| Acceleration |
C
|
The 563-hp G63 gets out of its own way better than anything this shape should (0-60 takes 5.3 seconds). Quick shifts from the seven-speed automatic, but the steering gets light and the G becomes hard to control at wide-open-throttle. What a noise, though! |
| Braking |
C
|
Tons of nosedive and a strong pull left, but a pretty good stopping distance of only 120 feet from 60 mph. The brakes are very touchy, which makes for lurchy stop-and-go driving and isn't great for off-road either. |
| Steering |
D
|
The steering constantly reminds you that this is a 30-year-old military truck with working roots. Steering is terribly vague with seemingly random results. It also fails to center, causing constant, abnormal extra steering inputs. |
| Handling |
D
|
Thanks to seriously aggressive stability control that you'll encounter every day, the G63 is almost foolproof. It's also slow, ponderous, top-heavy and every body motion is grossly exaggerated. |
| Driveability |
D
|
Twitchy brakes, tractor steering, tons of power and a mile of body roll make for an exciting, but not necessarily good, driving experience. |
| Off-Road |
C
|
What should be a strong point for the G-Class isn't here. Summer performance tires, touchy brakes, exposed catalytic converters and side-mounted exhaust in the crush zone add up to a vehicle that's more suited for the country club than the Rubicon. |
