A Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG G-Class driver is inadvertently convincing others not to buy one of the vehicles the company markets as a “luxury icon.”
In a TikTok that’s generated over 309,000 views as of this writing, Trey Stewart (@treyastewart) says the 2022 G-Wagon, as the G-Class is commonly called, lacks features you would expect for a car with such a high price tag.
“I’m going to show you everything I hate about my G-Wagon,” Stewart begins. He then says he’s going to block his spouse from seeing the TikTok so he doesn’t hear “I told you so.”
The show-and-tell roast begins with Stewart showing the large infotainment system. Instead of a touchscreen, it’s controlled with a knob on the console.
“This is not great,” he says.
Next, Stewart reveals that the sunroof is manual. There is no way to automatically open it. “This isn’t a big deal, but for 150k it’s annoying,” Stewart says.
He also says the microfiber on the sunroof gets extremely hot.
Continuing, Stewart, who bought the G-Wagon pre-owned, says that the seats aren’t perforated leather, which many would expect from a luxury vehicle.
“I sweat so much on these seats,” Stewart says.
He then shows an analog clock on the dashboard, which he says is pointless.
“I think you could’ve given me a button for the sunroof instead of the clock,” he says.
Lastly, Stewart claims that it’s a pain to connect to Apple CarPlay. Instead of a wireless connection, you have to plug your phone in to activate CarPlay.
‘Overpriced Jeep’
Viewers were in disbelief over the lack of features.
“Thank you for de-influencing me from buying a car that I’ll never afford anyway, but at least now I don’t have to fantasize about it,” one said.
“Immediately lost me at the lack of touchscreen,” another shared.
“Overpriced Jeep,” a third wrote.
Many said that the less expensive cars they drive come with these features, even in standard models.
“My $10k truck has a touch screen, auto sunroof, and perforated leather seats! I’m ecstatic right now,” one said.
“My 40 grand car has a button for the sunroof,” another added.
“My 2024 Toyota Corolla has a touch screen and nicer seats than this,” a third chimed in.
How Does the Tech Rank?
For a steep price tag, one could assume the car features exceptional technology throughout. However, in Stewart’s mind, the G-Wagon falls short.
According to Kelley Blue Book, the original sticker price for a 2022 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon was $180,150. In the last three years, the vehicle has depreciated 25 percent, giving it a current resale value of $133,959.
Edmunds rated the G-Wagon’s technology 6.5 out of 10. “The G-Class is stuck with the old Mercedes-Benz COMAND infotainment system rather than the newer MBUX. It’s not a bad system, but it’s comparatively limited in functionality,” Edmunds reported. (COMAND stands for Cockpit Management and Data.)
The report mentioned that the navigation display and commands are less sophisticated and voice commands are limited and finicky.
“There’s power and authority from behind the wheel, but this SUV is a mess when it comes to ergonomics and practicality. The technology is a letdown, too,” Edmunds added.
JD Power also reported that the old Mercedes-Benz infotainment system COMAND struggles with voice recognition and said that the lack of a touchscreen is a downer. With no touchscreen, the driver is forced to look down and away from the road to use a central knob on the console, it noted.
“The control knob is easy enough to spin and press, but the surrounding touch-sensing buttons live under flush gloss-black surfaces, making it nearly impossible to use them by memory and feel,” wrote J.D. Power.
Stewart told Motor1, “A G-Wagon is no longer going to war, it’s going to Whole Foods. For the amount of money that people are paying for these cars, I am surprised that Mercedes has not equipped them with better technology earlier.”