Patrol vs G-Wagen

[Peter Connan]

I'm taking a leaf out of Dieselfan's book here:

Oom Mac, Jules, Bogeyman, you guys have said that you prefer the G over the Patrol. Please explain to me why? Anybody else with an opinion is also welcome, but I have done quite a lot of poring over spec sheets recently, and I am struggling to see why the G has such a fanatical following?

There are lots of claims as to why the G is supposed to be the best 4x4 there has ever been, such as equal-length propshafts and similar suspensions front and rear that allows it to have similar axle articulation, but looking at SA4x4's recent test, the articulation of the current G-wagon is worse than most double-cabs and almost 40% less than a patrol? It also isn't even nearly the only 4x4 with diff locks in both axles anymore, which is a significant advantage over the Patrol but not to the extent of the additional cost of a G-wagon.

Also, they are not unbreakable either, just go scratch in their forums and you will read horror stories there too?
Further:
1) They are heavy, yet have small wheels, which is bad for flotation.
2) They have only four seats and not nearly as much luggage room as a Patrol.
3) The engines in the current range are very complicated.

[Wheels]

Give me the Patrol. Add diffloc to the front axle and a G wagon won't come close.

[Russ Kellermann]

x2 on that.

However, these vehicles have a cult following, probably born from exclusivity, strength,factory lockers since yesteryear,the beautiful shape,and the catch-word in every add "military spec".

Yes, vehicles these days have caught and surpassed the G-wagon, but once a cult is there its there to stay,just look at LR as an example.

I for one adore the G-wagon, i'd love to own one, even knowing that the Patrol IS more capable, its a case of willing buyer-willing seller and the nostalgia in-between that attracts one to the vehicle.

All in my opinion of course.

[Tinus lotz]

I agree !!!!put a loccker on the front of a patrol and bobs your uncle!!!I must say that the shape is not to bad but still prever the GQ all the way
The G wagon is like landrover it is a sickness that comes with bling and clubs
I take my patrol any day
For. That money I can have 2

[Grant]

Agree,


Its the same with the LC76. It has front and rear lokkers and hence the perception it is the best. Did Mogatle and got up with out lokkers. LC76 could not get up with out the rear lokker. Same for the G Wagon. Read the latest SA 4X4.

I love my Troll. Just returned from my 4500km trip with 1782 km of dirt road driving in the RIGTERSVELD (Roads are bad), as well as the Kgalagadi, twoing my Comfort trailer and no problems at all. Dust did kill the CD player.On the way back I racked up 375k km and still going strong.

[Adrianjvr]

I sold my swb landcruiser with the intention of replacing it with a gwagen. These are my observations having driven a couple:
1. Diesels are under powered.
2. Petrols are slow and consume copious amounts of fuel.
3. Articulation is not great (three link front and rear).
4. Suspensions is very comfortable over rough terrain with the variable spring rate.
5. I did not come across any pre 1995 gwagon without rust.
6. They are expensive to buy and maintain.
7. Did I mention that their bodies start rusting when they leave the factory. Most older gwagons have had a paint job to hide the rust repairs.
8. Drivetrain no where near as strong as a patrol or landcruiser.
9. And lastly, they rust!

[Tinus lotz]

Look I belief that the G wagon is a very competent 4X4 but a better alround 4x4 than a patrol never!!! Piet can we look at some s pecks please???

[Jules]

My opinion and experience

I had MB in my blood since the day my Great great greatx4 granddaddy worked for MB in Germany, along the line of grand daddy's they worked on the assembly line for GWagen's. My father in law bought our next door neighbour 1983 GWagen ( which he bought new ) from him in 1987 this was a SWB Diesel 300G. This is not a racing machine, max I could get out of it was 120km/h downhill with backwind, overtaking was only done when a vehicle in front of you pulled off the road.

But I loved this lorrie, it was brutally well build ( In those early years all GWagen was put together by hand ), the vehicle was heavy but if you collided with another vehicle you just lost a bit of paint, the body panels was 3.5mm steel, I think the bonnet was made of 5mm steel, 3 difflocks and no fancy gimmicks or switches on the inside, PLAIN BUT RELIABLE.

My FIL never had problems on getting spares, and yes it did rust, but everything rust down the coast, although our vehicles tend to last much longer now seeing we are not allowed onto the beach anymore. This SWB had nice articilation, extremely good aproach and depart angles, even the bumper was in the way it was like having railtracks infront and at the back

The low range was such a crawler, if I put it in low range I had to give some juice to get the wheels rolling down my drive way which is about 20 - 25degree gradient.

For me the shape is timeless, like my GQ. I nearly bought one from a hotel owner down in Stellenbosch but it was a lefthand drive.

Would I buy one at the current selling price , if I had the money "verseker". There is just something about the GWagen that is very appealing to me , maybe it is in my blood. Maybe the fact that I cannot afford it makes it also very appealing.

Sorry Peter I cannot give technical or specific offroad reason why the GWagon is better or worse than the Patrol, I just LOVE it. But I also LOVE MY PATROL.


Shalom

[Peter Connan]

Jules I agree with your comment on bumpers that are hard enough to slide on, and a nice tough body.

Shortly after I got my patrol, I broke the first law of off-roading (walk first) and drove an obstacle that I had driven two weeks before, and managed to dump it onto it's side in a 1m-deep hole. The panelbeater who fixed it said he will not work on it again because it is too hard to panel-beat.

But unquestionably, the newer cars with the plastick bumpers are not as good at this kind of work, which is probably the reason for the popularity of integrated bull bars.

Here is a comparison of specs mostly from official paperwork, being the 4.8GRX vs G300 Professional:
Patrol G
Length: 5080 4643
Width: 1840 1960
Height: 1855 2020
Kurb Wght: 2390 2510
GVM: 3080 3500
W/Base: 2970 2850
Towing: 3500 3200
Track: 1625 1475
Tire OD: 790 744
Tire W: 275 225
Approach: 37 36
Departure: 31 31
Ramp: ? 23
Side Slope: 48 54
Grnd Clear: 215 213
Ford Depth: 700 600
Power: 190 135
Torque: 425 400

[Mrowka]

We see a TON of GWagens in Ukraine. In fact, the standard-issue vehicle for Mafia and Mafia wannabes here is a black AMG G55.

Besides the things that others have mentioned, the rap on the GWagen is that they are heavy, articulate poorly, and are packed with a lot of sensitive electronics and gadgets that break or get wet and that can only be fixed at a MB dealer. By constrast, most systems in an older Patrol can be fixed using nothing more than a bottle of vodka and a big rock.