2013 Mercedes-Benz G Class - Safety Review and Crash Test Ratings

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has crash-tested the G Class in recent memory. We don't expect either agency to perform any tests any time soon, either, due to the G Class' extreme price and low sales volumes.

Mercedes-Benz fits the G Class with nearly all the safety gear it puts in other vehicles. Anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution along with stability control are standard in the 2013 G-Class, as are curtain airbags. Seat-mounted airbags are included, too.

The G Class' stability control and four-wheel-drive system provide more than an extra dose of safety when driving in heavy-duty or off-road situations. The stability system tailors its programming when towing, and of course, the G Class still has three locking differentials, which more advanced drivers can use to extract themselves from difficult terrain when lesser vehicles fail to proceed.

A rearview camera and parking sensors are standard, and are useful since visibility is constrained at the rear, where a wide frame surrounding the rear window blocks out most of the view. Visibility is great, otherwise: since the G Class is designed for hardcore off-roading, its flat front end and sides leave almost no doubt where the corners of the vehicle are, and parking is easier than in almost any other big SUV as a result.

Mercedes also bundles more safety technology into the latest G Class, including its Tele Aid system, which provides emergency and theft-tracking services. LED daytime running lights are new, as are adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitors. Though it's not the first SUV that comes to mind when we recommend family-friendly vehicles, the G Class has the requisite front-seat airbag deactivation system and LATCH system for mounting child safety seats, and has a shoulder seat belt in the middle second row.