Mercedes-Benz G-Class Estate (2012-2018) interior, tech and comfort

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Comfort rating: 3.4 out of 53.4

Written by Lewis Kingston Published: 6 June 2019

Slim pillars, flat windscreen
Remarkably compact dashboard
Vault-like doors and great seats

Dashboard small, windscreen close, with a very well made, if dated design of dashboard. View over bonnet is commanding. Parkers view: Cleverly updated, it’s still a 1970s interior at heart, and that’s no bad thing if you want to see the world instead of acres of plastic

Clamber in to the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and you’ll find yourself in a spacious, comfortable and well-trimmed cabin. The build quality is superb and virtually everything you touch in the car feels solid and durable.

There are myriad electric seat adjustments, and the steering wheel is electrically adjustable for both height and reach, so it’s quick and easy to find a comfortable seating position.

Clear instrumentation means you don’t have to strain to work out what’s going on either, helping reduce driver fatigue. The G-Class’s controls are all laid out in an intuitive and easily accessible fashion, although some of the buttons are small and could prove difficult to operate accurately if you were wearing winter gloves.

The Mercedes’ upright design means there’s lots of head room while the large windows, narrow pillars and sizeable side mirrors mean visibility is excellent.

Being seen, and seeing out are real G-Class strengths; it inspires confidence

Heavy car flattens imperfections
Dated suspension can be unsettled
Incredibly capable given range of abilities

Modern seats in a spacious, boxy cabin mean comfort and space, heavy, unsophisticated tech is tuned well for a wide range of talents. Parkers view: There are compromises here, but the G-Class handles roads and rocks incredibly well without resorting to technological trickery

The off-roader has fairly old-fashioned underpinnings, which could compromise Mercedes-Benz G-Class comfort levels – but fortunately that’s not the case.

On rough surfaces the car can get unsettled, and there can be quite a lot of body roll as well if you drive around corners at speed, but given its sheer bulk and basic chassis design this is almost unavoidable.

It doesn’t lean to the extent that it makes you overly uncomfortable though, as the seats are supportive and hold you in place quite well. Gentle bumps are smoothed out neatly as well and the car cruises comfortably on smoother roads.

Capable of getting anywhere in the world, it can be fixed there too – yet rides well for the weight

There’s plenty of room for five adults, good legroom in both the front and rear and huge amounts of headroom all round. Wind noise is moderate at speed and there can be a fair degree of road noise on some surfaces due to the large tyres.

Mercedes-AMG G 63 is unashamedly over the top

In the sportier Mercedes-AMG G 63, comfort is also impressive despite the firmer suspension to control bodyroll. The seats are moderately supportive and hold you in place well, helping minimise the effects too.

Rough surfaces can lead to the AMG version becoming unsettled and skittish, which proves problematic when trying to make good use of its phenomenal power. Gentle bumps are smoothed out a little better, mind, and on smooth roads the Mercedes-Benz cruises with ease.

During hard acceleration, the engine’s glorious combination of intake and exhaust noise works its way in to the cabin, along with a moderate amount of wind and road noise.

Off-road both driver and passengers will be glad to find that the G-Class continues to be moderately comfortable, partly thanks to chunky grab handles, well-bolstered seats and competent suspension.