200 Series LC vs G550 (1 Viewer)

[Coupedncal]

Wanted to revive this thread.
Wondering if there are fresh perspectives on the G wagen from the last time this topic was discussed. The m176 in the 2016+ G550 still seems to be holding up well in reliability as long as one stays ahead in the maintenance dept. Question is if this G550 is a long long term keeper way past the factory and extended warranty periods?

 

[nor_cal_cyclist]

Will stand by my comment that the newer G's are a great luxury option. The diff locks need to be actuated/maintained (clunky system), but other than some tech gadgetry, the various G's we've had have been reliable SUV's that handle Tahoe winters just fine...and provide my wife a fancy dog hauler as needed for our pups. Only reason we've swapped them out is the model updates.

 

[greynolds]

Will stand by my comment that the newer G's are a great luxury option. The diff locks need to be actuated/maintained (clunky system), but other than some tech gadgetry, the various G's we've had have been reliable SUV's that handle Tahoe winters just fine...and provide my wife a fancy dog hauler as needed for our pups. Only reason we've swapped them out is the model updates.

Having owned 3 G's, my biggest concern long term was a combination of availability of some parts AND the cost of parts in general. Even routine maintenance at the dealership is ridiculously expensive, but most work can obviously be done elsewhere. A brake job on an AMG G is CRAZY expensive because the pads and rotors are $$$$. I had pretty good reliability on my G's, but they definitely weren't perfect.

My first G, a 2014 G550, had a window regulator failure (the driver's window went up and down very slowly) which the original dealer claimed was "normal behavior" because the other G they had on the lot had the same issue. A second dealer agreed it was an issue and took care of it under warranty. Otherwise, I don't recall any issues with it in the ~1.5-2 years I owned it.

My second G, a 2016 G550 didn't have any issues that I can recall. I traded the 2014 in for it for the new engine and the optional adjustable suspension, hoping the suspension would help it handle better on the highway. The adjustable suspension was kind of a mixed bag as it made the ride quality kind of harsh in sport mode, but it did handle better at highway speed.

My 3rd, and final G, was a 2017 G63. This one had a few issues in the ~3 years I owned it. Both rear tail lights cracked and the dealer agreed it was most likely because the mounting bolts were over torqued at the factory. It took about a YEAR to get replacement tail lights and the cost if out of warranty would have been about $1500 each, but they were replaced under warranty. I also had an issue with the interior dome light not working. They initially thought it was a defective module, which also took a long time to get. When the module eventually arrived, it didn't fix the problem and they traced it down to a short in the wiring harness, which fortunately hadn't caused a more serious problem. When I traded it in, the Toyota dealer noticed (AFTER giving me a trade in price) some rust bubbles on the passenger side rear quarter window, but honored the trade as they had missed it. The G had been garaged at home, so I was pretty surprised that rust had developed that quickly, but it would have been covered under warranty (if I had noticed it). There were a few little things like the rear door squeaking (solved with some lubrication), but nothing even remotely serious.

So overall, they were pretty reliable, but I decided that keeping a G long term would be somewhat financially crippling due to parts costs. The time it took to get the above mentioned parts also concerned me for the long term. The fact that the parts were ultimately available was good, but what if the part was something that was critical to being able to operate the vehicle (I don't have multiple vehicles)?

Parts availability for the Land Cruiser is something that concerned me as well, especially since I had a Heritage Edition. What if one of my headlights, that are HE specific, needed to be replaced? I'm sure that Toyota made some extra HE specific parts, but most likely just one batch and once they're gone, they're gone. Non-HE parts could obviously be swapped in, but there were a few parts here and there (such as replacement trim panel clips that aren't even LC specific) that I tried to get that were really difficult to find.

 

[Coupedncal]

Some G wagen forums have reported the rust issue on the G was mitigated on the second generation 463 (2019+) models. I believe the first gen 463 (pre 2019) were more prone to rust issues especially in the snow country.

@greynolds how do you compare the m273 in your 2014 G550 compared to the m176 in your 2016 G550? Care to share details on how the two engines differ? Is m273 more reliable considering it is NA and not prone to turbo related maintenance issues. Any additional details to share on this?

 

[greynolds]

Some G wagen forums have reported the rust issue on the G was mitigated on the second generation 463 (2019+) models. I believe the first gen 463 (pre 2019) were more prone to rust issues especially in the snow country.

That may be, but having rust THAT soon on a garaged vehicle really surprised me.

@greynolds how do you compare the m273 in your 2014 G550 compared to the m176 in your 2016 G550? Care to share details on how the two engines differ? Is m273 more reliable considering it is NA and not prone to turbo related maintenance issues. Any additional details to share on this?

It has been quite a while now, but my recollection is that the 2014 G550 felt a bit sluggish on the highway, the 2016 G550 was a pretty clear step up, and the 2017 G63 was like a rocket by comparison to either. The G63 really was fun to drive. It had plenty of acceleration, especially for a tall SUV, and it actually handled pretty well on the highway. The G550's, especially the 2014, tended to require a lot of steering input to track straight on the highway, while the G63 did not. The G63 was most likely more compromised off road, but if we're being realistic, almost nobody is going to be taking a $155K vehicle off road until it has pretty much finished depreciating (and even then most owners won't).

If we're comparing power, handling, and "fun" factor of the 3 with numbers on a scale of 1-10, let's say the 2014 was a 4, the 2016 was a 5 or 6, and the 2017 was a 10. I'm not saying the 2014 was terrible or that the 2017 was the perfect vehicle, just trying to give relative scores for the 3.

Yes, I would expect that the m273 being NA would most likely be more reliable. But I am FAR from being an expert on engines and obviously some engines NA or otherwise just have inherent design issues that make them problematic. IIRC, the m273 was generally well regarded.

 

[Supra Turbo]

Having owned 3 G's, my biggest concern long term was a combination of availability of some parts AND the cost of parts in general. Even routine maintenance at the dealership is ridiculously expensive, but most work can obviously be done elsewhere. A brake job on an AMG G is CRAZY expensive because the pads and rotors are $$$$. I had pretty good reliability on my G's, but they definitely weren't perfect.

My first G, a 2014 G550, had a window regulator failure (the driver's window went up and down very slowly) which the original dealer claimed was "normal behavior" because the other G they had on the lot had the same issue. A second dealer agreed it was an issue and took care of it under warranty. Otherwise, I don't recall any issues with it in the ~1.5-2 years I owned it.

My second G, a 2016 G550 didn't have any issues that I can recall. I traded the 2014 in for it for the new engine and the optional adjustable suspension, hoping the suspension would help it handle better on the highway. The adjustable suspension was kind of a mixed bag as it made the ride quality kind of harsh in sport mode, but it did handle better at highway speed.

My 3rd, and final G, was a 2017 G63. This one had a few issues in the ~3 years I owned it. Both rear tail lights cracked and the dealer agreed it was most likely because the mounting bolts were over torqued at the factory. It took about a YEAR to get replacement tail lights and the cost if out of warranty would have been about $1500 each, but they were replaced under warranty. I also had an issue with the interior dome light not working. They initially thought it was a defective module, which also took a long time to get. When the module eventually arrived, it didn't fix the problem and they traced it down to a short in the wiring harness, which fortunately hadn't caused a more serious problem. When I traded it in, the Toyota dealer noticed (AFTER giving me a trade in price) some rust bubbles on the passenger side rear quarter window, but honored the trade as they had missed it. The G had been garaged at home, so I was pretty surprised that rust had developed that quickly, but it would have been covered under warranty (if I had noticed it). There were a few little things like the rear door squeaking (solved with some lubrication), but nothing even remotely serious.

So overall, they were pretty reliable, but I decided that keeping a G long term would be somewhat financially crippling due to parts costs. The time it took to get the above mentioned parts also concerned me for the long term. The fact that the parts were ultimately available was good, but what if the part was something that was critical to being able to operate the vehicle (I don't have multiple vehicles)?

Parts availability for the Land Cruiser is something that concerned me as well, especially since I had a Heritage Edition. What if one of my headlights, that are HE specific, needed to be replaced? I'm sure that Toyota made some extra HE specific parts, but most likely just one batch and once they're gone, they're gone. Non-HE parts could obviously be swapped in, but there were a few parts here and there (such as replacement trim panel clips that aren't even LC specific) that I tried to get that were really difficult to find.

I went through similar with my Supras over the years. Now each time that I buy a specialty vehicle, I try and get a set or two extra headlights and taillights, sometimes other spare parts that the aftermarket can not produce. Then when I'm done with the vehicle, I resell the parts if I did not use them. Mostly breaking even, but in some cases turning a profit (example paid $90 for floormats and resold for $1,000).

 

[gasman4u]

I’ve always been curious about the g wagon. After hearing these first hand experiences, I will never own one. Thank you for sharing and guiding me to not make poor choices.

Any ML550 or S series good experiences?

 

[greynolds]

I’ve always been curious about the g wagon. After hearing these first hand experiences, I will never own one. Thank you for sharing and guiding me to not make poor choices.

Any ML550 or S series good experiences?

I would NOT say that owning a G Wagon is a bad choice for someone who has the means. They are fantastic vehicles and a ton of fun to drive, especially the G63. But one has to be prepared for the cost. It’s an expensive, low production vehicle, so the model specific parts are going to be expensive and the dealers are going to charge more for routine service because they can get away with it. Being realistic about it, I’m not wealthy enough to be able to justify owning one outside the warranty period. It’s sort of the same thing with a Ferrari - even if you can afford the vehicle initially, you need to be prepared to pay for expensive parts. Given what happened to my job in the middle of last year (restructuring layoff - they replaced a bunch of us with lower cost people in another country), I’m really glad that I no longer own the G.

 

[LX Cruiser]

they replaced a bunch of us with lower cost people in another country)

Man, sorry to hear that. I have a STEM background and this has happened to a lot of friends and acquaintances. In some cases, they were forced to train their cheaper replacements. Hope you have since landed on your feet.

It’s interesting to read the various perspectives on the G wagon in this thread. I’ve always just thought, “there goes a guy who fancies himself in a music video” lol.

 

[greynolds]

Man, sorry to hear that. I have a STEM background and this has happened to a lot of friends and acquaintances. In some cases, they were forced to train their cheaper replacements.

Yeah, they kept the management kiss-up guy (it was sickening to watch him at times...) from the team around to do that. I'm pretty much expecting to hear that he's gone once the replacements are up to speed.

Hope you have since landed on your feet.

Still looking, unfortunately. It's a TOUGH job market out there and I'm running against being on the older side and not having a few current skills that I just didn't have the opportunity to get experience in while at the previous job. Just getting training isn't good enough when companies are looking for 3+ years of actual experience. The good news is that I'm in a pretty good place financially, so I've got a backup option that I can go with.

In the meantime, I'm honestly totally enjoying this taste of what retirement will be like. Despite not having to go to work, there still aren't enough hours in the day...

It’s interesting to read the various perspectives on the G wagon in this thread. I’ve always just thought, “there goes a guy who fancies himself in a music video” lol.

There's definitely some justification for that thought, but most G owners are pretty nice people - like me LOL.

 

[W4632018]

Man, sorry to hear that. I have a STEM background and this has happened to a lot of friends and acquaintances. In some cases, they were forced to train their cheaper replacements. Hope you have since landed on your feet.

It’s interesting to read the various perspectives on the G wagon in this thread. I’ve always just thought, “there goes a guy who fancies himself in a music video” lol.

G wagons are dope. You definitely feel larger than life driving one. I also take mine off road and it is interesting looking at people’s faces. As for ownership, it’s a tank. But it’s a tank that was designed in the 1970’s, at least mine was as a 2018. Always a squeak here or a new creak there, I eventually got pretty good at patching those up myself. The M157 motor in the G63 has a mixed reputation, some people say they blow up before 100,000 miles, but plenty of stories of high mileage G63’s too. There’s a G63 on carfax with 190,000 miles right now, for example. I did have a coolant plastic line burst when my family was in town at around 60,000 miles, which is a known issue with the AMG models, and that left me stranded for an hour. For modifications, you don’t need much, it’s already triple locked and has amazing power. I just threw on 18” wheels and 32” tires and a rear hitch recovery point, and I never got stuck (well except one time when I high centered on a snowed in trail.. actually twice). LC200 is hands down a better car, but to this day I’m not sure if any car will feel as special as my G, which I of course still own.

 

[LX Cruiser]

G wagons are dope. You definitely feel larger than life driving one. I also take mine off road and it is interesting looking at people’s faces. As for ownership, it’s a tank. But it’s a tank that was designed in the 1970’s, at least mine was as a 2018. Always a squeak here or a new creak there, I eventually got pretty good at patching those up myself. The M157 motor in the G63 has a mixed reputation, some people say they blow up before 100,000 miles, but plenty of stories of high mileage G63’s too. There’s a G63 on carfax with 190,000 miles right now, for example. I did have a coolant plastic line burst when my family was in town at around 60,000 miles, which is a known issue with the AMG models, and that left me stranded for an hour. For modifications, you don’t need much, it’s already triple locked and has amazing power. I just threw on 18” wheels and 32” tires and a rear hitch recovery point, and I never got stuck (well except one time when I high centered on a snowed in trail.. actually twice). LC200 is hands down a better car, but to this day I’m not sure if any car will feel as special as my G, which I of course still own.

View attachment 3835587

I see that bag of Rap Snacks Lil Baby chips on the hood of your G Wagon, and I rest my case.

 

[Madtiger]

G500 that I owned was just a mountain goat. Nothing beats it capability wise except for SWB Wrangler Rubicon.

 

[gasman4u]

G500 that I owned was just a mountain goat. Nothing beats it capability wise except for SWB Wrangler Rubicon.

Having never owned either, I would easily pick the MB vs the Heep Strangler...

 

[Madtiger]

Having never owned either, I would easily pick the MB vs the Heep Strangler...

Jeep Rubi has like 44 degrees of approach departure…breakover of SWB is insanely good too I think. 4:1 TC…crawl ratio is like 80:1 for manual! Lockers of course. Articulation top notch. Lightweight!!! And tons of aftermarket support that no other vehicle even come close to.

No one, including G-wagen, can match above pure off-road capability specs.

 

[gasman4u]

Jeep Rubi has like 44 degrees of approach departure…breakover of SWB is insanely good too I think. 4:1 TC…crawl ratio is like 80:1 for manual! Lockers of course. Articulation top notch. Lightweight!!! And tons of aftermarket support that no other vehicle even come close to.

No one, including G-wagen, can match above pure off-road capability specs.

You failed the classic heep “death wobble” feature that’s standard!

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

You failed the classic heep “death wobble” feature that’s standard!

Damn, I thought Harley Davidson owned the copy-right for "death wobble". Jeep must have licensed it.

 

[Madtiger]

You failed the classic heep “death wobble” feature that’s standard!

Sure…not saying that Jeep does not have issues (doesn’t all cars have something wrong mechanically that can happen?).

But, it is immensely capable on the trail. No one can deny that. Pure physics…Rubi pretty much beats all on the trail…and forget it if you want to compare stock vs. stock!

 

[Coupedncal]

Agreed. I have a 4 door Rubicon and I can attest it is on a whole different level when it comes to ease of driving off road. Even the road manners have greatly improved for the latest model year. It is a great package.

 

[W4632018]

You failed the classic heep “death wobble” feature that’s standard!

I just forgot lol, my G63 has that too, I think that’s a solid front axle perk