Are we overpaying for G Wagens in the UK?

[Watchcame430]

This US one seems very cheap compared to the UK?

Mercedes Benz G Class G550 4MATIC We Finance | eBay

 

[C43AMG]

Rule of thumb $ 50,000 - £ 50,000

 

[camerafodder]

I think G wagons are overpriced by a factor of 5 everywhere.

 

[bing]

Rule of thumb $ 50,000 - £ 50,000

Agree !! And everything else is overpriced in the uk !

 

[jaymanek]

G wagens cannot be compared to normal cars, they are worth every penny!

In the UK though the demand is not massive and supply even less so prices are higher...

 

[noy91]

From memory, European ones on mobile.de are more reasonable, and the Dutch seem to have quite a few specialists trading them.

 

[Dee-124CAB]

One needs to remember that the G wagon was not available in the UK for a very long time until they were reintoduced in 2010 or 2011....

Upto that point all we had (epecially in RHD) was G wagons that had been sold here decade(s) earlier... with people left to update or facelift these older models if they wanted to look different and chic...

Then the new ones came out over here, and they got a little more popular i suppose, but because they now and made or imported them here in limited numbers, values have remained prohibitively high for most.... so now more and more are being imported here from abroad to provide an alternative, these being examples made during the years they werent available here (eg 1996-2007 ?), but these are usually quite keenly priced too!...

I was personally expecting the arrival of the new ones back on to these shores to eventually drive down the prices of the old ones that were last sold here previously..... but the G wagon market is totally different to any other model, probably due to the fact that a 1994 model can externally be made to look like a £100K+ 2014 G63 if one desired.... if anything these old RHD ones have gone up in my eyes!

 

[Deleted96908]

I had a couple of G Wagen's as 'company cars' in Africa in the 80s and loved them. No nonsense and absolutely everybody's first choice when choosing between other so called go anywhere 4x4s that were available in the pool.

I've been tracking them in the UK and Europe for some time and almost made the purchase many times, including a new LHD SWB around 1995 for driving between Sweden and London - but stupidly went for a BMW instead - ho ho, on ice packed roads and frameless door glass that insisted on welding itself to the roof and preventing the door opening without being defrosted.

Live an learn.

 

[RBYCC]

Rule of thumb $ 50,000 - £ 50,000

I'll give you dollars for sterling all day long at a one to one conversion rate
Last time I recall about one to one exchange rate was in the early eighties when I was bringing older Jags,Astons, Rollers and Bentleys into the USA from the UK.

$69K = 41.6K sterling at the current exchange rate.
Today's rate is 1.6528 USD = 1 sterling.

G wagens are always a great buy especially the AMG versions.
I purchased a used 2003 G55,drove it for three years and traded it for a used 2005 G55K and got a higher price than what I originally paid for it.
My current 2005 G55K is worth more than what I paid for it three years ago.

Ed A.

 

[Watchcame430]

I can't afford one at the moment but cetainly am envious of the lower prices elsewhere.
I like them a lot ... just wish they were cheaper

 

[C43AMG]

I'll give you dollars for sterling all day long at a one to one conversion rate
Last time I recall about one to one exchange rate was in the early eighties when I was bringing older Jags,Astons, Rollers and Bentleys into the USA from the UK.

$69K = 41.6K sterling at the current exchange rate.
Today's rate is 1.6528 USD = 1 sterling.

G wagens are always a great buy especially the AMG versions.
I purchased a used 2003 G55,drove it for three years and traded it for a used 2005 G55K and got a higher price than what I originally paid for it.
My current 2005 G55K is worth more than what I paid for it three years ago.

Ed A.

Ed,

What I mean is What you pay in £££ hear you pay in $$$ there

 

[noy91]

Am intermittently tempted by the idea of taking an early 463 down to Morocco or Tunisia, but will have to be one for the future.

Out of interest, what's their cruising comfort like compared to say a Land Cruiser Amazon or first gen Range Rover?

 

[tim.100]

Am intermittently tempted by the idea of taking an early 463 down to Morocco or Tunisia, but will have to be one for the future.

Out of interest, what's their cruising comfort like compared to say a Land Cruiser Amazon or first gen Range Rover?

Compared with a RR Classic, the current G350 is:

• much more stable. No wallowing.
• far quieter. Front and rear passengers can talk easily at all legal speeds in the UK
• More steering feel
• far more refined.

 

[noy91]

Compared with a RR Classic, the current G350 is:

• much more stable. No wallowing.
• far quieter. Front and rear passengers can talk easily at all legal speeds in the UK
• More steering feel
• far more refined.

Thanks! Reviews seem to range between saying its awful and surprisingly competent on road. Do you know if much more sound deadening has been added since the early 90s?

 

[Giantvanman]

Thanks! Reviews seem to range between saying its awful and surprisingly competent on road.

……….when compared to?

This is a fifty year old design for off road use; unreasonable to expect sports car handling. You have to 'get' a G (or similar) which most of these testers and reviewers do not. Normal driving, superb. Drive like a scalded cat, it's going to take planning and finesse, not tight or quick turn ins and the like. Just my opinion.

And to be pedantic, we are overpaying for most everything here in the UK which is ironic because the Common Market (EU that was) was meant to provide a trading block to rival the US and make things cheaper. Yeah, that's worked.

 

[noy91]

……….when compared to?

This is a fifty year old design for off road use; unreasonable to expect sports car handling. You have to 'get' a G (or similar) which most of these testers and reviewers do not. Normal driving, superb. Drive like a scalded cat, it's going to take planning and finesse, not tight or quick turn ins and the like. Just my opinion.

Ah fair enough - think I'm just traumatised from 6 hours in the back of a Defender, so always fear the worst when it comes to noise and ride quality for these things!

 

[def90cars]

Agree !! And everything else is overpriced in the uk !

You need to leave the safety of your chair and see how much the rest of the world pays for stuff, especially compared to salaries.

Eg. C63 in Australia is $160,000 - about double UK price
milk in Ukraine about £1.5 for two litres - £1 in Tesco
University in Russia 5-7 months average salary per year - 4 months salary per year or less in the UK (except Scotchlund)
The UK doesn't even have the most expensive petrol in Europe.

 

[bing]

You need to leave the safety of your chair and see how much the rest of the world pays for stuff, especially compared to salaries.

Eg. C63 in Australia is $160,000 - about double UK price
milk in Ukraine about £1.5 for two litres - £1 in Tesco
University in Russia 5-7 months average salary per year - 4 months salary per year or less in the UK (except Scotchlund)
The UK doesn't even have the most expensive petrol in Europe.

Thank you! Based on the above I stand corrected and my mistake for generalising . Wouldn't want to get into an economic debate in a CAR forum .

 

[Rob77]

We cant really be "overpaying" when the cars retain that higher price when selling on.

 

[peg0r]

I was taught something once, by a wise man.

THINGS ARE ONLY WORTH WHAT PEOPLE ARE PREPARED TO PAY.