Mercedes-AMG G63 Is a Beguiling, Yet Venerable Luxury Beast
AMG’s latest G63 doesn’t really make much sense, but according YouTuber Matt Maran, it’s so much fun that you probably won’t care.
We already know that the Mercedes-AMG G63 is a seriously unique machine. After all, nobody sells boxy, supremely luxurious, incredibly powerful, off-road capable SUVs anymore. And yet, the G63 remains so popular that Mercedes didn’t bother doing much to modernize it for decades. Now that we’ve got a more civilized version at dealerships, folks are lining up to buy them and paying a premium to do so. And it’s easy to see why. The G63 is, of course, an extremely interesting machine despite its quirks, as YouTuber Matt Maran Motoring points out in this review.
“This is for those who want the best performance from their G-Wagon,” Maran says. “Which is kind of an oxymoron on its own. These are former military vehicles. But they’re nicely modernized now. They have an independent front suspension and handle a good bit better. But it is still very rugged looking. I love the way they kept the design very retro. It’s almost unrecognizable to the untrained eye between this one and the older one.”
Such are the things that make the G63 such an interesting vehicle, of course. Only the greatest models in history strive to retain their recognizable shape and charm. But on the inside, it’s a totally different story. Maran gushes over the quality of the interior. “You have this metal all over,” he says. “It’s just such a high quality feel.” Maran also points out that legroom in the rear has improved considerably. The old G63 was pretty cramped back there, so this is obviously a nice change.
Despite this, the G63 does have its downsides. But ultimately, Maran feels like they’re worth taking on. “Overall, the G-Wagon is full of compromises. Nothing about it really makes sense. Mercedes has done a better job with their other SUVs as far as packaging and making things more livable. But if you want to have the bold styling, the interesting driving dynamics, it is less compromising than the old G-Wagon.”
Of course, none of that stuff matters when you get the G63 on the road. “This is fantastic fun,” Maran says. “The side pipes sound fantastic.” He does admit that it probably makes more sense to go with a regular, non-AMG G-Wagon. But for those who simply want it all and don’t care about price, it’s hard to beat the G63. Even if it is a “compromised” machine.
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