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Mercedes G-Class - MPG, CO2 and Running Costs

Every version of the Mercedes G-Class will be expensive to buy and run, especially the G 63

MPG, CO2 and Running Costs rating

2.0

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Life with a Mercedes G-Class is expensive even before you’ve left the showroom, so the running costs are unlikely to come as a shock. Even with all petrol and diesel engines gaining mild-hybrid technology to boost fuel economy, the G-Class still feels like a bit of a dinosaur. A loveable dinosaur, but a prehistoric one all the same. 

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The G 450 d starts from a not insignificant £137,000, but the G 500 comes in at £146,000, and the G 63 weighs in close to £184,500. And the costs won’t stop there.

In the G 450 d, its mild-hybrid tech has boosted fuel economy up to 31.4mpg, but both petrol versions are significantly more thirsty. The G 500 has a combined figure of 25mpg, although we saw close to 30 mpg from it on a gentle motorway run. The G 63 is undoubtedly the thirstiest model in the G-Class range, with an economy figure of just 19.1mpg – or worse if you enjoy yourself. 

No version of the G-Class is what you’d call efficient, but the G-Class wasn’t built with efficiency or aerodynamics in mind. However, some tweaks to its shape, including a spoiler above the windscreen, a redesigned A-pillar, and a lip spoiler below the bumper have reduced its drag coefficient from a pre-facelift figure of 0.53Cd down to 0.48Cd. 

Model MPGCO2Insurance group
G-Class G 500 25.0mpg257g/km50P
Mercedes-AMG G 63 4MATIC19.1mpg338g/km50P
G-Class G 450d31.4mpg235g/km50P

Electric range, battery life and charge time

The latest G-Class has joined the world of electric vehicles with the G 580 with EQ technology. That’s quite a lengthy name.

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Also big is its battery pack that, at 116kWh of usable capacity, affords a range of 280 miles between charges. It can accept a peak charging speed of 200kW, allowing for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up charge in around 32 minutes from a suitably rapid DC charger.

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Most EV owners will likely utilise much more affordable home charging, of which Mercedes only quotes an 11kW AC time of around 12 hours to fully top up a G 580 from flat to full. However, that would require a three-phase electricity supply, which few UK houses can accommodate, so we anticipate that a more common 7.4kW home wallbox charger will take around 16 hours to recharge the car.

Model Battery sizeRangeInsurance group
G-Class G 580 with EQ technology116kWh (useable)280 miles50P

Tax

High CO2 emissions make the G-Class tax inefficient for private and company-car users, the latter of which will be stuck in the highest 37 per cent Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax band – although we’re unsure whether any company-car scheme would offer such a model to its employees.

The electric G 580 would be in a much more affordable two per cent band (rising to three per cent for the 25/26 tax year), but again, we doubt a company-car scheme would offer a near-£155,000 EV to staff.

Insurance groups

Make sure you’re sitting down when you use a price-comparison site to sort insurance quotes for the G-Class, because the cost will likely be very high. All versions are in the highest insurance group of 50, placing the G-Class alongside supercars and other luxury cars. 

Depreciation

Depreciation is unlikely to bother a G-Class owner, because sales in the UK are modest, and it has a cult status, so its residual values are quite high. Most versions are in the region of 60 per cent, making the G-Class one of the best performers on the market. The Mercedes-AMG G 63 Carbon Edition is expected to hold on to 68 per cent of its original value after three years or 36,000 miles, according to our expert data. The electric G 580 with EQ technology is the worst-performing version, at 58 per cent, but that’s still a lot better than most electric cars.

However, when a new car costs well north of £100,000 (nearer £200,000 in some cases), you will still lose a considerable sum of money in depreciation.

To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our valuation tool... 

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