2025 Mercedes-AMG G 63 Review: Expensive, Excessive, And Hard Not To Love

Some cars, you either love or hate, and it's fair to say that Mercedes' venerable G-Wagon falls resolutely into that category. The G-Class — also known as the G-Wagen, or Geländewagen — arguably epitomizes old-school 'Benz, with its emphasis on capability (even if you rarely use it), solidity (to the point of being over-engineered), and rampant excess (even at its most affordable, the 2025 G-Class starts at around $150k).

Mercedes has, of course, done its utmost to keep the G current without diluting the retro appeal along the way. The G 580 with EQ Technology is a long-winded way of saying "electric G-Wagon," launched for this model year with a supremely-talented quad motor drivetrain and boxy styling that cocks a snook at traditional expectations of EV aerodynamics.

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Thing is, it's tough not to look at this 2025 Mercedes-AMG G 63 SUV and see it — despite its electric cousin's prowess — as the rightful bearer of the Geländewagen crown. Slab-sided and speedy, it may not be the most potent of the modern G's, now, but it's still the fastest in a straight line. And, much as I wish I could say I was immune to this V8 brute's charms, it turns out there's still something weirdly appealing about making a spectacle of yourself.

2025 AMG G 63 pricing kicks off at $187,250 (including $1,150 destination), an almost $25k premium over the electric G 580. It's a far more familiar formula: a handcrafted 4.0-liter biturbo gas engine, with a little hybrid assist in the shape of an electric starter-generator motor. Power's routed to the permanent all-wheel drive via an AMG-blessed 9-speed automatic transmission.

The result is 577 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, sufficient to propel the G 63 from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds. The G 580, in contrast, musters 579 hp and a heady 859 lb-ft from its one-motor-per-wheel setup. We can probably blame the extra 900 or so pounds the EV is carrying for its slower, 4.6 second 0-60 time.

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Adaptive damping suspension is standard, adjusting firmness according to the Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ drive modes (tweaked via the little display pod on the AMG's standard-fit sports steering wheel). AMG Active Ride Control — included as part of the AMG Performance Package ($4,400) on this car, or in the AMG Offroad Package Pro ($13,450) — adds active roll stabilization, independently controlling damping at each corner.

For all the gadgets, park the 2025 G-Wagon next to a 1979 Puch G — as the SUV was then branded — and the familial resemblance would be abundantly clear. While the rest of Mercedes' lineup has softened, smoothed, and swooped, the G 63 remains blockishly Brutalist in its sharp edges and slab-like sides. 20-inch rims are standard; these 22-inch AMG forged wheels are a hefty $4,650, but I think they look perfect, here.

Mercedes' regular line-up of paints is pretty sober — lots of dark blues, grays, and silvers — but dip into the Manufaktur options and there are all the eye-searing hues you could hope for. This particular Twilight Blue Metallic example has the Manufaktur Dark Chrome Package which, for $3,500, gives a dark finish to the front brush guard and underguard, to the lettering and Mercedes stars, and to the various chrome exterior trim parts. There are also carbon fiber, black, and matte black versions.

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Details that are considered deeply important to G-Wagon aficionados — and which require explaining to everyone else — are all present and correct. That includes the overly-mechanical door handles (which now support keyless entry, but still demand a hard slam to shut the doors properly), to the stubby turn signal lights perched atop the fenders.

Driving the AMG G 63 is not quite like any other sports SUV, Mercedes or otherwise. Maybe it's the snarl and grumble from the side-exit tailpipes; maybe it's the height combined with the C-Class-like wheelbase, and the way that adds a "playful puppy" edge to the ride. The feistiest G-Wagon can amble around town, feeling suitably luxurious and oozing solidity, but it really makes most sense when you click through to Sport+ mode.

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It's fast, of course, and decently grippy thanks to those vast tires, and the trick suspension straddles a pleasing line between staying level while also never letting you forget you're piloting something fairly ridiculous. There's personality here, great stupid waves of it. While the G 63 won't corner like, say, an Urus Performante or new Bentayga Speed, fun is nonetheless had as you hit the grabby AMG brakes, slow into corners before the electronic nannies feel obliged to weigh in and rescue you, and then tap that beefy torque to drag yourself out of onto the next straight.

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It's all thoroughly modern, like you'd expect, but it also feels entirely in keeping with G-Wagon heritage. AMG's own GLE 63 S Coupe probably handles better, but I think you'll have more fun in the G 63. Well, right up until you reach the next gas station, and come face to face with its 15 mpg combined rating. That's ambitious, too: I saw 13 mpg with my own mixed driving.

Inside, the G-Wagon surprise is always how snug it feels. The upright dashboard, tall center console, and high sills leave the front feeling intimate; a Wrangler actually has more front seat legroom. It's similarly cosy in the rear. Of course, the Jeep doesn't come close to AMG's materials, fit, or finish, which in this particular case has been blessed with a number of Manufaktur options.

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Leather is standard, obviously, including options with fetching bands of contrasting color. Here, though, there's titanium grey pearl and black leather (for $400) paired with grey oak wood trim ($1,300), two-tone Nappa leather instrument panel trim ($600), and even Manufaktur-branded leather grab handles ($550). $800 adds front armrest heating, but it's the $8,250 Manufaktur Interior Package Plus which brings out the big guns, including front massage seats with rapid heating and ventilation.

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It also includes — somewhat hilariously — diamond quilted Nappa leather for the cargo door trim. Open the conveniently side-hinged rear door and you'll find it's backed with real hide: handsome, but perhaps slightly out of place if you want to use the G 63's decent 37.4 cu-ft of trunk space for plants or anything else vaguely messy.

That's a questionable decision, but I can't fault the absence of dashboard-dominating touchscreens as in other recent high-end 'Benzes. Mercedes' easy-to-use MBUX infotainment gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen, with a matching driver's display, and the excellent Burmester 3D Surround Sound audio system is standard. There's wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a surprisingly capable voice assistant triggered by "Hey Mercedes," and annoying touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel.

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Ironically, Mercedes reserves the best switchgear for features I suspect most G 63 owners will never actually use. Pride of place in the center of the G-Wagon's dashboard are the controls for the three lockable differentials and the 2-speed transfer case. Finger them judiciously, and only the skinny performance tires are likely to hold you back in off-road situations.

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The capabilities of the G-Wagon are vast, and almost certain to be vastly underutilized. The new Offroad Cockpit UI, combined with the standard 360-degree cameras and "transparent hood" (that uses camera magic to show you what's underneath the AMG), could save you from needing a spotter out in the wilderness. Or, more likely, they'll help save those expensive rims in tight parking lots.

The rationalist in me notes the irony, that turning the G-Wagon into an AMG-blessed performance SUV means its core talent as an off-roader are marginalized. Then I remember that we're firmly in the realm of "I can do it, even if I won't do it" as a key selling point. Just like a Range Rover could be a country workhorse, its undeniable abilities oft-boasted but rarely tested.

Maybe, though, I'm looking at this from the wrong angle. Few SUVs, after all, are bought because of their truck origins; most remain resolutely asphalt-bound, save the occasional diversion across a muddy curb. Perhaps, by virtue of leaning into that, this AMG flavor is the most sensible of all the G-Wagons, given the current audience?

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Or perhaps I just want one myself, charmed as I am by its Tonka toy aesthetic and silly driving dynamics, and these are the mental hurdles required to justify it. Not that I'm in the market myself for a six-figure SUV, but that's the thing about Mercedes' most divisive model. Fall for its charms, and even the rough edges and odd decisions only make you like it more.