At $36,000, Is This Updated 2002 Mercedes-Benz G 500 an Up and Up Deal?
If you’re the kind of person who likes to make a statement when on the road, then today’s Nice Price or No Dice Mercedes-Benz G 500 might be the car for you. Let’s see if its price tag is a contrasting misstatement.
Opel has been a bit of a hot potato of late. Owned for nearly a century by General Motors, the German automaker has more recently been part of the PSA Group and is now a Stellantis subsidiary. Here in the U.S., the marque is likely better known for cars sold under other brand names — Saturn, Cadillac, and Buick — than for models branded under its own name like the 1972 Opel GT we looked at yesterday. For those in the know, however, that little GT proved well worth getting to know. And, at $7,500, seemingly so was its price tag. That came away with a wild 94 percent Nice Price win for the little Opel.
Today’s 2002 Mercedes-Benz G 500 looks like it could have come from any of the past four decades of the model’s existence. The basic design hasn’t changed all that much over the years, and this particular one has a Brabus-boasting body kit that makes it appear a bit more contemporary.
The truck comes with a clean title and 146,474 miles under its all-wheel drive. According to the ad, this Benz has seen a litany of updates and upgrades in addition to the aforementioned eBay-sourced body kit. On top of that, comes LED lighting, a 2-inch lift kit, 22-inch aftermarket wheels, and what look to be the lowest profile knobbies you could possibly find.
Work has been done on the interior too. In there you’ll find an aftermarket stereo system that uses only a single DIN slot, but trades boot space in the back for thumping bass. The coup de grâce is a reupholstery job in diamond-quilted leather with black Alcantara accents. It’s a bit overwhelming at first glance, but a look, nonetheless. Along with the upholstery update, the interior sports carbon-fiber trim, and those quilted floor mats you see frequently in your social media feeds.
There doesn’t seem to be any mechanical changes afforded this truck, aside from what’s described as a “custom exhaust / pipe AMG upgrade.” So you can probably guess it’s still rocking most of the 292 horses and 336 lb-ft of torque that the 5.0-liter M113 V8 had at its inception. It also implies that the power is pumped through the stock five-speed automatic and automatic all-wheel drive. No mention is made in the ad of any mechanical maladies. If you wanted to find any fault with the G-wagen, it would probably center around its really shitty 12 mpg average fuel economy. On premium.
That’s a small price to pay to possibly being confused with one of the Kardashians or some other celebrity, which will likely happen to anyone who drives this G 500 in places where the rich and famous-adjacent congregate. At $36,000, you needn’t be all that rich, nor even famous to afford the big Benz.
The question, of course, is whether that price is a deal. And that’s a viable question, since truck’s ad noted ‘automotive value authority’ Facebook pegs a value range for the model between $19,664 and $24,031. I’m not sure exactly how having that in the ad helps this seller. Anyway, that’s what we’re here for.
What do you think? Could this modded G-wagen be worth that $36,000 asking as it sits? Or, is that way too much, even for a Benz that’s this far over the top?
You decide!
Facebook Marketplace out of Portland, Oregon, or go here if the ad disappears.
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