I’m sitting in an electric blue hyper-luxury car developed from a utilitarian military vehicle, but equipped with a supercar’s engine, and I’m thinking about categories.
Most cars are relatively similar to their competition. The differences are enough to make one buyer prefer the sporty handling of a Mazda3, while another buyer may love the reliability and resale value of a Toyota Corolla. But the two are fundamentally alike. They compete on the margins.
Just a tiny handful of cars are so utterly distinctive that they don’t really compare to anything else. Take the 2025 Mercedes-AMG G 63 AMG, for instance.
Sure, you could argue that there are other off-road-oriented high-performance luxury SUVs. But not even a Range Rover from the brand’s SV Bespoke customization shop is truly similar.
This thing is an unholy combination of rugged, sumptuous, and brutally quick. And it’s utterly distinctive. No one could mistake it for anything but what it is. It fits no single category.
That makes it easy to figure out if you want one. I spent a week driving the G 63 around Washington, D.C, and its suburbs, including a lot of highway miles.
Which Trim Level
AMG is an in-house tuner shop that builds high-performance versions of Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Mercedes builds the G-Class in G 550, G 580 with EQ Technology (that’s Mercedes for “electric”) and AMG G 63 versions. If you spring for the AMG, you’ll have plenty of decisions to make (it comes in 38 colors and with a choice of 11 wheel designs).
The choices add up fast. My tester’s Hyper Blue Magno paint, for instance, was gorgeous and eye-catching, but added an astonishing $6,550 to the sticker price. See the window sticker in the gallery below for full details.
New 2025 Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG G-Class Prices
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Retail Price
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Fair Purchase Price (92620)
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$187,250 |
TBD |
Favorite Feature
Everything about the Mercedes-AMG G 63 feels substantial. The doors close with a heavy thunk. The locks click into place with a satisfying ka-chink. It’s all so analog and deeply reassuring.
Most luxury cars these days do everything for you – some even resist letting you close the rear liftgate by yourself, making it easier to push a button and let the car move it electrically than to shut the door yourself. The G-Wagon isn’t like that.
The touch surfaces feel weighty and permanent. This is not fast fashion. It’s the automotive equivalent of a pricey coat that will look better after five hard winters than it did on the rack.
In 2025, many cars feel full of shiny high-tech gimmicks that will wear out their welcome or may be obsolete by the time the warranty ends. The G-Wagon feels built to endure.
What It’s Like to Drive
The AMG G 63 has the bones of a rugged off-roader, but a 577-horsepower twin-turbo V8 worthy of the drag strip. It’s one of the only cars I’ve ever driven with both a track mode and a selection of off-road modes for different terrains.
That much capability in one vehicle feels surprisingly tame unless you spur it a little. In day-to-day driving, the G 63 is pleasant and casual. But set it into Dynamic mode, jump from zero to 60 mph in just under four seconds in a tall, blocky SUV, and your senses feel scrambled for a second.
But it’s a bit like an old-school muscle car – a lot of power without a lot of finesse. The current generation has an independent front suspension rather than the solid front axle of prior years. That prevents it from feeling entirely like the tall, tippy box it looks like. But this is not a car you throw into a corner.
Steering is slightly heavy, but only to a degree that feels appropriate to the size. Braking is firm for such a heavy vehicle.
I did not get to take the G off-road, where its full-time 4-wheel drive is supposed to shine best.
Interior Comfort and Technology
The AMG G 63 combines utilitarian function and luxury finishes in unique ways. The dashboard is upright and square in a way that suggests its military background – the first G-Wagons were offered for sale to militaries.
Yet that utilitarian function is wrapped in quilted leather, lending the car an ultra-luxury feel. The combination calls to mind bespoke campaign furniture, Coach leather duffle bags, and other luxury goods built to fake slumming it.
The boxy confines and tall greenhouse also create a feeling of immense space. It’s cliché to note that this thing is popular with NBA players, but it is, because they fit.
Modern technologies are here, of course. A 12-inch digital instrument panel and matching central touchscreen run Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly. A Burmester 3D surround sound system is highly customizable and sounds lovely from every seating position.
The switchgear is satisfying. In a year when touch-capacitive controls and touchscreens are all the rage, the machined metal of the G 63’s HVAC controls feels like weighty luxury. A trackpad built into the center console is hard to use effectively, but there are other ways to control everything it operates.
Limitations
Some shoppers will have accessibility concerns with the G-Class. It’s built on a large frame, and we’d like to see grab handles mounted where shorter drivers could use them easily when climbing in. Permanent running boards are quite narrow and may not provide sufficient step surface for some.
The very solidity of the vehicle, which is what I loved about it most, could prove a challenge for some. The side-opening rear hatch is quite heavy, carrying a spare tire in a metal holder, and requires a firm slam to close.
Key Considerations
If you want a high-luxe SUV with excellent 4-wheel drive (4WD) but don’t like the boxy style and utilitarian character of the G-Class, consider the Land Rover Range Rover. The Lexus GX is similarly a mountain goat off-road and plenty luxurious for most, but not nearly as exclusive as the one-of-a-kind G-Wagon.
