Mercedes-Benz G-Class Review
The 2010 Mercedes-Benz G-Class is no curvy crossover in the latest idiom. Based on a design built for the Shah of Iran's military, the G-Class has evolved only slightly in the two decades or more since it was first engineered. It's one of the most capable sport-utes on the planet-and one of the most expensive. With a base price of more than $100,000, the G- Class is a cult object and a celebrity magnet, with its only real competition being the Land Rover Range Rover or, possibly, the Lexus LX 470 and HUMMER H2.

Walkaround
The 2010 G-Class certainly stands out from the crowd. Its design is based on military vehicles, and as such it can seem very basic. The sides are flat, the windshield is very nearly vertical, and the overall shape is strikingly boxy in an age where even pickup trucks have gone aero. The interior's more of the same, with rugged shapes, flat door panels, and lots of tall glass areas-but it is decked out in leather and chrome in abundance, to justify the G-Class' extreme price tag. For 2010, buyers will see light cosmetic touches like new side trim and chrome accents, with a leather-padded dash inside. Two G-Class models are defined by their powertrains. The 2010 G550 sports Mercedes' widely used, smoothly stalwart 382-horsepower V-8 engine coupled to a seven-speed automatic. The 5.5-liter, 500-hp G55 AMG adds an intercooled supercharger and upgrades to a beefier five-speed automatic to push the barn-door body through the atmosphere. The G550 accelerates to 60 mph in about 8 seconds; the G55 AMG pounces more brutishly to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, while gulping gas to the tune of 11/13 mpg. The smaller V-8 manages 12/15 mpg.

Summary
There are many luxury conveniences fitted to the G-Class. Both G-Class models sport Bluetooth connectivity, a sunroof, a navigation system with 40GB of hard drive space for maps and music, a six-DVD audio system, satellite and HD radio, real-time traffic, an iPod interface, a wood- and-leather heated steering wheel, and heated and cooled leather seats in front, with heated second-row seats standard as well.