DOES YOUR CAR WAX GIVE YOU BETTER PROTECTION THAN YOUR CUT-RATE CAR INSURANCE? Don't trust just anyone to insure your car, see me: W a y n e M c G ill 2345Wro3oftRd. #21. Oakville 905-847-5671 BEST WHEELS An Oakville Beaver Automotive Feature · To advertise in this section call 905-845-3824 or Fax 905-337-5568 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 1 . 2 CX)1 · Page Cl By Malcolm Gunn OAKVILLE NISSAN Flee Bob McIntosh 6 1 6 York S t. Oakville Direct: 90S-827-7191 W e (e a s e a ll m a k e s a n d m o d e ls . The mother of all SUVs is now available for semi-mass consumption S P E C IA L T O T H E BEA V ER I f you're serious - really serious - about blazing new trails and going where no sport ute has gone before, then the G -Class from M ercedes-B enz might be the start o f a brand new friendship. A w ord o f w arning, though. The asking price for acquiring this level o f unim peded capability, not to m ention the typical high degree o f luxury and technical advancem ent one expects - in a M ercedes-Benz product, isn't cheap. But those with the bucks to budget for one o f these exceptionally capable rigs will jo in a privileged club o f G -Class ow n ers, all o f w hom will possess one o f the toughest off-road warriors in the business. U p until this year, the Austrianbuilt G -Class w as im ported into the United States only, in very lim ited quantities through a private distrib utor, and w as m arketed by its origi nal nam e, G elaendew agen (pro nounced ga-lan-de-vagg-en). B ut with the m arket for sport utility vehicles hotter than a blow torch these days, M ercedes has d irectly assum ed the m arketing rights and now all its dealers will have access to this luxo-brute. L ike the H um m er, N orth A m erica's king-of-the-hill m onster m achine, the G -C lass w as original ly developed as a go-any where m il itary personnel carrier. A s such, it was designed to far exceed anything else in its class. F or exam ple, the 2,500-kilogram G -Class can clim b hills w ith grades as steep as 80 per cent, and move laterally across a 54 per cent slope. However, unlike the Hummer, the G -Class gets the jo b done on a m uch sm aller scale. This four-door super SUV is only slightly longer, but significantly narrow er than the more fam iliar M ercedes-B enz MClass. Still, it can com fortably hold five passengers, one more than the Hummer. From the outside, the G -C lass's m ilitary origins are clearly evident, w ith a box-like shape that can best be described as Early Land Rover. B ut this no-nonsense design, with its flat surfaces and nearly perpen d icu lar w in d sh ield ^ is ideal for scram bling unscathed through the brush and around rock outcroppings and other obstacles. But inside the G-Class, it's a dif ferent story. You'll find a respite from the harsh realities o f the great and not-so-great outdoors, includ- 2002 G-Class Four-door, five-passenger sport-utility vehicle 5 .0 -litre SOHC V8 engine produces 292 horsepower. Five-speed automatic transmission. T h e G-Class is a military-speced SUV that has been highly modified for civilian use. Pow erful V8-engine ensures this heavy weight will perform rapidly when called upon. T h e G-Class's advanced four-wheeldrive system keeps this SUV mobile in almost any on-, or off-road situation. B a s e Price: $100,000 (est.) ing du al-zo n e clim ate control, leather and burled w alnut interior trim, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, pow er sunroof, heated pow er front seats, nine-speaker sound system with six-disc CD changer and GPS navigation system , to nam e ju st a few o f the standard treats. To help transport G-Class ow n ers through the boonies, M ercedesBenz has installed a 5.0-litre SOHC V8 that produces 292 horsepower and 336 lb.-ft. o f torque. This 24valve engine is virtually identical to the one found in the lim o-like M ercedes S-Class sedan and SLClass roadster. A five-speed auto m atic transm ission com pletes the G -Class powertrain. M ercedes also included a full tim e four-w heel drive system with a unique three-w ay differential that can be locked at the front, centre and rear, depending on the severity o f off-road conditions. A dded to this is both electronic four-w heel tractio n control and standard electronic stability control that helps keep the G-Class pointed in the right direction when the going gets slippery. M ercedes plans to import just 150 o f these no-nonsense SUVs to C anada for the '02 model year, and expects m ost to be quickly snapped up. It w on't be everyone's cup of caffeinated beverage, but if you're looking for an exclusive off-roader that com bines go-anyw here power, state-o f-th e-art eq u ip m en t and upscale fittings and features, the GClass bears looking into. A GOOD THING IUST GOT BETTER. Only 24 2001 Vehicles Available · Brand New · Demos · Pre-Owned L im ite d T im e O ffe r "PRIME RATE SALE"* Mercedes-Benz T h e F u tu r e o f th e A u to m o b ile erfy at. MERAY M OTORS & COLLISION Q E W & DORVAL DRIVE · OAKVILLE 905-845-6623 www.meraymotors.mercedes-benz.ca E x p e rie n c e M e rc e d e s-B e n z th ro u g h T h e C o lle c tio n , a c a ta lo g u e of s ig n a tu r e m e rc h a n d is e a v a ila b le a t w w w .m e r c e d e s - b e n z .c a . ·Prime Rate, 4.5%, w ill be offered on Purchase Financing of in stock 2001 vehicles up to 48 month term, O.A.C., minimum $5,000 down, call for details. Expires November 30,2001