Assuming there are no further delays, we should be taking delivery of our Grenadier in a few days. We are off driving to the snow at the end of next week so hopefully the new vehicle will be right to go, although we are cutting it a bit fine. I told the dealer if we can't take delivery by the end of this week they will have to hold on to the vehicle for another three weeks until we are back (I'm pretty sure they do NOT want this).
So our current vehicle, a 2012 Mercedes G350, is going to be for sale, however there is no time to even get it on the market properly before we go away. This means we will have two weeks and a couple of thousand km to get familiar with the Grenadier whilst the G sits at home in the garage, then our final decision can be made after we get back. The list of pros and cons for each vehicle looks like making this a tough call. I did a hospital grade clean of the G-Wagen last week end and got some nice photos, and I am torn. I thought it might be good to get all my thoughts down here and also see what wisdom the forum can add...
G-Wagen pros:
- It's a G-Wagen, and everything still seems to be benchmarked against them for good reason.
- It's damn near perfect for its age.
- I know everything about it and we're friends.
- The fuel economy is just getting better and better the older the motor is. Currently returning 9-10l/100km on the highway.
- Way more storage in it than the Grenadier.
- Height is just under 2m so no car park problems.
- Inside is like a leather bound, soundproof bank vault.
- Closing the doors (if you know G-Wagens, you know how satisfying this is).
- Limited extended warranty cover until the end of 2026! (warranty insurers seems to agree the failure rate of G-Wagens is pretty small, so they just keep offering extensions).
G-Wagen cons:
- The vehicle is now 10 years old with 185,000km on it. Ride is not as soft as it once was due to rubbers getting hard over time.
- When the warranty does run out, I'm on my own.
- The infotainment head unit does not do Carplay, but the amp and speakers are still awesome.
- Factory tow bar has always been a little low for my liking making attaching/detaching jockey wheels a problem on slopes.
- Headlining needs replacing soon.
- G-Wagen has always carried a certain level of snobbery with it that I've never been comfortable with.
- Likely impossible to replace if it gets written off, and insurers only accept low values. I would have to consider specialist insurance in future which is double the price or more.
On the other hand, the Grenadier has the following pros:
- It's a Grenadier and is objectively better looking than the G-Wagen (or just about anything else for that matter).
- Very similar underpinnings to the W463 G-Wagen, only newer and (hopefully) betterer.
- Reset the warranty clock so full dealership support.
- New for old insurance cover for a couple of years.
- Modern interior with Carplay.
- Tougher wearing materials inside.
- Slightly better ground clearance.
- Softer ride.
- Arguably far more class-less than the G.
Grenadier cons:
- Unproven reliability. I will hopefully add more thoughts after the trip.
- Way less built-in storage.
- Rear seat doesn't fold flat. I have needed to carry longer boxes many times so I do hope this will be workable.
- 2050mm height will present some car parking issues. I'm still not 100% sure it will fit in our garage.
- Back to square one with fuel efficiency which will be slightly worse on the new engine.
- I lose my relationship with the G-Wagen specialist mechanic who has been with me for nearly ten years.
- No under-mirror puddle lamps (I've written about how good I've found these in another thread).
- Worse sound system (but not bad).
* This list will develop over the next few weeks after our trip and probably some insights from the forum...
I'm not going to add any of the miscellaneous glitches other owners are having until I have experienced them myself. At this stage the data doesn't suggest any fundamental flaws, just a series of teething issues. And I won't include other ergonomic or driving behaviour peculiarities as I have no problem with them from three test drives (eg. footrest, steering setup).
So our current vehicle, a 2012 Mercedes G350, is going to be for sale, however there is no time to even get it on the market properly before we go away. This means we will have two weeks and a couple of thousand km to get familiar with the Grenadier whilst the G sits at home in the garage, then our final decision can be made after we get back. The list of pros and cons for each vehicle looks like making this a tough call. I did a hospital grade clean of the G-Wagen last week end and got some nice photos, and I am torn. I thought it might be good to get all my thoughts down here and also see what wisdom the forum can add...
G-Wagen pros:
- It's a G-Wagen, and everything still seems to be benchmarked against them for good reason.
- It's damn near perfect for its age.
- I know everything about it and we're friends.
- The fuel economy is just getting better and better the older the motor is. Currently returning 9-10l/100km on the highway.
- Way more storage in it than the Grenadier.
- Height is just under 2m so no car park problems.
- Inside is like a leather bound, soundproof bank vault.
- Closing the doors (if you know G-Wagens, you know how satisfying this is).
- Limited extended warranty cover until the end of 2026! (warranty insurers seems to agree the failure rate of G-Wagens is pretty small, so they just keep offering extensions).
G-Wagen cons:
- The vehicle is now 10 years old with 185,000km on it. Ride is not as soft as it once was due to rubbers getting hard over time.
- When the warranty does run out, I'm on my own.
- The infotainment head unit does not do Carplay, but the amp and speakers are still awesome.
- Factory tow bar has always been a little low for my liking making attaching/detaching jockey wheels a problem on slopes.
- Headlining needs replacing soon.
- G-Wagen has always carried a certain level of snobbery with it that I've never been comfortable with.
- Likely impossible to replace if it gets written off, and insurers only accept low values. I would have to consider specialist insurance in future which is double the price or more.
On the other hand, the Grenadier has the following pros:
- It's a Grenadier and is objectively better looking than the G-Wagen (or just about anything else for that matter).
- Very similar underpinnings to the W463 G-Wagen, only newer and (hopefully) betterer.
- Reset the warranty clock so full dealership support.
- New for old insurance cover for a couple of years.
- Modern interior with Carplay.
- Tougher wearing materials inside.
- Slightly better ground clearance.
- Softer ride.
- Arguably far more class-less than the G.
Grenadier cons:
- Unproven reliability. I will hopefully add more thoughts after the trip.
- Way less built-in storage.
- Rear seat doesn't fold flat. I have needed to carry longer boxes many times so I do hope this will be workable.
- 2050mm height will present some car parking issues. I'm still not 100% sure it will fit in our garage.
- Back to square one with fuel efficiency which will be slightly worse on the new engine.
- I lose my relationship with the G-Wagen specialist mechanic who has been with me for nearly ten years.
- No under-mirror puddle lamps (I've written about how good I've found these in another thread).
- Worse sound system (but not bad).
* This list will develop over the next few weeks after our trip and probably some insights from the forum...
I'm not going to add any of the miscellaneous glitches other owners are having until I have experienced them myself. At this stage the data doesn't suggest any fundamental flaws, just a series of teething issues. And I won't include other ergonomic or driving behaviour peculiarities as I have no problem with them from three test drives (eg. footrest, steering setup).
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