2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class

2019 is the launch year of the new W463 generation. The G550 replaced the old 5.5L V8 with the 4.0L biturbo V8 rated at 416 hp; the AMG G63 tops the range at 577 hp.

The twin-turbo V8 makes 450 lb-ft across a broad 2,250–4,750 rpm plateau, well above body-on-frame rivals such as the 4Runner, Wrangler and GX.

Mercedes quotes about 5.6 s to 60 mph for the G550, quick for a ladder-frame SUV of roughly 5,550 lb. Fox News' road test measured about 5.5 s.

The hot-vee M176 biturbo V8 is smooth and muscular with little lag. It was a big step up in refinement from the outgoing 5.5L, and it outclasses the Wrangler, Bronco and 4Runner powertrains.

The new 9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic replaced the old 7-speed. It shifts smoothly and decisively in normal driving, though kickdown can be slow.

Mercedes' 2019 G 550 spec sheet lists 7,700 lb, consistent with the 3,500 kg global braked rating. Some third-party catalogs (TrueCar, CarMax) list 7,000 lb; the manufacturer figure is used.

Every 2019 G-Class comes standard with permanent 4MATIC, a two-speed low-range transfer case and three locking differentials.

A ladder frame, three lockers, low range, about 9.5 in of ground clearance and about 27.6 in of fording depth make it one of the most capable luxury off-roaders. It lacks the transparent-hood camera added later in the generation.

The 2019 US lineup is two tunes of the same 4.0L twin-turbo V8 (G550 and AMG G63), with no six-cylinder, hybrid or EV option. The electric G580 arrived only for 2025.

The EPA rates the 2019 G550 at 14 MPG combined, below the floor of the gas SUV band.

A non-hybrid twin-turbo V8 in a roughly 5,550 lb boxy body returns very poor city economy.

The upright, brick-shaped body holds highway economy to 17 MPG, below the floor of the SUV highway band.

The 100 L (26.4 gal) tank gives about 370 miles at the EPA combined figure. EPA publishes no range for gas vehicles, so this figure is derived.

EPA's estimated annual fuel cost for the 2019 G550 is $5,750 on premium gasoline, well above the top of the SUV band.

Every 2019 G-Class requires premium unleaded; there is no regular-fuel option.

NHTSA never crash-tested the G-Class, including the 2019 launch year of the W463A generation. Under framework rules an unrated vehicle records 0.

IIHS never tested the G-Class, so it has no TSP/TSP+ award and no independent crashworthiness data. The all-new 2019 W463A ladder-frame body with modern restraints (including front knee airbags) and PRE-SAFE keeps it mid-band, behind IIHS-rated rivals such as the Lexus GX and Toyota 4Runner.

2019 G 550 listings show Active Brake Assist, Blind Spot Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Parktronic and PRE-SAFE. Active Distance Assist Distronic and Active Steering Assist (lane centering) come in the optional Driver Assistance Package, so they are not confirmed standard.

Active Brake Assist is Mercedes' mature system, which tests well on IIHS-rated models such as the GLE and GLC. The G-Class itself has no IIHS front-crash-prevention result.

Blind Spot Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are standard on the 2019 G 550, but both only warn. Active Blind Spot Assist, which brakes to intervene and adds an exit warning, requires the optional Driver Assistance Package.

Active Lane Keeping Assist is standard, but true lane centering (Active Steering Assist) comes only with the optional package. The tall, flat-sided body is also prone to crosswind wander, so interventions are busier than in Mercedes' unibody SUVs.

Active Distance Assist Distronic, a refined full-speed stop-and-go system, appears on 2019 G 550 listings but sits in the optional Driver Assistance Package. On cars without Active Steering Assist, it does not form a full highway assist.

The 2019 G-Class offers no hands-free highway driving. Mercedes' Drive Pilot arrived in the US only from MY2024, and only on the S-Class and EQS sedan.

LED headlights with Adaptive Highbeam Assist are standard on the 2019 G 550, and Multibeam LED is available. IIHS never rated the G-Class headlights, so this score reflects the equipment rather than a test result.

Upright, near-vertical glass and thin pillars give famously clear forward and side sightlines. The outside-mounted spare partly blocks the rear view, so the rear camera and Parktronic sensors handle rearward visibility.

Both rear outboard seats have LATCH anchors, and the rear doors open nearly square. The bench is narrow for three across, and the high step-in makes lifting a child seat in awkward.

The 2019 G 550 is the first model year of the redesigned W463A generation. It seats five in two rows.

The tall, upright greenhouse gives generous front headroom.

The upright seating position and boxy footwell leave front legroom short by SUV standards.

The flat roof runs all the way back, so rear passengers get generous headroom.

The 2019 redesign added nearly six inches of rear legroom, so adults have real knee room in the back seat.

No 2019 G-Class has a third row; every one is a two-row five-seater.

The load bay is tall and square, but the volume behind the second row is only average for a large SUV.

Folding the 60/40 rear seat gives about 69 cu ft, and the seat does not fold fully flat.

Cubby storage is ordinary: a smallish console bin, door pockets and cupholders. The side-hinged rear door with an external spare is awkward, and there is no underfloor storage, onboard AC power or wireless charging.

The front seats are upscale and supportive, and multicontour seats with massage are available through packages. The rear bench is upright, and the small rear doors and high step-in make getting in awkward.

The new independent front suspension files off the old truck's worst edges, and highway cruising is comfortable. The live rear axle and tall body still bring firmness and head toss on broken pavement.

Road and engine noise are well isolated for a body-on-frame SUV. The flat windshield and boxy body make wind noise at highway speed the main complaint.

Heated front and rear seats, three-zone climate control and a heated windshield are standard. Ventilated and massage front seats and a heated wheel come through packages.

The G 550 is the entry trim for 2019, the launch year of the redesigned W463A generation. With destination it starts at about $125.5k, far above the top of the SUV band.

The G 550 is the volume trim. Launch-year dealer allocations typically carried $10k–15k of option packages, so a representative car stickered around $138k.

CarEdge projects about $5.6k in maintenance and repairs over five years for the W463A G 550, which is mid-band for SUVs. Expensive German parts and the twin-turbo M176 V8 are offset by 10k-mile service intervals.

A 2019 G 550 is about seven years old, so its depreciation can be observed rather than forecast. KBB puts resale at about $83.9k, roughly 67% of base sticker even after seven years. At the five-year mark (2024), launch-year scarcity held values higher, so a typically equipped car retained about 68% once its faster-depreciating options are allowed for. That is among the best of any luxury SUV.

The Mercedes-Benz USA New Vehicle Limited Warranty runs 4 years / 50,000 miles, typical for German luxury brands.

Mercedes offers no separate, longer powertrain term. The V8 is covered only within the 4-year/50k-mile basic warranty, which is below the 5-year band floor.

The 2019 G-Class includes no complimentary scheduled maintenance; Mercedes-Benz USA sells prepaid maintenance plans separately. Buyers get Roadside Assistance for the warranty term and a Mercedes me connect trial, which is thin for a ~$138k SUV next to BMW's 3-yr/36k Ultimate Care.

$138,000 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (68% retained, or about $93,840) leaves about $44,160 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,640 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $49,800 in total.

2019 is the launch year of the redesigned W463A generation (2019–2024): new body, new M176 V8 and new electronics. First years of a redesign are the riskiest. Consumer Reports has too little data on the low-volume G-Class to publish a predicted rating. RepairPal rates the G550 Average, toward the bottom of its luxury class, and the year's long recall list points the same way.

In J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Studies, Mercedes-Benz consistently places below the industry average. Consumer Reports ranks it in the lower half of luxury brands, and RepairPal ranks it 27th of 32 brands.

As the launch year, MY2019 has the most NHTSA activity of the generation: twelve campaigns cover the G550 and one more covers only the G63. They include two fire-risk fuel leaks (fuel rail/injectors and a badly welded fuel tank), a powertrain-controller reset that can stall the engine, two faults that can disable ABS/ESP (the differential-lock module resistor and a chafing front-axle harness), a misrouted front-door harness that can affect side-impact restraints, and a seat-belt latch detection fault that can disable the pretensioners. Rear door latch, child-lock label and eCall campaigns follow.

The 2019 G550 replaced the old 5.5L engine with the M176 4.0L hot-vee biturbo V8 and the 9G-TRONIC automatic. Both come from families Mercedes uses widely, and neither shows a systemic durability failure. Launch-year recalls on this powertrain (a fuel rail/injector leak and a CPC software reset that can stall the engine), plus a less proven high-mileage record, keep it below the Toyota rivals.

The redesigned 2019 cabin brought Nappa leather, real wood or carbon trim, metal switchgear and dual 12.3-in screens, with designo personalization on top. Reviewers called it a huge step up from the old G, and it is among the richest interiors in the off-road segment.

Magna Steyr builds the G-Class largely by hand in Graz, and reviewers note tight panel gaps and the signature solid door 'clunk'. The score is held down by an unusually long list of assembly-quality campaigns in the launch year: misrouted front-door harnesses, a poorly welded fuel tank, contaminated fuel-rail joints, rear door latch faults and a wrong child-lock symbol.

Mercedes-Benz has one of the largest luxury dealer networks in the US, roughly 380 locations, and every one services the G-Class. Its service satisfaction ranks mid-to-upper tier among luxury brands.

The G-Class is low-volume, hand-built European hardware. Body panels, electronic modules and twin-turbo V8 parts are dealer-only and premium-priced. The aftermarket covers wheels and accessories, not core components.

The 2019 G 550 has a 12.3-in COMAND center display that is not touch-sensitive; a console touchpad and rotary controller run it. A touchscreen arrived only with the 2025 update.

The widescreen display looks sharp, but menus run through a touchpad, rotary knob and steering-wheel touch controls. That feels dated and fiddly next to the MBUX systems Mercedes was launching the same year.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard but wired only on the COMAND system. Wireless projection arrived with the 2025 MBUX update.

COMAND navigation and voice control are standard and functional, but they predate the natural-language MBUX assistant, so most owners use phone projection.

Burmester surround sound is standard on the G 550, far richer than the stereos in off-road rivals.

A 12.3-in digital driver display sharing one glass pane with the center screen was optional on the 2019 G 550 and widely fitted; it became standard for 2021. KBB's test car had the digital cluster.

The COMAND head unit gets little over-the-air updating beyond map data, so feature updates generally need a dealer visit.

The Mercedes me app covers lock/unlock, locate and vehicle status. Remote start runs through it but needs a subscription, and there is no digital key.

There are a few front USB ports and a 12-V socket, but no AC outlet and no wireless charging on the 2019 G 550.

Proximity-sensing keyless entry and push-button start are listed for 2019. Remote start needs a subscription, there is no phone-as-key, and the manual side-hinged rear door rules out a hands-free tailgate.

Parking sensors and a rearview camera are standard. KBB lists a 360-degree camera as standard, though Autotrader treats the top-down view as an add-on, so it is widely fitted rather than universal.

No head-up display is offered, and the near-vertical windshield rules one out.

The rear seat is roomy, with nearly six more inches of legroom than before. The small rear doors, high step-in, side-hinged tailgate and modest cargo space make daily kid logistics harder than in unibody luxury SUVs.

AEB, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and lane-keeping are standard, but lane centering needs the Driver Assistance Package. Neither NHTSA nor IIHS has crash-tested the 2019 G-Class.

Generous rear room, heated rear seats, three-zone climate and Burmester audio suit four adults. Wind noise, 38 cu ft of luggage space with the seats up, and a 14-MPG V8 limit long trips.

The torquey V8 and smooth 9-speed make low-speed driving effortless, and the steering is light for parking. The tall step-in, heavy doors and firm ride add work to daily errands.

13 MPG city and 14 combined on premium fuel, about $5,750 a year, plus costly tires and service make it one of the most expensive vehicles to commute in.

The square corners and upright glass make the footprint easy to judge, and the sensors and cameras help. The wide 44.6-ft turning circle and tail-mounted spare make tight spaces hard.

The ladder frame, 450 lb-ft V8 and 7,700-lb tow rating can haul real loads, and a tow hitch was standard for 2019. The luxury cabin and small cargo hold make it a poor practical work vehicle.

The military-derived ladder chassis and locking differentials are famously tough. But 2019 was the first year of a redesign with an unproven new chassis, and the leather cabin and high repair costs make it a poor fit for hard work.

A hitch and roof accessories are available, but there is no onboard AC power, no washable surfaces and no fleet upfit ecosystem.

KBB calls highway cruising comfortable, and the seats are supportive. But 14 MPG from a 26.4-gal tank gives only about 370 miles of range, wind rush is notable, and DISTRONIC is not on every car.

Three locking differentials, low-range gearing, about 9.5 in of ground clearance and about 27.6 in of wading depth make the G 550 one of the most capable off-roaders sold.

The tall, square cargo bay and 60/40 folding seat take boxy gear well, and a hitch is standard. The side-hinged door, raised load floor and 68.6-cu-ft maximum limit bulky loads.

The new independent front suspension keeps it stable and body roll in check. The tall center of gravity and roughly 5,600-lb mass still bring more lean and earlier understeer than unibody luxury rivals.

The electromechanical rack-and-pinion that is new for 2019 is light for parking and firms up on the highway without the old vagueness, though it stays largely numb.

Large brakes give confident, progressive stops, though the mass shows as nose-dive under hard braking.

The new hot-vee biturbo V8 delivers muscular, nearly lag-free torque, and the 9G-TRONIC shifts smoothly. Kickdown is occasionally slow.

The V8 is hushed at a cruise and burbles richly under load, with no harshness.

The wide turning circle makes U-turns and tight parking cumbersome.

The commanding upright seat and clear view over the square hood stand out, and the locker buttons sit front and center. Short front legroom, a high step-in and touchpad-driven infotainment count against it.

It is not sporty on twisty roads, but its character makes every drive an event: the clanking door latches, the commanding view, the V8's punch and burble, and unmatched trail ability.

The 2019 G 550 comes standard with a 416-hp twin-turbo V8, three locking differentials, adaptive damping, dual 12.3-in. screens, leather, heated front seats and core driver assists. Burmester audio, AMG Line, Exclusive interiors and many comfort items are costly options.

Content and capability per dollar is the weakest in the peer group. The Lexus GX 460, Toyota Land Cruiser and Jeep Wrangler deliver serious off-road hardware for a fraction of the G 550's ~$125k entry price, so much of what a G-Class buyer pays for is image and build quality.

The 2019 US lineup is just two variants, the G 550 and AMG G 63, both with a V8 and 4MATIC and about $23k apart. It is a take-it-or-leave-it range with no lower entry point, softened only by extensive designo personalization.

US sales nearly doubled in the redesign's launch year, from 3,970 in 2018 to 7,348 in 2019, the best year in the nameplate's US history to that point. Demand still outstripped supply, with long waitlists. Volume is small in absolute terms but exceptional for the price.

The G-Wagen is one of the most aspirational SUVs on sale. Its iconic boxy shape, celebrity halo and cult following show up directly in resale: a 2019 G 550 still holds about two-thirds of its base MSRP after seven years.

The redesigned 2019 G-Class launched into demand that far exceeded allocation. Dealers routinely charged markups over MSRP, waitlists ran months long, and factory cash or subsidized financing was essentially absent.

2019 is the first model year of the redesigned W463A generation, with a new body, independent front suspension, safety tech and a widescreen cockpit. The COMAND infotainment, which predates MBUX, was already behind the newest Mercedes products, and that keeps the score below the top band.

Reviewers hailed the 2019 redesign for a far better ride and handling, a roomier cabin, the V8's character and its retained off-road ability. They criticized price, thirst and trucky handling relative to a Range Rover, and it was rarely a comparison winner on value.