With some of the tough off - route trails on the continent , not to name those prominent craggy backdrop , there ’s no better situation than Utah to put the2016 Mercedes - Benz G550(sporting a 4 - liter , twinned - turbocharged V8 under the cowl for the first time ) through its paces . join by a fellow journalist and lensman , I spent a twenty-four hour period puttering around the historic Moab area , snapping photos of touch towns and enjoying the creature comforts of the G550 – until , in the distance off to the side of the route , my travel companions spotted a small pool . It would make for an excellent shot of the G550 looking tough , we concur , and made a nimble left twist toward the water feature .
It did not stop well . severely to trust , folk , but we got the cosmos ’s most able SUV stuck in a puddle .
For context: you could cross the Sahara in this thing
The gram - wagen ( as it ’s often called ) is the clobber of legend . Seriously , if any vehicle can disentangle itself from a small , muddy pit , it ’s a member of the vaunted G - Class family . The G - Class evolved from a military - grade German Jeep built to tackle any terrain and manage any type of situation . It prove so successful , it ’s hardly been changed since it was introduced in 1979 , save for making it more gilded . It ’s justifiedly insure its place on top of the deal , alongside the most esteemed Defenders , Land Cruisers , and Jeeps .
The G550 in particular has a four - wheel - drive organization that ’s so respected and distinct , Mercedes - Benz does n’t even refer to it as 4MATIC , as it does on its less intense AWD offerings . The G - Class offers ample ground clearance , low - range train to aid with acute off - roading , andthreelocking differential coefficient to distribute power to the wheel in the most effective way of life possible , just in case thing gets hairy . Three !
Translation : One does not simply get a G - wagen stuck . Usually .
Jeff Jablansky/Thrillist
We were anticipating an epic splash…
… and ended up with , uh , not that . We wanted a stroke of the G550 reigning supreme over nature , downright unrestrained to tap the raw , twin - turbo V8 – which it shares withthe mighty AMG GTsupercar . Could we plough this pool into our ownDakar rally point ? Was this give way to be our own unique brand of theEaster Jeep Safari ?
My co - equipment driver went for it … there was no splash . Our dreams of a gilded entrance and killer photo op were abruptly derailed ; giving the G550 some gasoline did slight more than spin its wheels . We were stuck .
So there we were , render to extricate the most competent off - roader in the human race from a wimpy - ass mud pit . We switched it into depleted range , engross the locking diffs , and … nothing . The unsubduable G550 just sank a moment more into the primer coat . Pushing against its not - at - all - undistinguished chrome stripe attached to the grille was as fruitless . In a matter of moments , the machine was caked in clay , look precisely the mode an off - roading beastshouldlook , but run nowhere .
Jeff Jablansky/Thrillist
Of course , the literal trouble had nothing to do with the G550 itself , but its tire . The summertime - specification tire transubstantiate the G - Class into a perfectly worthy SUV for your daily commute , but they ’re useless off - road – it ’s just not what they ’re build for . It ’s the same ground yourtires matter more than all - bike private road in the snow : without the requisite stride pattern to grapple the bottom of our little pool , the tires had no way of helping the Benz out .
The Mercedes tech was not amused
finally , one of Mercedes ' technicians from our convoy happened past our predicament . The look on his face , upon realise a mighty G550 stuck in a puddle , was consanguineal to a father ’s everlasting unbelief when his son throws a baseball game through the window . He shook his pass , lowered his gaze , and express mirth a little . " dead 0 % chance of getting it out without a towage hand truck , " he aver . " No chance . " But word of our plight jaunt fast , and when several other technicians go far with a tow strap – in a Chevy Suburban , ironically – things took a turn for the better .
as luck would have it , the only major casualties were our iron heel – faithful review revealed that the G550 was in fine shape . It ’s a charmingly anachronistic sport utility that will utterly dominate any off - route situation … so long as it has the correct tires .
In the conclusion , we were more than slimly dopy to attempt to dip a toe in the mud . But a quick auto dry wash was all that was take to rinse out this spot on the venerable G - wagen ’s self . All ’s well that end ’s well .
Jeff Jablansky/Thrillist
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Jeff Jablansky/Thrillist
Jeff Jablansky/Thrillist
