200 Series LC vs G550 (4 Viewers)

[405]

Hi All,

New to the 200 series forum and considering a 2016-2021 Land Cruiser as my next vehicle. I am also looking at 2012-2018 Mercedes G550.

I've been looking at both and they are relatively similar price range for miles/condition. I currently have 3 Land cruisers, a 60 and x2 40's, one of which will be for sale soon. I am looking at the 200 or G550 for road trips and daily duties during the warmer months, neither would be driven during the winters here in Illinois. I love Land Cruisers however there is something about the G550 that I like.. Maybe the boxy-ness of it reminds me of my 60. They just have such a timeless look...Kind of like Porsche 911's, they could be 20 years old but still look great since the design doesn't change much.

Have any of you 200 series LC owners owned a G550? What was your experience like if so?

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

They are both great vehicles. I have an obvious bias to the 200 series, but wouldn't hesitate to drive a G550. Take them both for a test drive and see which one you like more. Both are awesome for on and off-road applications. If you'd doing road trips, comfort is a big thing.

 

[swhme]

If you have kids, the 200 is probably preferable, as the back seat is significantly roomier

 

[tacoduck]

I love a g wagon, but they are expensive to maintain and carry a lot of stereotypes. It’s the opposite of a stealth wealth LC. If I was single and wanted to bang 25 year olds, the merc wins. Everything else, IMO the LC does better.

 

[open country]

The G-Wagens are much smaller than people think, make sure it meets your interior space needs versus a 200 series which is bigger inside.

 

[Madtiger]

I have had both. 2004 G500. 2019 LC. (So, cannot comment on the new designed G550.)

For roominess and on-road friendliness, LC wins by a lot. Quieter, better ride, and handling in LC favor.

For off-road, G-wagen wins, hands down. It is like a slightly oversized (but heavier) Wrangler Rubicon. Wheel articulation may not be as good as LC, but those darn axle lockers rule and it has such a smaller footprint which helps. For me, axle lockers at both ends are better than CRAWL over the worst/severe terrain. More sure footed.

For COMBINED duties, i have a 2019 LC. That is all i have to say.

 

[mcgaskins]

I absolutely love the G Wagon, especially the 19+ update. I actually test drove one a couple years ago and was excited to tell my wife all about it. She told me I can buy whatever I want, but she will never drive it, never ride in it, or never be seen near it. It tends to elicit an extremely strong reaction - positive and negative - so that should be taken into account of course. In places like Orange County, they are so common they almost disappear, but in much of the country, it's about as bold of a statement as can be made. Taking that into account, I bought another Land Cruiser!

Side note - my wife and I saw this very custom G Squared in Irvine and when I stopped to take a pic, she basically ran away as fast as possible

This is my fav version of all time. Mercedes did a special retro edition to commemorate building 500k G Class, and it's a retro version built on the new chassis. Probably one of the coolest vehicles ever made.

 

[Supra Turbo]

Stereotypes and solid front axle is a major reason we went for a 200 series over the G550.

 

[DallasTide]

There are Gs everywhere around here and not a single one of them has ever left the pavement lol. But they are badass rigs.

You really can't go wrong (As long as you understand the difference in maintaining a German car vs a Japanese car)

 

[greynolds]

I owned a 2014 G550, 2016 G550, and 2017 G63. I currently own a 2020 LC HE.

The G63 handled FAR better on the highway than the G550’s did due to the different suspension tuning and both versions of the G have more power than the LC, but again the G63 has a LOT more power. The G63 was quite frankly a blast to drive. The big downsides to the G’s are Mercedes vs Toyota reliability and MUCH higher maintenance costs - parts are $$$$.

The LC is definitely the option that will get less attention, but I didn't really care about that either way. As far as that goes, buy what you want and don’t worry about what people think, unless it's your spouse.

As far as space goes, the rear seats in the LC are roomier, but at just over 6 feet tall and a big build, i was perfectly comfortable riding in the rear of the G's on long trips when we split up the driving. Cargo space is actually fairly similar, but shaped differently. For reference on the cargo space, I had built a cargo shelf for behind the 2nd row on the G and it almost fits like a glove behind the 2nd row seats of the LC.

I looked at the new 2019+ G when it first came out and really didn’t like what they did with it as there’s less cargo space, it has way more bling inside, the MSRP went much higher, and it just lost a lot of what made it special IMHO. I was pleased to see that they kept the exterior styling very similar though.

All that said, I’m trading the LC in for a 2024 Highlander Platinum on Friday. I just don‘t need all the capabilities the LC has and have to go into the office 3 days a week now, so I really need something that gets better mileage. The Highlander is a reasonable compromise that gets me better mileage but can still haul stuff when I need to. I’m getting just about what I paid for the LC 3.5 years ago on the trade and leaving with a fully loaded Highlander and a big bag of cash, so I got to enjoy the LC for 3.5 years for pretty much nothing. There aren't many vehicles out there that hold their value anywhere close to that well.

 

[stonepa]

I owned a (purchased new) G65 for a while. Great truck for what it was but it not a great drive anywhere other than the mall. I also felt it was a bit douchey looking in Seattle. Glad to see it go. I would not buy another one.

 

[ElJayBird]

If you want to get noticed by everyone and pay a small fortune in maintenance get the G. If you want a beast of a truck that only gets noticed by enthusiasts and pay minimal maintenance, get the 200.

Both trucks are super reliable and great buys.

 

[hb848]

I had a 2006 G55. Owned it from 2011-2022. Currently 2015 LC. Agree with all that's said here. The G is much more $$ to maintain - and much smaller than most realize.

LC is much more subtle (obvi) and you don't see them often where I live in Austin. Of course the LX is more common.
Before the LC stopped production - there are a few years that the G wagen sold more units in the US than the LC....
so the LC is actually more rare

Random - the wheel base is exactly the same down to the decimal 112.2"

I even had the vehicles side by side and still could not believe it.

 

[DallasTide]

Random - the wheel base is exactly the same down to the decimal 112.2"

True for the original G but I think the redesign is about 1.5" longer (boooooo)

 

[nor_cal_cyclist]

LC's in Tahoe are like G's in LA - see them all over the place (200's, 100's, 80's, etc).

I have a 2019 LC, but have driven a '17 G550 and the '19+ update (wifes vehicles). The update is much friendlier on the road due to being slightly longer/wider and IFS. No comparison on the engine power - G wins hands down. I've read the G transmission isnt as durable, and starts to have problems around 100k miles. As mentioned, 3x locked from the factory has its advantages. Adding lockers/gears and a few other accessories to a LC, and you're at or very near the price of a similarly aged G. Not near as many aftermarket parts available for G's if you like to modify your vehicle. Maintenance is pretty steep with Merc - both labor and parts.

My LC is built (including LOTS of re-work needed after buying a "turn-key" vehicle), but having driven them, I keep eyeing the G's as an option if I ever want to sell my 200. Again, in Tahoe, neither vehicle generates all that much interest, as they are plentiful and the vehicles you see out "playing in the snow" when we get major storms.

If you can, test drive both as close as possible, and take note of any issues you run into. I knew they were both off-road capable, and was concerned about cargo space. The Reno Merc dealer offered to let me bring the dogs I had down to see how they fit in back, and took me on a 30min test drive, trying to make a sale. Toyota told me "the dogs will fit" (not caring it was a BIG Golden and a Newfie), and a MUCH shorter test drive (luckily a neighbor has a 200 I used to test fit my pups). YMMV.

Can't go wrong with either...GOOD LUCK!

 

[coleAK]

I had a 2003 g500 from 2003 until 2013 when I switched to my current 2013 LX570.

I agree with others, the g was much smaller inside than the LX. I rarely drive it on long trips, i mostly used it for off roading, camping, and a backcountry rig. I (somewhat) joke that it was the nicest, worst driving vehicle ever made. I know the interiors have gotten better but mine was straight out of a c class.

It drove more like a tank of a wrangler where although I call my LX the white elephant (as it drives slow and stable) is exponentially a better road truck.

I wouldn’t own either of them if I didn’t off road to their capacity regularly.

 

[Madtiger]

I had a 2003 g500 from 2003 until 2013 when I switched to my current 2013 LX570.

I agree with others, the g was much smaller inside than the LX. I rarely drive it on long trips, i mostly used it for off roading, camping, and a backcountry rig. I (somewhat) joke that it was the nicest, worst driving vehicle ever made. I know the interiors have gotten better but mine was straight out of a c class.

It drove more like a tank of a wrangler where although I call my LX the white elephant (as it drives slow and stable) is exponentially a better road truck.

I wouldn’t own either of them if I didn’t off road to their capacity regularly.

At least on my 2004…..the leather on my G was AMAZING! Soft yet not easily creased! Tough and soft at the same time.

 

[greynolds]

At least on my 2004…..the leather on my G was AMAZING! Soft yet not easily creased! Tough and soft at the same time.

Yeah, the quality of the leather on all 3 of my G's was much better than what Toyota/Lexus use. The G63 had the Designo quilted leather seats, which were amazing. I miss the G63 in a lot of ways, but not the $$$$ cost of ownership that came with it. I had to do a full brake job at ~15K miles (and I don't drive like a moron) which was around $3500 even with employee pricing on the parts (I had become pretty good friends with one of the service advisors, so he hooked me up on parts).

 

[shelby95]

I had a 2006 G55. Owned it from 2011-2022. Currently 2015 LC. Agree with all that's said here. The G is much more $$ to maintain - and much smaller than most realize.

LC is much more subtle (obvi) and you don't see them often where I live in Austin. Of course the LX is more common.
Before the LC stopped production - there are a few years that the G wagen sold more units in the US than the LC....
so the LC is actually more rare

Random - the wheel base is exactly the same down to the decimal 112.2"

I even had the vehicles side by side and still could not believe it.

Prior gen LCs were not uncommon in Austin. That has changed with the new “look at me” attitude that has permeated the town.

 

[yOHda]

Screw stereotypes. Your opinion has zero impact on my day. Drive what you want. Life is too short. If I cared about stereotypes, I would have a donk on wheels that spin when you sit still. All my friends had cars with hydraulics. I pull up in a bobbed first gen on 36” swampers.

That G is really small, but my wife would trade her 570 for one if she could. At 6’3”, 200, I find myself wanting another inch back in the 570 at times, though as I settle in for the drive, it becomes less of an issue. I do prefer the seating position in my Tundra a little more.

I thoroughly enjoy owning the 570 as most of us do. It impresses me each time I’m behind the wheel.