g550amg

I've been looking for a G55 AMG and I'm wondering if the Kompressor models starting in 2005 that have the extra 150hp make a huge difference. Lately, I've been seeing the prices of '05-08 G55 AMGs climb a fair amount and availability is rather scant. Is it worth it to pay an extra $10-15,000 for the additional 150hp?

Also, Mechanically speaking do the Kompressor models tend to have less issues? Given that I would like to make a project out of this car (think restomod-ish) I don't mind getting an '03-'04 if the mileage is right, but I'm worried I'll feel a lack of power and I've been told the engine wont handle any ECU tuning in pre-'05 models. I plan to make this car my daily driver (30 miles daily) at under 60mph (Los Angeles) but I do appreciate acceleration power as it comes in very handy to navigate heavy traffic.

Also, is there anything specific I should look for when I check out/test drive these models? Any help or opinions are greatly appreciated

shiann

I went through the same deliberation earlier this year. I wasn't necessarily wanting of more power, but was worried the normal G500 would be a little bit slow. The G55's, I feel have the best version of the mass produced M113 engine, both in the N/A 5.4 and Supercharged 5.4 variant. The engine is very reliable compared to the newer stuff, and relatively easy to work on. You really just need to worry about oil leaks and a few general items. The supercharged engine will be less reliable overall than the non-supercharged version because of the added parts, but both are very reliable engines overall. They are also readily available in the event something catastrophic happens.

I was able to pick up my 2005 G55k for a pretty good price back in March with <90k miles and a clean title, but it did need a good amount of work. I've made it a project/resto mod also in my own vision. Pretty much keeping the overall exterior look, beefing it up for some light offroading, refurbishing the entire exterior and interior, and upgrading the daily creature comforts like sound system, interior parts, etc. I have seen that the G55k models specifically have been difficult to source for reasonable prices recently. It seems like they've all increased in price by ~$5-10k, but it may just be because there are so few for sale currently.

If I were to do it again, I would definitely still go for a G55k. The only change I would maybe make is spending more on a newer model that needed less work. The engine is extremely fun and the exhaust note is exactly what I was looking for, aggressive but not obnoxious. It is plenty quick and will surprise you at times. Most important thing to look for is service records, checking everywhere for rust, and lower miles.

Floobydust

Shiann's summary is very good. For me (having owned the non-supercharged version) for general daily driver around town use, I would absolutely go with the supercharged M113. The extra power for maneuvering is really nice. If I were using it primarily for off-roading, back country driving I would go with the non-supercharged version to lessen the risk of a break down on the trail.

BTW, INMHO, the M113/722.6 drive train is the best one MG ever made.

shiann

Also, with the supercharged M113, be ready to have some gas pump shock from time to time when you're having too much fun. MPG can dip low if you're ripping it often. I normally average in the 10-13 MPG range for normal city/highway driving, but can see a situation where you gun it a lot those MPG's dip into the single digits!

g550amg

Thank you guys, that was really helpful. It looks like I'll have to be patient and wait for the right opportunity. What would be the upper limit you'd recommend on mileage? Originally I was looking at something in the 75-90k range but considering the low availability for G55k it's more likely to find them in the 100-130k range.

Also, I would love to see your progress upgrading the G55 if you happen to have a thread on the forum. Right off the bat, I definitely want to upgrade the speakers/infotaintment, back up camera, reupholster the seats and possibly the blind spot sensors that come in the new MB mirrors, so we're definitely in the same wavelength there
Nevermind, found your thread – super valuable info, thanks for sharing

shiann

I would be less worried about the absolute number of miles, and more picky on detailed undercarriage pictures (looking for damage and/or rust), and rust in all the common areas (all around the windshield, under he doors, any leading edge of the truck (stone chips turned to rust spots), the rear door top and bottom, lower body all around, shock/spring perches, etc) Also detailed maintenance records and obviously a clean title are both good barometers of a well taken care of truck (running a carfax will likely bring up lots of maintenance records as most of these trucks when new were all serviced at the dealers). Checking paint depth would be a bonus to prove no former repaint (I found after purchasing mine one whole side was repainted poorly but never documented - bummed but nothing I can do now)

Limey Hooligan

I agree with Floobydust, I was looking at both the G55 and G550 and settled on the latter, since I knew I'd be doing a lot of off-roading and didn't feel I needed the extra heat/complications of forced induction. The earlier (before '08) G550's did have some issues with the 5.5L M273 engine due to some sub-standard supplier parts, but after that year the engine has proven to be pretty reliable. I think the 5.5L N/A engine is plenty of power for the G platform, only being around a second slower to 60 than the G55, and you can put in a handheld tune to bring power up over 400hp. I think I have plenty of power, and this is coming from a guy who previously owned a Jeep SRT8 with a modern 426 hemi and 600hp. (That truck had the same 722.6 transmission as a matter of fact, which Chrysler calls the NAG1).

fabbrisd1

Please understand on ANY DISCUSSION - 2001-2008 G-WAGEN - - ANY MODEL - THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT POINT IS CHASSIS AND BODY CORROSION !

You can "think" all you want about what you "want-to-find" - if you learn nothing else from this forum please understand for Older G's - that in large part is the CORROSION IS THE THING THAT COUNTS - AND "CLEAN" OLDER G'S THAT DON'T HAVE UNDERLYING CORROSION ISSUES - THAT WON'T BITE OFF YOUR ARM AND RUIN YOUR MARRIAGE (OR YOUR CIVIL UNION) ARE RARER AND RARER !

IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND "ONE" - I MEAN FOR REAL - IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S A G OR AMG - YOU BUY THE DANG RIG !\

A friend-of-a-friend came in to see me today - looking at a private party 2013 G - 74K miles - she brought over 25 pages of service stuff copies the seller had given her on this G.

I pulled it up in my system - and my guys had done $13K in electrical repairs Sept last year to replace the electronic control systems due to water damage - on water that had come thru the corroded bottom edge of the windshield frame - underneath the windshield gasket - $13K in electrical control system repair - and we had the customer sign off to approve the work that we could not offer any warranty on our work since he was NOT HAVING THE CORRODED BTTOM WINSHIEL FRAME REPAIRED - and we told him IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.

After our repair - the dude promptly sold it to the next owner - who found out last month when we serviced it on it's annual service we told him our prognosis a year ago - this 2nd dude goes to resell it to the next guy/gal without telling this next one in line....

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DREAM - WORK HARD TO MAKE YOUR DREAM YOUR REALITY - BUT BE PATIENT FOR THE RIGHT G TO APPEAR

Floobydust

Very true! Rust is the Achilles heel of the G-wagen. It is a vehicle designed in the 70's so it rusts like a vehicle from the 70s. Because it is such a niche vehicle, over the years, MB has never really updated the design (part of the charm, I think) or the manufacturing processes to help defeat the tin worm. The good news is that you are in the dry climate of LA so rust will be minimized. Get a CarFax and beware of out of state vehicles.

Lawrence1

this is absolutely key. You will find that many of these cars started life on the east coast and got moved around the country over time. You really need to look at the car's history and go over it with a fine tooth comb to make sure there are no rust issues. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find one that hasn't spent time on the east coast and/or doesn't have rust around the windshield or in the other usual places. Obviously, rust, like anything else, can be repaired, but it's expensive and worthwhile to avoid it if you can. If it's really bad, the costs can become prohibitive.

Also, i would argue that it's worth spending the extra coin for a supercharged car. For one, these are very heavy cars and the extra power really makes a big difference in the overall driving experience. The pre-2016 G550 is probably the next best thing, and while it is down on power by comparison, the 7spd transmission helps narrow the gap, and makes it a better highway cruiser. Honestly, I will say that I would not buy a G if you're having to stretch your budget and have to look at high mileage cars, especially if you can't work on them yourself. In my experience, late model good, rust free G55K cars generally demand a premium, and most of these will have some deferred maintenance you'll need to sort out since the newest one is now 10 years old and many have not been maintained properly. This applies to those cars with dealer servicing as well.

Last but not least, you need to drive a few and experience the ride quality to determine whether it's something you can live with. These cars feel agricultural compared to all other modern Mercedes, so it's definitely something you need to evaluate for yourself.