2013 Mercedes-Benz G350CDi

Yes you heard us correctly, you can keep those other cars that we’ve had through our unit that used to be driven by the likes of Elton John, Princess Anne and David Beckham, this G was first driven by none other than the eponymous star of TOWIE, Joey Essex!

If you’re not reaching for Google right now you’ll have noted our slightly tongue-in-cheek intro, but it holds true that celebrity association does add cachet (and in many cases value) to a car. Dear Joey may not be up in fame’s stratosphere but he achieved immense popularity among a huge chunk of the UK population when this Mercedes was built.

First registered in April 2013, about the time that our Joey launched his own hair and fragrance products, this 3.0-litre (2987cc) diesel powered Mercedes-Benz G350 with a 7-speed auto ‘box was loaned to Mr Essex by Mercedes-Benz UK and has since had two further owners covering 94,000 miles.

The second owner - a transport company chief and serial G-man - acquired the car from Mercedes in 2014 and was responsible for over half of those miles but also for keeping up the regular servicing and maintenance by main dealers or specialists.

Our vendor is a friend of the second owner and is a bit of a car geek. He coveted his mate’s G-Wagen for some time until in December 2019 he was given first refusal to buy it when the previous owner upgraded to a newer model. He has since had the alloy wheels refurbished and some cosmetic body work done.

After using it as a family car and for “tootling about” (we all do that in our cars from time to time) - he is now selling to make way for a new Defender.

The exterior of the G-Wagen is coated in Calcite White, which is Mercedes’ purest white paint finish and is contrasted with black rubbing strips, window surrounds and gutter trims. 

The paint finish overall is very good, although there are a few blemishes such as the slight rust around one of the windscreen wiper mounts and a small paint flake between the fuel filler cap and rear wheel arch. There is also either light rust or dirt in some of the hard to clean places like behind the side steps and around the headlamps.

The vehicle sits on its original factory-fit 18-inch 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels, which were refurbished just last year and look immaculate. All were fitted with new Bridgestone Dueler H/T premium all season tyres back in August 2019.

Our experience shows that good quality matching tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something that we would encourage by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

This Mercedes was well specified when new with a full black leather interior including both the upper and lower dash, with black marbled inserts. It also has a good equipment level centred around the COMAND infotainment system with sat-nav, CD, media player, radio, video and phone capability, all pumped out through a factory-fit Harman Kardon surround sound system.

So far as we’ve been able to test, all of the electricals and interior equipment works as it should.

The leather-rimmed multi-function steering wheel features shifter paddles for when the 7G-Tronic gearbox is put into “M” for manual change. The transmission also has a low range setting and the characteristic 3 diff lock switches for use on difficult terrain.

The leather seats are heated and show little in the way of undue creasing, wear or damage. Likewise, the forward internal door trims look to be in good condition with just the odd foot scuff made while entering and exiting the vehicle.

The carpets appear pretty clean and undamaged, with protective over mats front and rear and the headlining is also in good order although a little splattered in the rear (see Underneath section).

Under the bonnet, the acoustic lining looks intact and there are only light flecks of rust around the extreme edges of the bonnet lid itself. The engine bay is very clean and tidy which speaks to the history of diligent servicing and maintenance and the diesel V6 is hidden from view by a large plastic sound-deadening cover that is de-rigueur for modern oil-burners.

Underneath the car is fairly clean, by which we mean it’s not caked in mud from extreme off-roading but has less than the usual build-up of road grime and dirt ingrained in the undersides. There is no obvious corrosion or damage either and lower hanging components like the diffs seem to be unscarred.

The rear boot space was fitted with a dog guard in late 2019 and it appears that the pooch or pooches in question may have given the sides of the luggage area a bit of a scratch now and again and shaken a bit of muddy water onto the rear headlining. However, the carpet seems clean and intact. The guard and the interchangeable roller-blind luggage cover and cargo net are present with the vehicle.

The G-Wagen has a current MOT valid until April 2021, which it passed after having to have its offside ball joints sorted. Prior to that it had a full-house of annual first-time passes since it first required inspection in 2016.

The car comes with sales brochures and a full set of original manuals in a Mercedes pouch, including the service booklet which documents a full service history as follows:

Jul 2014 - 15,876 - unstamped

Jun 2015 - 24,318 - Mercedes-Benz Milton Keynes

Jul 2017 - 39,549 - Autoclass MK (specialists)

Oct 2018 - 54,168 - Autoclass MK

Apr 2019 - 62,555 - Autoclass MK

Aug 2019 - 73,627 - Trevor Carr Cirencester

Feb 2020 - 82,744 - Aston Repair Depot Oxfordshire

Dec 2020 - 92,540 - Aston Repair Depot Oxfordshire

Other recent work included in the handful of invoices in the history file includes:

Jan 2019 - new seat belts

May 2019 - fix turbo leak

Aug 2019 - 4 new Bridgestone tyres

Oct 2019 - new key

Apr 2020 - ball joints (MOT repairs)

Oct 2020 - rear door and front wings mouldings

Oct 2020 - alloy wheel refurbishment

Not everyone will be the biggest Joey Essex fan, but who doesn’t love a G-Wagen for its indomitable spirit and bullet-proof reputation? It’s one of the few vehicles that makes a Land Rover Defender look a bit soft - they’re battle-hardened and capable of traversing the King’s Road as comfortably as they would scaling Kilimanjaro.

They’re also hugely desirable among celebrities and city folk who appreciate their imposing presence alongside the sort of comfort more usually the preserve of a Bentley or Rolls-Royce. 

Given their popularity and desirability, you would have every right to assume that this one is going to sell for quite a chunk of cash – and you’d be right because we expect it to fetch somewhere between £38,000 and £48,000. 

Yes, that’s a lot of money for an eight-year-old car but compare it to what contemporary urban warrior Defenders are going for and you will realise you are getting a helluva lot of metal and a degree more cool for your money. 

Inspection is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.