If you’ve been searching for the Mercedes G55 AMG, you’re likely trying to work out whether the supercharged V8 version of the G-Class is worth the money, and what it’ll actually cost you to own one in the UK. The short answer is that a used G55 AMG typically costs anywhere from the high £20,000s to around £65,000 depending on age and mileage, and the supercharged Kompressor models built from 2004 onwards are the ones most buyers are actually after.

This guide covers the different versions Mercedes built under the G55 AMG name, what they cost new and used, what it costs to run one in the UK including road tax, the problems that come up most often on forums and repair databases, and what to check before you commit to buying. There’s also a comparison with the G63 AMG that replaced it, since the two get confused constantly.

What the G55 AMG actually is

The G55 AMG is the performance version of Mercedes-Benz’s W463 G-Class, the boxy, upright 4×4 that’s remained largely unchanged in silhouette since the 1980s. The G55 AMG was a performance-focused variant introduced in 2000, and it was the first AMG offering after AMG had been acquired by Mercedes-Benz.

Initially, the G55 AMG used Mercedes’ M113 E55 engine, a naturally aspirated 5.4-litre V8 producing 354hp and 387 lb ft of torque, available in short and long wheelbase versions. That naturally aspirated version is the rarer one, and if you’re specifically after the version most people picture when they search “G55 AMG,” it’s the supercharged model that came next.

From naturally aspirated V8 to the supercharged Kompressor

From the 2005 model year onward, the G55 was given a supercharged version of the M113 E55, commonly referred to as the M113K, offered only in long wheelbase form. This is the version that built the G55 AMG’s reputation, and it went through several power increases during its production run.

[Table: G55 AMG power output by generation]

The most powerful version, with its performance nudged up to 507 hp and 700 Nm of torque via a new engine control unit, still used the same 5.5-litre supercharged V8 architecture, accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds with a top speed electronically limited to 210 km/h. Production continued until 2012, when the G63 AMG took over with a newer, biturbo V8 platform.

How much does a G55 AMG cost in the UK

Prices vary a lot depending on mileage, condition and exactly which generation of engine you’re looking at. Expect to pay meaningfully more for a low-mileage, later Kompressor model than for an earlier naturally aspirated example.

Used listings currently on the UK market range from around £28,000 at the lower end up to roughly £65,000 for well-kept, lower-mileage examples, with one used marketplace showing an average asking price of around £48,500 across its current stock. A 2011 example with 63,000 miles was recently listed for sale in the UK at a price that reflected typical depreciation for a car of that age and mileage.

[Table: typical UK asking prices by condition]

These figures move with the classic car market generally, so check current listings on the major UK marketplaces before treating any single number as fixed.

Running costs: road tax, fuel and insurance

Owning a G55 AMG costs considerably more day to day than the purchase price alone suggests, and road tax is the cost that catches people out most often on an older performance SUV like this.

VED road tax for the G55 AMG

Every G55 AMG built falls into the pre-April 2017 road tax system, since production ended in 2012. Vehicles registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pay an annual rate based on which of 13 CO2 bands their emissions fall into, rather than the flat rate newer cars pay. A large supercharged V8 like this sits at the very top of that scale.

Band M, covering any car emitting over 255g/km of CO2, currently costs £760 a year to tax, up from £735 the previous year, and that’s the band a G55 AMG is almost certain to fall into given its size and engine output. Confirm the exact figure for your specific car using its V5C logbook, since VED rates are reviewed and can change from one tax year to the next: check the official GOV.UK vehicle tax rate tables before you buy.

Fuel economy sits around 20 mpg in typical mixed driving, so factor that into your running costs alongside insurance, which will reflect both the car’s performance and its age.

Common problems to check before buying

A handful of issues come up repeatedly across owner forums and vehicle repair databases for this generation of G-Class, and it’s worth checking for them specifically during a viewing or pre-purchase inspection.

• Door lock actuators, window regulators and inside door handles, reported as one of the more commonly flagged issues on repair tracking databases for this model
• Oil leaking from the oil level sensor, a fairly minor fix but worth checking for during any inspection
• Harmonic balancer wear, cited repeatedly across model years as a known concern that can affect the timing cover if left unaddressed
• Crankshaft position sensor faults, which owners have reported can cause stalling or rough running on certain model years

[FACT UNVERIFIED, CHECK BEFORE PUBLISHING: the sources for these specific fault patterns are third-party repair-tracking sites and owner forums rather than a Mercedes-Benz technical bulletin, so treat this as a starting point for questions to ask a specialist rather than a confirmed defect list]

Given the age of any G55 AMG on the market now, a pre-purchase inspection by a specialist familiar with the W463 platform is worth the cost regardless of how good the car looks, since electrical faults in particular aren’t always obvious on a test drive.

What to check before buying

Beyond the mechanical checks above, a handful of paperwork and history steps protect you from a costly mistake.

1. Confirm full service history, ideally from a Mercedes-Benz specialist rather than a generic garage
2. Check the exact CO2 figure on the V5C to confirm your road tax band before you commit
3. Run a full vehicle history check to confirm there’s no outstanding finance, and that the car hasn’t been recorded as stolen, scrapped or written off
4. Ask specifically about the supercharger’s maintenance history if you’re looking at a Kompressor model, since this is the component that sets the later cars apart
5. Get a specialist inspection covering the harmonic balancer, timing cover and electrical systems before agreeing a price

G55 AMG vs G63 AMG: what changed

The G63 AMG replaced the G55 AMG in 2012, and the two get confused constantly since they look nearly identical from the outside.

[Table: G55 AMG vs G63 AMG]

If your budget stretches to a G63, you’re getting a newer platform with a turbocharged rather than supercharged engine. If you specifically want the character of the supercharged AMG V8, the G55 is the only way to get it in this body style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What years was the G55 AMG produced? 

The G55 AMG was produced from 2000 to 2012, with the naturally aspirated version running from 2000 to 2004 and the supercharged Kompressor version introduced for the 2005 model year onwards. Production ended when the G63 AMG took over in 2012.

Q: How much horsepower does a G55 AMG have? 

It depends on the version, since the naturally aspirated model produced 354 hp, the early supercharged Kompressor produced 469 hp, and later revisions from 2006 and 2008 raised this to 493 hp and then 507 hp respectively. Check the specific model year to know exactly what you’re looking at.

Q: How much does a G55 AMG cost in the UK? 

Used prices currently range from around £28,000 for higher-mileage earlier examples up to roughly £65,000 for low-mileage, later Kompressor models in excellent condition. Prices move with the classic performance car market, so check current listings before treating any figure as fixed.

Q: How much is road tax on a G55 AMG? 

Every G55 AMG falls under the pre-2017 CO2-banded VED system, and given its size and power output it’s almost certain to sit in Band M, currently £760 a year for vehicles emitting over 255g/km. Confirm the exact CO2 figure on your car’s V5C before buying.

Q: What are the most common problems with a G55 AMG? 

Reported issues include door lock actuators, window regulators and door handles failing, oil leaking from the oil level sensor, harmonic balancer wear, and crankshaft position sensor faults on some model years. A pre-purchase inspection by a specialist familiar with the W463 platform is worth doing regardless of how good the car looks.

Q: What’s the difference between the G55 AMG and the G63 AMG? 

The G55 AMG uses a supercharged 5.4 or 5.5-litre V8 and was built from 2000 to 2012, while the G63 AMG that replaced it uses a biturbo 5.5-litre V8 with higher power output across the board. The G55 is generally the cheaper entry point into this generation of G-Class on the UK used market.

Q: Is the G55 AMG naturally aspirated or supercharged? 

Both versions exist, since the original 2000 to 2004 model used a naturally aspirated 5.4-litre V8, while the version from 2005 onwards used a supercharged Kompressor engine. Most buyers searching for a G55 AMG are specifically after the supercharged version, so check which one you’re looking at before making an offer.