*Cough*... 70 Series Landcruiser...*cough*
I agree the G is a really neat truck but there are certainly a few others that are right there with it in terms of quality and capability. Hell, an LJ Rubicon will GO
anywhere a G will (might even do better in the mud/goop with the 4.0L I6), it just might not be in as good of shape when or if it comes home
Cheers
Dave
Agreed. The G-wagen is excellent in its own way, but it's not in a class of its own. Like any 4x4, it has weak points, and at least three spring to mind: 1) it's
heavy; 2) it has mediocre axle articulation; 3) it lacks power. Futhermore, its main offroad party trick is having lockable axle diffs - which these days isn't such a big deal. I'm not sure what "it will do things in 2WD mode that will need 4WD mode on others" means, exactly, but I expect a Rubicon or a Disco 1 or 2, or a Defender fitted with axle lockers would all acquit themselves very well against a G on any trail.
My point to the OP about the viability of the G as an off-road "banger" plaything, though, was more about the
cost of add-ons and the inevitable breakages and maintenance that need to be factored in. It's about why someone would buy a G-wagen as opposed to another truck, which is an even more complicated question than "which is the best off-road".
In fairness, one thing that is heavily in favour of a G-wagen, is that depreciation is relatively low compared to similarly priced vehicles. However, again, that is more an advantage if one is
not buying the truck as an offroad plaything!