2007 Mercedes G55 AMG :: Featured Classified

There’s no shortage of 4WDs suitable for backcountry travel, but far fewer are considered pinnacle overland platforms (e.g., Toyota Land Cruiser and Land Rover Defender). The G-Wagen is undoubtedly one of these illustrious few and was long the vehicle of choice for Publisher Scott Brady. He states: “The venerable Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen is the elder statesman of overland vehicles, having been in production for nearly 40 years. While most G-Class vehicles are relegated to a sentence of domestic carriage for urbanite families, some have been rescued to live the life of a Teutonic adventurer.” The first Geländewagen was developed by Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Austria and was sold by Mercedes as a hardcore military off-roader with great success. Over the years, it gained popularity within the civilian sector due to its handsome styling, boxy practicality, fabled reliability and build quality, and legendary backcountry performance. Mercedes leaned into demand by retaining the vehicle’s core 4WD attributes but introduced plush interior luxury and refinement, which means today, the starting price for a 2024 Mercedes G-Class is an eye-watering $144,000. Under the skin, the latest model is true to its military roots, but the prohibitive price point ensures that most will never leave the tarmac. A solution is to buy pre-owned and, with this in mind, cue today’s tastefully uprated 2007 Mercedes G55 AMG (133,000 miles). If you’d like to learn more about the merits of the G-Class and how it can be optimized for around-the-world travel, then check out our Publisher Build Series and listen to Stanley Illman on Exploring the World by G-Wagen and Porsche on the Overland Journal Podcast.

From the Seller:

“My wife bought this G-Wagen to protect our babies in the event of a collision and also to never worry about getting stuck regardless of where we drove. We bought it from a member here on the Expo Forum. Purportedly, we are the third owners. It has been nicely dialed in for both on- and off-road travel, much more so since we’ve owned it and sunk $15,000 into chasing down every issue and repairing or replacing components. Including the list of work completed would bore the casual window shoppers here, but I’m happy to share this info. The vehicle handles very well and is a lot of fun to drive. It goes fast. It goes anywhere. If you add a new in-dash screen with Apple CarPlay you’ll have a gutsier Grenadier for half the price and with none of the problems.”

2007 Mercedes G55 AMG

The G55 is fitted with a 5.4-liter V8 that produces a considerable 493 horsepower, 516 pound-feet of torque and returns a combined 12 mpg. A powerful V8 provides exhilarating on-road performance with a 0 to 60 mph sprint of just 5.5 seconds and a 130 mph top speed. However, it’s when the tarmac ends that the G-Wagen excels, thanks to body-on-frame construction; 4WD; high and low range; front, center, and rear locking differentials; 8.3 inches of ground clearance; armor; and uprated suspension. Inside, Mercedes blends these rugged attributes with lavish interior luxury with driver comforts that include: