AMAZON-TRENDING

How can you not like the Nissan Frontier Hardbody Edition? It’s just an appearance kit, sure, but it’s one that works, with throwback three-spoke wheels, 4×4 graphics, and a black front bumper that evokes its 1980s namesake. All it needs is some KC Daylighters on the sport bar to complete the package.

What’s funny is that the Frontier doesn’t need retro styling to feel like a throwback. Yes, this third-generation Frontier debuted just three years ago, but it’s based on the second-gen truck that came out in 2004. Even in 2021, this Frontier felt a bit old, and since then, we’ve seen the launches of brand-new versions of the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon. (Plus the arrival of the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick, and an update for the Honda Ridgeline, if you want to include car-based pickups.)

Get in the Frontier, and you’ll find bits and pieces Nissan’s used for decades. There’s no option for a digital gauge cluster, no big fancy infotainment screen, nothing. And where all the other mid-size rivals use turbo four-cylinders—hell, the Tacoma’s gone hybrid—the Frontier has a naturally aspirated V-6. It’s behind the times, yet it’s not a huge problem.

Usually when an automotive journalist describes a car as “charming,” it’s really damning with faint praise. Except, that’s not the case with the Frontier. This truck has all you need, and nothing you don’t.

I’ve spent a lot of time in new Tacomas recently, and while it’s a great truck, a lot of its bang-up-to-date technology doesn’t necessarily make life better. The digital gauge cluster in that truck is hard to configure, and while the infotainment system is certainly better, you’re just going to use CarPlay or Android Auto anyway, so who cares? And why do we need such big screens?

Pros: Hardbody Package Looks Amazing, Simple Interior, Great Ride Quality. 

The Frontier’s driving experience is on par, too. Generally, the ride is very good, though you do get some of the low-to-medium-speed jitteriness common with unladen body-on-frame pickups. Out on the highway, it’s remarkably quiet, and the optional Bose sound system on this one is surprisingly good, too.

For some reason, the steering is very heavy at low speeds, which can be a pain. And admittedly, the naturally aspirated V-6 feels a step behind a modern turbo four-cylinder. It’s got 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque, which are good numbers, but the torque peak is way up at 4,400 rpm. The new Tacoma’s 2.4-liter four makes 317 lb-ft at 1,700 rpm, and even the low-output version of GM’s 2.7-liter makes its 260 lb-ft from 1,200 to 4,000 rpm. There were times in the Frontier where I wish I had a bit more grunt down low. In passing especially.

But beyond that, it’s hard to fault. The Frontier isn’t the last word in absolute refinement, but neither are any of its ladder-frame competitors. Despite Nissan not having the budget to pour engineering resources into its mid-sizer, it’s made something that’s still very worthy.

The Frontier Hardbody edition isn’t a full-on off-roader like the Pro-4X, but it does get some useful upgrades. It has all-terrain Hankook tires, an aluminum skid plate, and steel rock rails. That should be more than enough for light-to-medium duty off-roading, but the Pro-4X does add upgraded Bilstein dampers, a locking rear differential, and hill-descent control.

Cons: V-6 Needs Low-End Torque, Overly Heavy Steering, Expensive

The biggest knock against the Frontier is that it doesn’t really present a great value proposition against its more modern rivals. This truck in particular is expensive. The Hardbody package is $3,890, it also requires the $2,190 Convenience Package and $995 Technology package. Those plus a couple other niceties push the MSRP here to $47,135. That’s about the same as a Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport hybrid, and not far off the $48,395 base for the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.

A lot of its rivals have stuff you don’t necessarily need, but when the pricing is so close, the Frontier’s raison d’etre starts to fade away. You want all the latest tech and engines when they don’t really cost you any extra money.

And yet, the Hardbody is just cool. No mid-sizer on sale today looks this good, and regardless of price, that has an appeal all its own.

Competitors

Toyota Tacoma Ford Ranger Chevrolet Colorado

More Nissan Frontier Reviews

2022 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X Overlanding Feature: The Old-School New Truck
2022 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X Review: Just As Tough, Better Than Ever
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“I could be an off-road guy, right?” No response from my wife, who definitely hears me in the other room. With more than 80,000 acres of unspoiled Florida wilderness at my doorstep, the idea of owning a Land Rover Defender and spending weekends on the trail appeals to my inner outdoorsman—the Outbound model specifically.

The Outbound is essentially a long-wheelbase 130 model with two rows instead of three. It has a side-mounted ladder, an exterior storage box, and a massive cargo hold. Land Rover ditched the extra chairs for additional tie-down spots and a capacious flat, rubberized load floor. If I were a real outdoorsman with…. things, I’d thoroughly enjoy how much room there is to work with.

There’s 43.7 cubic feet behind the second row and a whopping 89.0 cubic feet if you fold the second row flat, as in the standard 130, and a 1,840-pound maximum payload capacity. The exterior storage box offers a titch of extra cargo too, although it’s mostly for looks. You can maybe fit some tightly folded-up ponchos in there.

The rubberized mat is easy to rip out and hose off, and there’s still a sunroof and A/C vents behind the second row in case you want to take the pups on a trail ride. The side-mounted ladder folds down far enough that you can easily step onto it without pulling a groin, and the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac all-terrain tires improve the roof carrying capacity by 150 pounds. It can now hold 370 pounds in motion—instead of 220—and up to 661 pounds static.

Those chunkier tires wrap around 20-inch wheels and make quick work of dirt trails. The ride quality barely takes a hit, too, with Defender’s standard air suspension gliding over bumps and rocks. Excellent suspension articulation means even deeper ruts are no match, and it fords streams like a horse; the 11.4 inches of ground clearance means it’ll traverse nearly three feet of water.

Pros: Hugely Capable, Tons Of Cargo, Thoughtful Overland Touches

But be wary of this SUV’s 17.6-foot length. It’s huge. The departure angle drops from 40.0 degrees on the 110 model to just 28.5 degrees here, which makes it less than ideal on steeper grades. And if you’re sticking a bike rack or storage behind the rear tire, then be prepared to feel like you’re driving a school bus.

You will also have to pay extra for the really good off-road stuff. The Off-Road Pack is $1,250 and adds an electronic rear differential with torque vectoring. If your daily commute includes a trip down Hell’s Revenge, it might be worth it. Otherwise, the Defender is plenty capable on its own.

The standard turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six hybrid powertrain delivers 395 horsepower and it’s silky smooth once you get it up to speed. It pairs to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Add the $1,850 Towing Pack 2 and it can tug up to 8,200 pounds. But the throttle response is lazy and low-end torque is lacking, which requires lots of prodding and makes it hard to modulate power at low speeds—not great for rock crawling or towing.

The Defender 130 Outbound isn’t a rock-crawler, anyway. This SUV eats up miles on and off-road as any good overlander is meant to do. In typical Land Rover fashion, the interior is sumptuous and comfy. Black leather covers most surfaces (the only color option on this trim, for some reason) and a secondary “Robustec” dots the seat edges and center console for extra weather-proofing.

Cons: Daunting Size, Lazy Throttle, Pricey With Options

An 11.4-inch touchscreen comes standard on the Outbound model, and it looks clean and works well. Touch responsiveness is quick, options are easy to parse, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are wireless. If you really want to get fancy, the head-up display is an extra $1,000. It was rarely necessary. But the $360 WiFi add-on is worth it if you need a signal in some remote small town.

With add-ons, this tester comes out to $99,188 with destination. Not exactly an overlander on a budget. The base Outbound at least starts at $85,975, which means there’s a healthy heaping of options on this particular car. That puts it closer to some of the overland-ready alternatives out there, like the Lexus GX550 Overtrail+ ($77,250) and the Toyota Land Cruiser First Edition ($76,695). But you are paying a premium for the Land Rover badge.

My wife would kill me if I brought home a $100,000 SUV—no matter how hard I try and convince her that it’s the perfect vehicle for cruising deep into Florida’s pine forests. But I could see how an avid outdoorsman with an overseas bank account would easily be won over by the kitted-out Defender. It looks cool, it’s nice to drive, and it has just enough extra equipment to make the extra costs worth it. Not that the standard Defender isn’t already capable and cool, but the Outbound model takes it over the top.

Competitor Reviews

Lexus GX Toyota Land Cruiser

More Land Rover Defender Reviews

2023 Land Rover Defender 130 Review: A Family SUV For The Serengeti
2021 Land Rover Defender 90 First Drive Review: Get This One
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Don’t ruin a good thing. That’s how the saying goes. And for the last 45 years, the G-Wagen has been a very good thing. The monolithic box on wheels has evolved through the decades, but it’s always looked roughly the same. For its American audience, it’s always had a big, powerful internal-combustion engine.

Mercedes adding an electric powertrain to its most iconic model has the potential for disaster, especially considering faltering electric car sales and the company’s lackluster EV offerings so far. But after a brief stint behind the wheel of the new electric G-Class and a tortuous off-road test, it’s clear prospective buyers have nothing to worry about. In fact, the G580 with EQ Technology (as it’s so awkwardly named) is the most capable off-roader in the G lineup right now.

From many angles, the electric G-Wagen is not unlike other G-Wagens. The shape and proportions are the same. The face may wear a raccoon-like mask, but those big, round headlights are clear identifiers. Out back, the spare tire is replaced with a squared-off box to hold things like charging cords and adapters (the spare tire can be optioned back in place if you so desire, or you can have neither). Walk up and open the doors, and that familiar heavy metallic latch ka-chunk is present and accounted for. By all measures so far, the G580 is a true G-Class.

Things continue when you step inside. The electric G shares its cabin with the gas-powered trims, down to the dual-screen dashboard layout, column shifter, and physical climate control array. In fact, the only real difference lies in the center of the dash, where the three differential buttons have been replaced. The center button is now used for Low Range, while the outer two buttons activate two new features exclusive to the G580: G-Turn and G-Steering.

G-Turn is Mercedes’ fancy name for a tank turn, where the left- and right-side wheels spin opposite of each other, allowing the electric G-Wagen to rotate in place. Though we suspect most owners will use the feature as a gimmick to go viral on TikTok, it has real potential in the off-road world. If you’ve ever reached a dead end on a tight dirt path in the middle of a snowy forest, you’ll understand just how valuable a G-Turn can be.

G-steer effectively cuts the turning circle of the G-Class by dragging the rear inside wheel and over-driving the outside wheels—perfect for making those 180-degree corners on your local mountain pass.

Pros: Somehow More Capable Than G550, Just As Quick As G63, Quiet And Comfortable

Both of these feats are possible thanks to the G580’s drivetrain setup. There are four electric motors, one for each wheel. Because they can be controlled independently, stuff like the G-Turn is as simple as pressing the button on the dash, holding a paddle on the steering wheel, and mashing the accelerator pedal. G-Steer is even easier; all you have to do is press the button to activate it and point the steering wheel where you want to go. The system does all the hard work, ensuring you’ll get by without three-point turns again. Try that with a gas-powered G-Class.

The electric G’s off-road supremacy doesn’t end there. Pressing that Low Range button in the center of the dash doesn’t just activate some software in the ECU. There are real, actual two-speed transfer cases built into each electric motor, giving the G580 true low-speed control and markedly more twist at crawling speeds—exactly what you want for off-roading.

The more cynical among us can argue the electric G-Wagen’s lack of real differentials gives the gas-powered G-Class an edge. The G580 makes do with “virtual” differential locks, made possible by torque vectoring. Mercedes says it can meter torque between each axle within “fractions of a second” to ensure smooth, even power delivery no matter the terrain. The virtual diffs work automatically when you’re in low range, so you don’t have to worry about activating or deactivating each one depending on your next obstacle.

In practice, the virtual differentials work just as well as the real things. After driving a gas-powered G-Wagen back to back with the electric G, both trucks delivered the same incredible rock-crawling performance up some truly challenging, rain-soaked terrain. And unlike the gas version, I didn’t have to keep an eye on whether my front diff was locked. The truck assessed the terrain automatically, making black diamond trails feel like a walk through the local strip mall parking lot.

Cons: Floaty Ride At High Speeds, Range Could Scare Some Buyers

These types of trails require more than your standard metal skid plate to protect the ladder frame-mounted battery pack. Mercedes says it’s developed an underbody plate it describes as a “carbon-fiber sandwich.” In between two layers of carbon fiber is a type of wood, according to one of the truck’s engineers. Held to the battery with 50 steel fasteners, it’s more rigid than steel or aluminum and weighs 127 pounds (about a third of a comparable steel component).

Rock crawling isn’t the only place where the battery-powered G-Wagen outperforms. It can also ford more water than the gas-powered G-Wagen: 33.5 inches of fording depth versus just 27.6 inches for the G550 and the G63. Because the motors and battery are sealed, the G580 doesn’t have to consider sucking in water and damaging sensitive equipment. During our rainy test session, the electric G had no trouble driving in water deep enough to touch the bottom of the windows. In this scenario, the motors and the battery are fully submerged. This is a true G-Wagen, through and through.

On the road the G580 with EQ Technology performs just as well as the gas-powered G550. Steering and body control are nice and balanced, while an upright driving position and windshield make you feel like king of the road. Those four motors make a combined 579 horsepower and 859 pound-feet of torque. Under 100 mph the electric G feels just as quick as the V-8-powered G63, delivering the instant gut-punch of thrust we’ve all come to expect from high-output electric cars.

It’s only when you push the G580 past 7/10ths that its composure falls apart. Because it’s corralling so much weight (the European example we drove weighed 6,801 pounds), the truck’s suspension tends to develop a floaty feeling during high-speed dynamic driving. The G never really settles to a point where you feel comfortable going quickly. We don’t suspect many owners will hit canyon roads regularly in their G-Wagen EV, though.

You can drive the electric G-Class in complete silence, or you can turn on what Mercedes calls the G-Roar. As the cringey name implies, it’s a sort of virtual exhaust note that plays within the cabin as you accelerate. It doesn’t sound like a V-8—engineers specifically said they didn’t want it to sound like a V-8. Instead, it’s a weird mix between an inline-four and a spaceship. It’s there mainly to give passengers a sense of speed so they don’t become carsick, and it’s not nearly as impressive as the synthetic exhaust note Hyundai is doing right now with the Ioniq 5 N. If it were my truck, I’d turn G-Roar off and never think of it again.

While Mercedes has yet to release pricing or EPA-estimated range, we can make some educated guesses. It’s safe to expect the G580 to start around the same price as the G63, meaning an MSRP of just below $190,000. And by doing some quick math with range estimates we saw on the dashboard during our test, we put the driving range at about 224 miles.

That’s a rough estimation, but considering the G580’s weight and shape, it sounds like a reasonable number. While that might turn some buyers off, we suspect most prospective owners of the electric G-Class will have more than one car in their garage, making long-range travel irrelevant. All the things that really matter to those buyers—presence, comfort, and unmatched off-roadability—are still here. And in most cases, it performs better than the gas version.

Competitors

GMC Hummer EV SUV Rivian R1S Tesla Model X

More on the Most Important G Ever

The Electric Mercedes G-Class Has a Very Convoluted Name
Watch Mercedes Drift The Electric G-Class on a Frozen Lake
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Some people think Mercedes-Benz has lost its way. Questionable design choices across its electric EQ lineup and four-cylinder hybrids in place of fire-breathing V-8s have mainstream buyers and enthusiasts alike wondering, ‘What’s going on in Stuttgart?’ But not all hope is lost, because the Mercedes-AMG G63 still exists. And it’s even better than before.

The G63 is proof that Mercedes still knows its stuff. Visually the SUV is near-unchanged from the outgoing model, and there’s still a twin-turbo V-8 under the hood. The company could’ve gone on selling the same truck as before, and it’d still be the greatest SUV on sale today. But AMG improved the formula, adding a mild hybrid system and a revolutionary suspension.

There are a handful of exterior changes for 2025, but you really have to know where to look. There’s a new grille, new LED headlights and taillights, silver-painted brake calipers, and an AMG crest on the hood. That’s about it. The biggest changes, as ever with the G-Wagen, lie under the skin.

The 4.0-liter eight-cylinder engine is, thankfully, untouched for 2025, making the same 577 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque as before. Between it and the nine-speed auto sits the new piece of kit: an integrated starter generator (ISG) that adds up to 20 hp and 148 lb-ft when revs are low, assisting forward motion. Together, the two power sources are enough for a claimed 0-60 mph time of just 4.2 seconds, 0.3 seconds quicker than before. Top speed is electronically limited to 137 mph.

In practice that extra spice is immediately noticeable, delivering that little bit of push when you set off or when you put your foot down at highway speeds. Not that the V-8 is laggy or the nine-speed is slow, but having that hint of electric immediacy on tap provides another layer of confidence to go for that gap or make that pass. And best of all, it doesn’t hinder the thunderous V-8 rumble we’ve come to know and love.

Pros: Unmatched Presence, Impeccable Off-Road Prowess, Exceptional Ride And Performance

Even more noticeable than the mild-hybrid tech is the G63’s fancy new suspension. AMG Active Ride Control is a new system available only to AMG-branded products, and it manages to revolutionize the G63’s performance both on and off the pavement. In place of traditional sway bars sit a collection of interconnected hydraulic lines controlled by valves on each damper, pressurized by a centralized motor.

The valves, when closed, allow the G63 to isolate each corner so they work independently of the other three. That means if you hit a bump with the right front wheel, only that corner reacts. It doesn’t translate that shake to the rest of the car. The valves can also open to connect the system when the G63 goes through a corner, pressurizing the outside dampers to eliminate roll. In short, the system requires no tradeoffs between handling and ride comfort.

The mostly glass-smooth roads of southern France aren’t exactly the ideal testing ground for this sort of suspension, but first impressions are good. The few bumps I managed to find were handled with grace. The G63 is no Maybach GLS, obviously, but the new model is far more comfortable. Cornering has improved too, but with a curb weight well over two tons and a center of gravity rivaling a skyscraper, there’s only so much a trick suspension can do.

AMG Active Ride Control shines brightest when the G-Wagen is in its natural habitat: Off-road. Climbing up treacherous obstacles in the G63 is as easy as it’s ever been. There aren’t sway bars connecting the wheels left to right, meaning more suspension articulation for each corner. The tires leave the ground less often, resulting in more traction. Mix in the standard triple lockers and the G63 is as capable as any production off-roader.

Cons: Touch-Sensitive Buttons Are Annoying To Use, Painfully Expensive

Want to go faster on dirt? The new G63 can do that too. AMG Active Ride plays the part of long-travel rally suspension, soaking up giant bumps and big rocks at high speeds. It felt right at home on a muddy make-shift rally course used by Mercedes for testing, brushing off huge potholes and jumps. A sub-system called AMG Active Balance Control adjusts exactly how much roll the suspension delivers, letting you fine-tune handling as you’re bashing through loose dirt. Mercedes even added a seven-mode traction system that doles out whatever level of slip the driver prefers. And it all works seamlessly.

Knowing where to place the G63 is easy thanks to the truck’s upright driving position and unmatched visibility. The perks of having a shape that hasn’t changed much in 45 years is no growing beltline or pillars. Now there’s even an “invisible hood” function that uses cameras to show what’s in front of the nose for when you’re climbing uphill. Thankfully the cabin has been given only a minor facelift for 2025, with physical controls for things like climate control and the diff locks still in place. Sadly the steering wheel has been updated with the company’s touch-sensitive button array, making it harder and more confusing to use.

That fault aside, there’s not much to hate about the 2025 Mercedes-AMG G63. It continues its reign as the greatest all-around SUV on sale today, able to dance through back roads and climb up jagged rock faces without hesitation. A wonderful duality, but one that’ll cost you.

Mercedes hasn’t released pricing for the 2025 G63, but last year’s model started at $184,150 including destination, meaning this one will likely be even more expensive. And that’s before you factor in that available trick suspension, a must-have if you plan to do more than slap potholes on Rodeo Drive.

A years-long waitlist proves price isn’t a pain point for buyers, though. If you can afford a new G63, it’s a no-brainer. Every other SUV in this price range isn’t nearly as fun or capable.

Competitors

BMW XM Lamborghini Urus Bentley Bentayga

More on the Best German SUV

New Mercedes-AMG G63 Cabriolet Gets Suicide Doors, $1.3-Million Price Tag
Mercedes G63 Is Best-Selling AMG In Europe, BMW M Sales Up 58%
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Every G-Class sold in America since Mercedes started importing the truck has had a V-8 engine. The G500, the G550, the G55 AMG, and the twin-turbo AMG G63. Every single one has come with eight cylinders (save for a handful of limited-production V-12 models). Now, for the first time, you’ll soon be able to buy an internal combustion G-Wagen without a V-8.

Mercedes dropped the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 from the base G550 for 2025, replacing it with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six paired to a mild-hybrid system. It makes the truck quicker and more efficient than before, and for normal consumers, it’s the better choice. But I still miss the V-8.

That mild-hybrid tech comes in the form of a 48-volt-powered integrated starter-generator (ISG) mounted between the engine and the nine-speed automatic gearbox. Mercedes rates the engine at 443 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque—27 more horses but 37 fewer lb-ft than the V-8. The ISG can supply an additional 20 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque at lower engine speeds, though, making the new powertrain feel far peppier while setting off.

The hybrid assistance makes the inline-six feel like a more responsive and modern powertrain. By strict German numbers-matter-most standards, it’s the better one to have. But it’s just not as interesting as the old 4.0-liter. Gone is the G-Wagen’s signature V-8 rumble, something that made every G identifiable from idle alone. I suspected Mercedes would want to hide the sound of the six-cylinder, but it’s still audible, from inside and outside of the truck.

I don’t mind the sound of an inline-six, but this one isn’t very nice to listen to. At times it can be buzzy and annoying; something I wouldn’t expect of any Mercedes product, much less a G-Wagen. Again, this is something that I suspect most G-Wagen buyers might not care about. But to me, the V-8 was a more enjoyable experience.

Pros: Way Quicker Than Before, Retro Looks Shine Brighter Than Ever, Out-Of-The-Box Off-Road Supremacy

The rest of the six-cylinder G-Class is absolutely excellent, though. Mercedes had American journalists drive G500s, the European equivalent of the US-market G550. Sound aside, power delivery for the six-cylinder is smooth and consistent, while the nine-speed delivers solid, unintrusive shifts. Independent suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, introduced on the G-Wagen in 2019, means a car-like front end and laid-back, pleasant cornering characteristics. The suspension is softer than it was in last year’s G, but don’t be surprised if you feel a few more bumps if you’re coming from something like a GLE.

While lots under the hood has changed, not much is different on the outside. Aside from a slightly different grille, new bumpers, and a handful of other tiny changes, the 2025 truck looks identical to its eight-cylinder predecessor. The G-Wagen’s unmistakable silhouette and retro design are as appealing as ever, and we hope it never changes.

It’s the same story inside the cabin. Minor changes are tough to spot, even if you’ve spent time in last year’s model. Some of the switchgear has been redesigned, but all of the buttons, including the three big switches for the differentials and the physical climate control cluster, are still around. Two 12.3-inch screens sit atop the dash; the one behind the steering wheel acts as a gauge cluster, while the other handles infotainment. Sadly the company-wide touch-capacitive steering wheel buttons have made it to the G550, making adjusting the cruise control and volume a bit more annoying than it was before.

As nice as the six-cylinder G performs on the road, it’s all meaningless if it can’t live up to the nameplate’s unparalleled off-roading capabilities. Mercedes took us to the very off-road park in southern France where it validates the G-Class, giving us the chance to climb up the same jagged rock faces as the engineers.

Even with rain-soaked slick and muddy surfaces, the G-Wagen made quick work of every obstacle. It’s up some of these rocks that you realize just how invaluable a front locker can be. Engineers demonstrated how the G struggled to climb up an uneven cliffside without the third differential engaged. Press the button on the dash to activate it, and the truck drove right up as if there were no obstacle at all. The G500 and G550 might not be able to perform the same torque vectoring miracles as the electric G-Wagen, but it’s still among the best in the game right now if you need a go-anywhere SUV right out of the box.

Cons: Inline-Six Can Be Buzzy, Lots Of Wind Noise, Very Expensive

No matter how you feel about the switch from V-8 to straight-six power, it might not matter to most G-Wagen buyers. Mercedes representatives at the launch event wouldn’t tell us the split in US sales between the base G550 and the big boy AMG G63, saying only that the G63 had a market share greater than 50 percent. Rumors suggest the split could be as great as 70/30 in favor of the G63.

The straight-six-powered G-Wagen is the most rational choice, but the G-Class is a passion product. People buy them because of how it makes them feel, not just because it’ll get them from A to B. And if you’re passionate about the G, you’re probably going to want the V-8. So I wouldn’t be surprised if that split grows beyond 70/30 once the six-cylinder G550 goes on sale.

Competitors

Land Rover Defender Land Rover Range Rover Cadillac Escalade Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. Sign up For more information, read our
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I pay attention to how others perceive the car I’m in, whether it’s my own bargain-basement poverty-spec Camry, or a supercar. So I can assure you that the BMW 7 Series stands alone as the most fearsome vehicle I’ve ever tested. Finished in “Frozen Pure Gray” with all-black M accents, this car—a plug-in hybrid 750e xDrive—is downright evil. Cyclists yield. Pedestrians shuffle through crosswalks faster. Minivans leave the fast lane.

The 7 Series’ dramatic proportions are unmatched by its contemporaries. With present-day upper crusters obsessed with projecting their ethical consumerism, a sedan that looks like Cruella De Ville’s daily driver stands alone. Whether you find it attractive or not, the 750e means business, and for that, I love it.

It looks a bit less like a supervillain’s lair inside, but remains just as luxurious as one. My demo car ($135,345 as-tested) had nicer carpets than I have in my apartment, and the wine-colored, full-grain Merino leather appointments are Rolls-quality. (If Merino leather is too poverty-spec, don’t worry, cashmere upholstery is also an option.)

The 18-way adjustable front power seats are some of the most comfortable I’ve ever experienced, and the fit and finish in the cabin is some of the best I’ve ever seen. One-touch automatic doors slam themselves shut with a satisfying “thunk”. The optional 1,965-watt Bowers & Wilkins speaker system ($4,800) has beautifully crafted grilles integrated into the door cards, and audio quality is sublime. The LED-woven glass roof ($950) is stunning at night and perfectly tinted during the day. The armrests are heated. No detail was lazily developed; Even the seats get a set of opulent crystal levers on the LED-backlit door panel strip for adjustment, with fine movements controlled via the center touchscreen.

That 14.3-inch touchscreen is also where you access the 7 Series Executive Package’s ($4,600) seat massage functionality… as well as basically every other piece of functionality in the car. The driver gets a heavily customizable 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster that seamlessly blends into the infotainment system; Both of these screens are housed in the same curved glass panel that spans two-thirds of the dash. BMW’s iDrive infotainment software runs on the “floating” display, and it’s beautiful, responsive, and fairly easy to navigate, although some of the menus are hidden.

There are some minor frustrations stemming from the UI’s singular focus on the touchscreen—both driver and passenger cannot adjust their seat heaters at the same time, as only one set of controls can be used at once, for example. For a cabin almost wholly devoid of buttons, the 7 Series’ overall user experience is still excellent.

Less satisfying is the driver’s heads-up display, which takes up enough windshield real estate to become distracting. The HUD—combined with the odd half-click, half-scroll wheels on either side of the steering wheel—were confusing and difficult to use on the fly. I often changed radio stations accidentally, and had to shift my focus to the HUD to fix whatever I’d just bumped.

These quibbles pale in comparison to actually driving the 750e, which stands alone in the 7-Series lineup… as by far the most frustrating of any drivetrain on offer.

Like the mild-hybrid and fully electric 7 Series variants, the 750e has lithe, if numb, handling for its 126.6-inch wheelbase, thanks to well-tuned four-wheel steering. The problem with this PHEV is the integration of its 194-horsepower single electric motor and 308-hp turbocharged straight-six drivetrains.

Apply mild pressure to the brake pedal and regenerative braking is smooth, but weak. Then the car lurches, decelerating much harder, once the pedal is pressed hard enough to engage the calipers. The 750e’s pedal travel inconsistencies make smoothly stopping very difficult. What’s worse, the amount of brake pressure it takes to engage the calipers is variable based on speed, so I never quite knew what the pedal would feel like at any given stoplight.

BMW’s insistence of always-on “adaptive braking”—where the 750e slows itself down for stop signs or traffic ahead—drove me completely insane. It was always different behavior from the brakes every single day. The only way to shut off this one-and-a-half pedal driving was to engage Sport Mode, which brought me to my next major frustration: the throttle pedal.

At low speeds in normal modes, the EV drivetrain is quick and responsive, but lean into the pedal harder and it becomes difficult to modulate. The throttle feels as though it has two-thirds the travel it should, and attempting to smoothly roll on the gas for a quick getaway often results in pushing past the electric-only drivetrain and into a surge of gas-powered fury. Switching to Sport Mode (to get better brake behavior) made the entire driveline twitchier. When wrung out in anger, the 750e moves in a hurry (4.6 seconds to 60) thanks to its hybrid system’s 493 hp. But driving the 7 Series in constant anger feels like defeating its entire purpose.

The least frustrating way to drive the 750e was to get to the freeway, turn on the Level 2 Highway Driving Assistant ($2,000), and let the Bimmer do the heavy lifting. Still, I would have preferred more of me driving the Ultimate Driving Machine.

The EPA rates the 14.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack for 34 miles of all-electric range, which is middling in the class—the Mercedes S-Class PHEV achieves 56 miles of EV-only driving. The EPA estimates the 750e can achieve 65 MPGe (and 25 MPG) overall; I ran the 7-Series’s battery to zero and still achieved more than 30 MPG total, which is great for the 5,635-pound 750e.

The efficiency still isn’t worth the frustration. Luckily, if you want to skip all of the annoyance of the 750e but still enjoy the 7 Series’ incredible cabin and styling, you can. The superb, all-electric i7 is on offer for $1,000 less, with all of the same strengths and a much more solid drivetrain. Skip the plug-in, and move straight to the EV.

Competitor Reviews:

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Porsche Panamera Volvo S90

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For about as long as the Porsche 911 has been water-cooled, it’s been the benchmark for premium, high-performance sports cars. But the tire-smoking, 656-horsepower brute that is the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage is proof that we, collectively, have been stupid.

Firstly, they fixed it. Almost every gripe was addressed, massaged, or outright improved with new parts. Then Aston Martin went to town adding more, deliberately moving the Vantage upmarket and above the cloudy haze surrounding the mid-$150,000 sports car segment. It now costs a boastful $191,000, which means it’s in a different market segment than the Vantages that came before. Not only has the wick been turned up significantly from a performance perspective, but the Vantage formula has simply been solved.

Secondly, it still does things that a 911 can’t do. More critically, it now does those things without the asterisk of previous Vantages. “Well,” you might have said previously, “the Vantage is more emotional and unique than buying another GT Silver Carrera GTS.” Your monologue continues. “Yeah, the interior is worse, and it doesn’t drive as good. But it’s cooler!” Throw all of that out of the window.

The new Vantage, finally, stands on merit. It’s good, very good, even. But is it truly as complete as it needs to be?

The new Vantage isn’t just an extra 153 horsepower and a new interior—it has been quite thoroughly redone. After a brief video wherein a subtly hostaged Fernando Alonso was almost certainly being told to say nice things by an off-camera Lawrence Stroll, Aston’s new Director of Vehicle Performance, Simon Newton (formerly of a small company called Lotus), outlined a significant number of changes.

The Vantage concept was rebuilt around its bonded aluminum chassis. While overall torsional rigidity increased, total rigidity wasn’t the sole development focus. Rather, Newton’s team focused on increasing the local rigidity in suspension-critical areas: A new firewall, complimented by front suspension tower reinforcements, increases the front local rigidity by 100 percent. Rear rigidity increased by 29 percent with the addition of a strut brace. A retuned electronic power steering system takes advantage of the changes.

Leveraging gains from that more-rigid structure, the team retuned every facet of the suspension. New kinematics (essentially, the suspension’s geometric behavior under load), new Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers with a 500 percent wider range of stiffness, and retuned springs and sway bars work to improve performance over the previous Vantage. Everything works through a set of Vantage-specific Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tires in the same sizing as the larger DB12.

Then there’s the Aston’s nuclear-bomb engine. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 from Mercedes-AMG is not simply a re-tuned, off-the-shelf unit. Not only are the turbochargers larger here, but more-aggressive cams are fitted, the engine’s combustion chambers are CNC ported, and there’s a significantly lowered compression ratio. Each improvement tells the story of a more-heavily boosted engine. Where the previous Vantage used a 10.5:1 compression ratio, the 2025 model uses an 8.6:1 ratio; identical to the 605-horsepower variant AMG installed in the E63 and S63. Yet the Aston nets a colossal 656 horsepower, one of the most powerful variants of the AMG 4.0-liter V-8 ever created.

But wait, there’s more. A new nine-stage traction control system allows drivers to precisely control the percentage of wheel slip relative to road speed. While the latest Bosch integrated vehicle controller uses brake vectoring, the electronically controlled limited-slip differential and the Vantage’s adaptive dampers to run the show. The hardware is good, with the E-diff capable of going from fully open to 100 percent locked in 135 milliseconds. But the software is where the real party (at least, engineering-wise) starts.

A dizzying array of acronyms dominate the Vantage experience. The 6D-IMU inertial measurement unit tracks the Vantage’s movements in six axes, while the Integrated Brake Slip Control (IBC) program actively manages per-wheel brake force to provide optimal yaw and attitude on corner entry, which is called Brake Slip Vectoring (BSV). The Integrated Traction Control (ITC) combines the brakes, engine output, and E-diff to control wheelslip, while Traction Slip Vectoring (TSV) optimizes wheel slip to achieve the desired yaw angle. Basically, there’s a shitload of vectoring happening to make the Vantage dance.

Pros: Powerful, Comfortable, Well-Tuned

The most significant change is an all-new interior, unified in spirit with the DB12. Aston throws everything away from the previous car, a welcomed good riddance. This Vantage proves significantly more usable, with supremely satisfying knobs and switches made from weighty, knurled metals. Finally, there’s CarPlay, and it’s wireless.

The interior still has some snags. It’s easy to bump the heated seat selector while adjusting volume, and the gauge cluster runs at a frame rate and resolution that wouldn’t be acceptable in a Subaru WRX. Aston is working on fixes, it assures us.

OK, everyone. We can drop the weary optimism almost every Aston of the last decade has required. In practice, the 2025 Vantage presents as an almost completely new vehicle, with the echoes of the previous generation only visible to the most sensitive of hands and asses.

The Aston nets a colossal 656 horsepower, one of the most powerful variants of the AMG 4.0-liter V-8 ever created.

Aston has long ridden the opulent-chintzy line but lacked the tasteful refinement to be totally convincing. It’s something that Porsche sidesteps using clean design language that appeals to people with pea-gravel driveways and turf lawns. It only took a few years, but this newest Vantage is finally a true expression of the glitz that the Aston brand has always promised.

Simultaneously, it is the greatest expression of the roguish, pub-brawling brute that the Vantage should be. On the road, it doesn’t lose out in comfort when compared to the previous Vantage, even with a more performance-focused philosophy underpinning the new car. Road noise is well managed and ride quality in every mode is excellent, less punishing than before.

There’s a newfound precision to the way the Vantage attacks a winding road, though it’s not always easy to wrangle. Even with Aston boasting significant chassis and steering improvements, the steering still lacks an authoritative build up of weight off-center, transmitting only a tantalizing hint of what could be, thanks to strong on-center feel. It takes a bit of hustling to get the Vantage to come alive, and low speed carving wasn’t that satisfying. The new suspension feels excellent, light on its feet and agile, but never stiff and punishing. It’s precise, exacting, and forgiving in its ride quality. A magic trick.

Cons: Tech Is Better But Not Perfect, Not The Most Communicative On Road

But hell, if the Vantage isn’t a hooligan. There’s that prodigious, borderline-shocking power, kept in check by its team of acronyms. The multi-stage traction control system feels deeply clever, allowing cheeky street slides to feel like child’s play. Laying off the power reveals a chassis balance to rival a Subaru BRZ. The ease with which the Vantage can be driven to that comfortable pocket just ahead of its limits, despite its power and weight, is impressive. Even if the car’s body communicates most of its moves through your seat, rather than the steering wheel. Rather than a completely unhinged lunatic, the Vantage is like Patrick Bateman, a high-functioning psychopath in the best-looking suit you’ve ever seen.

This character doesn’t change massively on the test track. The Vantage simply expands its domain, absorbing nonstop 25-minute track sessions with only the tiniest hint of brake fade. Even that is to be expected–Monteblanco, the test track in question, has a straightaway good for 165 mph in the Vantage. At the end of the straightaway is a 130-degree right hand turn with a minimum speed hovering around 50-60 mph. I’m amazed the carbon ceramic brakes didn’t glaze, and I’m equally amazed at the advancements Michelin made with the Pilot Sport S 5. Whereas previous Michelins would delaminate under extreme conditions, these new tires take huge, smokey drifts and sustained abuse without a hint of a complaint.

Even if it wasn’t totally meant for it, the Vantage makes for a lovely and impressive track tool. Aston tuned the brakes for a short, stiff pedal feel with a low-bite friction material for easy modulation. Some drivers may complain of a lack of bite, but the more experienced will welcome the granular adjustability. Slides were easy to initiate but difficult to sustain without solid commitment, and transitions were also difficult to manage thanks to the steering never quite coming alive.

The Vantage will drive how you want it to–It’s comfortable doing colossal drifts or driving the straight-and-narrow for lap times. The front axle could be easily overwhelmed on corner entry, but with a bit of responsibility and judgment, the Vantage would tuck and turn. The long throttle pedal makes it easy to delicately proportion power, and the effect is satisfying to master.

It’s a massive step forward for the baby Aston. And despite me saying that comparing the car to a 911 would be stupid, I’ll only say it for this: The 2025 Vantage is a true 911 Turbo killer. It does the thing. It’s more exciting to drive than the Porsche, it’s more comfortable, it’s quieter, and it rides better. It sells more of a fantasy. But the Aston doesn’t quite reach the dynamic heights the 911 grasps so effortlessly. The Porsche has superior engagement, steering feel, and handling.

But the Aston is quite possibly the better overall package for the first time in its history. It is mightily impressive. And unlike a 911 Turbo, I can grab fourth gear mid-drift and scumbag a vehicle worth about as much as the average home. The Vantage makes you smile and giggle, it’s an activation of your inner child rather than a sobering, logical, adult object. And as corny as it sounds, it makes you fall in love.

Competitors

Ferrari Roma Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica Porsche 911 Turbo Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. Sign up For more information, read our
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