Cars and Drivers

Why One of the Most Expensive Mercedes Cars Gets Poor Ratings

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: June 10, 2017 8:05 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 11:11 am

Mercedes’ hulking sport utility vehicle (SUV), the G63 AMG, looks like a massive box on wheels. With the set of upgrades Mercedes offers, its price tops $150,000. One of the major car research companies does not think much of the G63 AMG. Edmunds gives it a D rating, a rare but extremely poor grade.

Depending on options, the G63 AMG weighs between 5,700 and 6,800 pounds. By contrast the Jeep Grand Cherokee weighs about 3,800 pounds. Despite its weight, the G63 AMG is fast due to a 563 HP engine, which takes it from 0 to 60 in 5.3 seconds. That is sports car territory.

What doesn’t Edumunds like about the SUV?

In is evaluation of performance:

The G 63’s 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 makes a ton of power, unfortunately, it’s very hard to actually drive this thing. Steering is comically bad, handling is worse and, thanks to summer tires and silly exhaust placement, it’s a liability off road.

And the inside of the SUV:

The G 63’s interior has a new display screen, a user-friendly COMAND tech interface and a host of other features, but that still doesn’t fix the fact that there’s no space. Even average-sized drivers don’t fit well, it’s hard to climb into, there’s no lateral space and the back seats are worse.

One of the most obvious problems with the G63 AMG is its price versus its value. As the SUV and crossover market has exploded, the category is full of high-end vehicles, particularly from Germany. Porsche’s expensive Cayenne does well in reviews. So do the Audi Q7 and BMW’s X5 M.

The G63 AMG is an anachronism. Mercedes sells few of them. And, for Mercedes sake, that is good.