2025 Mercedes Benz G580: Electric, Bulky, Tall, Wow!

Gosh, where to start with the luxury-utilitarian off-roading behemoth also known as the 2025 Mercedes Benz (AMG) G580?

Willie Nelson once sang “if you’ve got the money, honey, I’ve got the time,” and I thought of this song when I first looked at the sticker price for this gem of a car.

Paul (my husband) and I estimated the base price to be at least $60K US, maybe even 70 or 80. We could not have been more wrong: the starting price is $161,500K US.

You read that right. Financing could get tricky, to say the least.  And to pay that much for a car that does not come with complete luxury nor a rear hatch that opens automatically…. For starters, I had a few questions.  And concerns for the average Bear buyer.

First, a little history.  The Mercedes G-wagons started life as military wagons that were meant to take on all the dirt and terrain that nature could throw at man and beast.  Over the years, the model got more luxurious, but it did keep its ruggedness.  

For all that dinero, you still have to flex your muscles when ‘enjoying’ the G580. There are no steps that automatically roll out to help you into this tall car. 

You have to physically use your hands to open the doors; the circular button on the handles must be fully depressed to open and close the doors. Thus, you have to pay attention. 

To be sure, the car does indeed talk to you; if you forget your phone, leave a child or an otter in the backsets – or are about to hit a pothole, it will alert you.

And yet, for all the refinement, the ride can still feel a bit as though you are operating an elegant bumper car.  Thus, not much refinement IMHO. All this for an advertised estimated driving range of just 239 miles per full charge, which is far below what most EVs can offer nowadays.

Edmunds.com really does like this vehicle, noting how it has all the power and prowess of smaller, faster Benz’s.  I will give it that: you can have a lot fast and fun times with this vehicle when driven properly. 

I do not know anyone who has $150K US lying around, or who has easy access to that kind of money.  And if they do, they may be putting it aside for medical issues, because, well, that’s how life is here in the Golf of America.

Hey, I realize you can’t afford this car (or can you?). It’s fun to test these vehicles and see what they can do, but I, like you, still have to live in the real world.  

Can I eat at that new Mexican-fusion joint and still pay my electricity bill? Should I really pay for a bottle of water when tap water will work just fine? How will I pay for car insurance on this Hope Diamond?

(A quick ask of AI suggests that car insurance alone could run you at least $283 a month.)

I live (effectively) on a teacher’s salary and there is no way I would consider a car with this price tag, even if it somehow magically appeared in the discount bin. But I can dream, and the G580 is a fun dream, as long as I awaken at some point and my little 4-cylinder teacher’s car engine still turns over, and the motor oil is still relatively fresh…. 

And the monthly insurance on those four cylinders is still under $200 US.