WHY I LOVE MY G-WAGEN

John’s a fan of the three-pointed star and has owned his diesel G-Wagen for around five years: ‘I’ve owned Mercedes-Benzes for years because they are reliable and good to drive, and as I live in the countryside, with the risk of snow and ice, a G-Wagen seemed the obvious choice. My wife bought me this one and it was in basically sound condition, with just three previous owners, one of whom was an RAF officer living in Cornwall. The bodywork at the rear needed a bit of attention – just some scrapes and the odd rust spot, so nothing major – but otherwise it’s only required regular servicing. I did replace the dampers with good quality Bilsteins because the old ones were shot and spoiled the otherwise solid feeling on the road. It lacks the luxury of other Mercedes models, especially the interior, which feels pretty utilitarian, but the solidity makes it feel very safe to drive. Also, it’s not exactly fast but I find it fine for motorway use and although I’ve never actually taken it off-road, you get the feeling that it would get you out of anything. It’s definitely a car I intend to keep.’