusions! It makes total sense that Time + depreciation = enthusiast appreciation. That and + intended use-case = "what a boss!"

The. specs. on these are incredible!!!!

I love the G-Wagon for one reason: it is unapologetically an SUV. I HATE all these new egg-shaped blobs that pretend they are SUVs but are actually just tall minivans. This is a proper SUV.

G63 is dumb, Matt is right. G wagen should only be a G350 diesel ( you can get it in Europe). G wagen is essentially a military truck, like Jeep Willys was.

I hope the Throttle House guys signed off on this lol...

Great video👍 sounds like Zack’s is due a $20k bill.

Nice!

I thought this was a Throttle House video and was so confused by the voiceover

well dont forget the development of the IRS on the front end, IFS?

Geeeee-waggg ❤❤❤

Hey, let’s use walkie talkies so we save minutes on our cell plan?!?

How does the new G wagon compare to a GR86? I’m cross shopping the two

@nirfz

3 ай бұрын

They probably need the same width and length in garage space, but the G needs more height, while it can deal with worse driveways. You can transport more with the G, while you can get somewhere more quiet in the GR86. Changing the spark plugs is probably easier on the G (on the previous 86 gen people claimed you needed to lift the engine to get to them) And the g is equipped (from factory) with a trailer hitch and "auxiliary" heating. (meaning you get a remote control with which you can start a heater that runs on the fuel of the car and preheats the cooling water and the interior of the car. So it would be best to get both and a trailer for the 86. So you can put track tyres on the 86, the whole car onto the trailer and tow it with the G... I know it's meant as a joke, but that doesn't mean a questions can't still be answered ;-)

The g wagon is the only new car I like highway on-ramp beast cruise through the city and paddle downshift to every stoplight with the windows down 😮‍💨

Whoever destroyed that poor 2004 G55 with those tasteless upgrades needs to be charged with crimes against humanity.

My e46 also has a sunroof that should never be opened 😝, but i never use them regardless in any car

Nice wheels

Real car guys take charm over anything else

I want a G wagon so bad. Honestly I think it's the best all around vehicle in the world

wtf does backdate mean in this context

It's an accessory - not practical, average ride, uss nimitz fuel consumption, but its fashionable and desirable. Defo ultra nice for a city/suburbs day to day driving.

matt lost weight, good job

Great review Matt and Zack. It doesn't slip through the wind - it fights it! Love it!

I’ll take my solid front axle G over the IFS G anyday!

All about the image. None of these newer G wagens do any off roading beyond the occasional dirt parking lot in the Hamptons or Calabasas

Just for clarification the versions the austrian military is using are from the 80's and have an old Diesel engine (some still NA diesel and some turbo Diesel but pre common rail engine) and a manual tranmission and there's no luxury whatsoever. (The swiss use(d) 4cyl gasoline ones with an auto transmission, the germans Diesel like the austrian ones. But the austrian ones don't have the 3pointed star on their front but a Steyr-Daimler-Puch sign) 9:18 slight correction, even the military only got their G's at the turn from 1979 to 1980. So they weren't driving it around in the 70's technically. As much as the V8's are sounding incredible (thanks also to the sidepipes) the Diesel versions i think are preferrable for a simple reason: range. They should roughly need half the fuel for the same distance and have the same sized fuel tank. But i think you never got them on your side of the atlantic.

Don't think you'll be offloading in those G63's wheels!

Me listening to the video and knowing exactly where this was recorded… any LAUSD Cross Country Athletes out here?

This is why I love these guys. Save the planet by buying old cars!

there is no need but god bless amg and Mercedes for making them...

The German military still uses the G-Class and at some army location they have a service contract with Mercedes. This means the soldiers drive their G-Class to the local Mercedes dealer for service and repairs. A clever accountant calculated that this would be cheaper than a inhouse workshop. The armored version is in the German army named as Wolf.

@Rick2010100

3 ай бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/gKyVxtyLj6ngdLA.html

It’s true. You can’t hate the G.

I just don't get buying a 20 year old 40k G wagon. I feel they should be 10-15k then it would be a great deal. At 40k I would just get like 30k used Rubicon wrangler and put the rest into a lift and bigger tires. The old Gwagon is like old defenders, I just don't get the price they command when you can get a wrangler for much cheaper. You just really have to be into wanting something unique. I do love the look of the gwagons, and if i had the money I would love to own a new one and put smaller wheels and proper offroad tires on it.

I was shocked when I realize how tiny the G class interior is (car is massive on the outside/all body panels and fenders). Get your self a GLE OR GLS. You’re paying for hey look at me cause no one is taking it off road.

20 years old and I still can’t afford it. But I would love it.

If you are getting a g wagon, you’d want the baddest. Last thing you want is spend 150k and regret not getting the 63.

Buying the old one is appealing to the new owners because it’s vintage and aesthetic, which is good social media content for their influencer kids.

So I know the price isn't comparable, but...this or the new defender?

@AKwontheChef

3 ай бұрын

The two are so different as to be incomparable but having driven both I'll give it a shot. Defender if you want a modern boxy SUV that drives like a car but has some off road chops. G wagon if you don't care about $ or handling at all and place retro boxy looks, pedigree, and a solid rear axle (true rock crawling ability) above everything else.

Pass. I'd rather have a 300-series Land Cruiser. It will outlast any G-wagon.

@vvevvevvvv

3 ай бұрын

It certainly will. Also, Land cruiser will not depreciate 3x after you'll dip it in the mud couple of times.

@youtubecarspottersguide1

3 ай бұрын

we would love a LC300 gas in the U.S. or a LC 70 series troop carrier , real utilitarian models ......not 3 row luxury family School bus like most wagons or suv are today with independent rear axle

@r0b3rt_959

3 ай бұрын

​@@youtubecarspottersguide1 I'm sorry to break it to you, but the new LC300 is pretty much a luxury wagon. Unless you buy one of those super barebone fleet models. Still pretty cool tho. Sad thing is that Toyota didn't bring the LC300 to the states so that Lexus could boost the LX.

@youtubecarspottersguide1

3 ай бұрын

@@r0b3rt_959 Toyota Australia there is a LC300 gx base model ,18" steel rims 2 rows of cloth seats , air snorkel

@nirfz

3 ай бұрын

And yet, 80% of all G wagons ever built are still "on the road". (meaning registered and driving legally) Can't say that about the Landcruiser.

5:25 Does Matt seriously not realize that the current G-Class NOT the same car that was produced from 1979-2018? The current G-Class has a ground up redesign in 2018. There’s nothing old about it. It’s a new car styled to look old, and it certainly can’t swap panels with the old ones.

@nirfz

3 ай бұрын

If i remember correct there were 3 things that are swappable: the inner door pins (that show if it is locked or unlocked), the doorhandles and i don't remember the last one... (sparewheel cover?)

@splewy

3 ай бұрын

@@nirfz yep that’s what I’ve seen as well. Matt seems to be under the impression that this is still the old car though, which I guess is understandable given how long the old one was produced.

@nirfz

3 ай бұрын

@@splewyCan imagine that. What irks me personally is that they kept the W463 designation, even thought in my opinion it should have been W464 at least. This also can make people think there are shared components. (Funny thing: have seen the original W463 models sometimes being listed as 463.1; 463.2 and 463.3 on selling sites, to show which gen facelift up to 2018 they are)

a bald guy selling hair product