For Great Resale Value, Buy a Used Mercedes G-Wagen

Here’s something that might surprise you: if you want a luxury SUV and you want it to keep its value over the long term, you will probably want a Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Yes, the G-Class, the boxy high-end Mercedes, is the luxury SUV of choice if you want your SUV to be worth something in a while.

Here’s what I mean. Back in 2002, a brand-new Land Rover Range Rover started around $69,000. A new G500 started from $73,500. Both vehicles had few options, so they were relatively close in price.

These days, things have changed considerably. Right now on Autotrader, it’s highly common to see a 2002 Range Rover listed for around $6,000, although many are cheaper than that — closer to $3,000. Meanwhile, a 2002 Mercedes-Benz G500 is a $25,000 to $35,000 vehicle — meaning it’s worth five to ten times more than a Range Rover of the same vintage.

Generally speaking, this holds true for most years of the G-Wagen — it’s a lot more valuable on the used market than same-year Range Rover models. This is primarily due to perceived reliability — Range Rovers are known to be troublesome — but also due to the G-Wagen’s immense capabilities, as off-roader SUVs tend to depreciate less than normal SUVs, since they’re desirable for their off-the-pavement prowess even as they age.

More importantly, the same holds true with the G-Wagen compared to other SUVs. The average asking price on Autotrader for a 2007 G-Wagen is over $50,000. Another popular used SUV, the Toyota Land Cruiser started around $57,000 back in 2007 — and even though the Land Cruiser is known for holding its value, used 2007 Land Cruiser models listed on Autotrader seem to be just under $20,000, or maybe a little over. The G wins again — even against vehicles known for low depreciation.

Yes, surely, the G-Wagen is pricey to maintain — it’s a Mercedes-Benz, after all. But the simple truth is that the G-Wagen is shockingly good on depreciation, meaning it might be a good luxury SUV to buy if you don’t want to lose a lot of value during your ownership. Find a Mercedes-Benz G-Class for sale

4 COMMENTS

Mark Hendricks June 25, 2019 At 2:26 am

they hold their value because they ALL look the same

Danny Zabolotny June 24, 2019 At 1:54 pm

“but also due to the G-Wagen’s immense capabilities, as off-roader SUVs tend to depreciate less than normal SUVs”

Do people not realize that Range Rovers are amazing for off-roading as well? They’re far more capable than almost any SUV when it comes to serious off-roading, even with stock wheels/tires.

The G-Wagen’s relative lack of depreciation is also why I’ll never buy one, because why spend $30k on a G-Wagen when I can buy a Range Rover for $800, put a few bucks into it, and have nearly the same experience. I’m a mechanic so it doesn’t really cost me much to keep a Range Rover running.

Mark Jackson June 24, 2019 At 1:43 pm

I think one of the main reasons that the G Wagen holds it’s value to such a high degree is that every year of the vehicle is almost indistinguishable from the new ones. Everyone wants to be “ballin’ on a budget” and the G Wagen achieves that in spades.

Khaled Al Mohammadi June 24, 2019 At 9:28 am

There’s a base model 1999 Land Cruiser (i6, 1FZ) with 20,000KM for sale here for almost $36 grand.

That’s more than twice as much as a fully optioned top of the line 2007 land cruiser (V8, 2UZ).