Introduced in 1979 and continuously refined over the years, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has become a symbol of exceptional durability. The German brand has done some homework and calculated that a rather impressive 80% of the G-Wagons built are still on the roads today.
“The cars have a very long lifetime,” said Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Schiebe during a roundtable. “So here you can calculate [that while] maybe a G-Class needs a little bit more material than [your average] compact car, the durability, if you see the lifetime of a G-Wagen from 1979, I think you [will have had to have driven] many, many compact cars, in some cases, to keep up the lifetime of a G-Wagen,” he added.
Despite the lack of an official source for the 80% figure, the G-Class’ reputation for toughness is undeniable. Early models may have encountered some rust issues, but they often shared engines with some of Mercedes-Benz’s most reliable cars, like the W123. Additionally, every G-Class benefits from a robust body-on-frame construction and exceptional resale value.
The 500,000th G-Class rolled off the production line in April 2023 which means there are more than 400,000 examples on the road today.