Id gladly buy the 96 Park Ave Ultra over either of these two cars. Even if the price of all three used cars were exactly the same. Hell, even if the Buick was priced higher than the other two were priced used...
That's actually a better car than that Deville in the video, much more reliable engine. Plus I like the pillow seats, Cadillac quit doing that in the early 90's.
Adjusted for inflation today, the Mercedes would cost $101,000 and the Cadillac would cost $63,000. This is an apples to oranges comparison. After factoring in the cost of parts and basic services, which is cheaper to keep on the road? (I am not talking about major service such as replacing an engine.) Compare the price of changing the oil. The Mercedes is going to be a lot more expensive. Replacement parts will also be much more expensive for the Mercedes. I know a a guy that owns an independent Mercedes shop. He is not impressed by Mercedes quality (but does love the high cost of repair.) He drives a GMC truck.
Father worked in the leather trade. The smell of leather always reminds me of him. As kids we would find bits of leather in the turn ups (remember them) of his trousers. Why i always liked Jaguar interiors.
To be fair that is a base model Deville. I know for a fact that by 2005, the Cadillac Deville DHS did indeed have optional power rear window shade (had rear door shades too). Cadillac did offer a lot of options that people didn't order. You in fact have a BASE model Deville. I agree that the bean counters didn't help in the design, but a lot of options were available. The 2000 Deville introduced optional night vision, NOT then available on the Mercedes Benz.
I just read this after posting the same myself. Should have compared a fully loaded DHS or 300hp DTS. I used to get all my boys with “foreign” cars loving my DTS.
@@jamals4045 I know what you mean! My buddy has a 2000 Mercedes Benz E-class compressor that hasn't aged very well, and he's impressed with my '90 Brougham d' Elegance!
Yeah could've got a DHS or DTS for $50 k still a lot less then S class and got Navigation, power rear and window sunshade, massaging seats, power lumbar for rear seats , rear climate control , heating and power steering wheel, cooled memory seats, Bose audio , rain sensing wipers. Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist, genuine wood inserts , night vision all that and still $24k less then S430. Really a biased video.
@@abram7117 My buddy has a 2000 Mercedes Benz and his real would has begun to fall off! The electronics are a bit shady in his Mercedes too, along with front suspension and transmission problems!
The S-class is in a whole other league, and even today, Cadillac doesn’t have a model that competes with it. The “flagship” model that Cadillac thought about building a few years ago would have competed with it, but it never came to be. I think this video bashes the Cadillac a bit too hard against a car it never competed with in the first place. Yes, you can see the differences in costs and it’s impact on design and quality, but the Mercedes is 80% more expensive, which is a lot. Not everyone could afford the price difference even if they preferred the Mercedes.
yeah i dont get it either. mercedes breaks down, caddy breaks down. same thing broken on both. caddy repair costs 200 bucks. merc repair, triple that or more. the cladding really didnt make a difference on the caddy, nothing is rusted out after 16 years. so why bother?
@chukzombi - Wait another five or so years and compare a Mercedes with a Cadillac both driven in the rust belt. I've had to replace rusted out brake lines on not one old American car, it isn't fun or cheap.
@@petrosaguilar8916 ive replaced rotten fuel lines on my 27 yr old chrysler ragtop twice. but it only cost a few hundred bucks and i was on my way. i rather deal with cheap to repair instead of break the bank to repair.
I owned the DTS variant of the DeVille and I can personally attest that it was a freaking awesome car. I found that the interior didn’t wear, it was comfortable, and it was overall great. I happened to have the *actual* fully loaded model. Moonroof, night vision, navigation, etc. 320,000 miles, albeit with help along the way. I plan to buy another one eventually because it left such a lasting impression on me, even though it’s a rather bland car to most people. The DTS had that kind of special electroluminescent dashboard and the DHS has the rear power sunshade. My DTS had the side impact airbags as well! The trim comparison isn’t particularly fair, but in general, you’re right - the Cadillac wasn’t built as well, but even being relatively poorly built in comparison it is significantly nicer than other regular cars.
Lol soft close anything is the dumbest concept. I’ve always done a double take to make sure I closed it soft enough to latch (my Jetta doesn’t have them and I don’t slam my doors either, I close them). Plus you know those motor are gonna ware out and drain the battery faster!
@@mromatic17 most top end cars have it... It's a luxury feature not a necessity. Half the features on high end cars serve little purpose but are there just because they can haha
@@19jacobob93 yeah all that it is is a gimmick to make ppl feel better about spending more money. I like mercs and BMW’s for their performance and nice interior. The only luxury items i really like are heated and ac seats and sunroof or targa top. The rest is just wasteful IMO
@@mromatic17 yeah absolutely, I mean they have to come up with something new with each model so I can imagine they start coming up with ideas for the sake of it haha that said the soft close doors on my W140 do serve a somewhat purpose, since the doors and latches are so heavy even with a decent slam they rely on the soft close feature probably 50% of the time. Maybe it's there because of the weight of the doors and the force needed to close them is deemed too brutal for the people who would have been chauffeured around back in the day 😂
Even my Golf IV (16 years old now ( i drive it for about a year now)) has heat shielding and some coverage. We germans know how to build cars (we invented it afer all) and the japanese too.
From 1965 til 1968, I worked at Bill Short Motors in Little Rock, Arkansas during the summers, selling many different brands of European cars, but I especially loved selling Mercedes, because when I told the customers about the quality, safety and value, I didn't have to feel as guilty as I did when selling Renaults, Triumphs, etc. You knew you were selling them value for their money. I have loved MB vehicles ever since. My wife and I bought a well- used 1981190D and we wish we had never traded it off. It had 208,000 miles on it when we traded it. We were concerned about major repairs in the future, but we should have known better. We never had any trouble with it the whole time we owned it. That was in 1999. That old 190D is still running around Cheyenne even today! Listening to you speak of your Mercedes brought all these memories back. Bless you and Mrs. Wizard!
Curious to see an update - Newer (within last 3 years) Mercedes vs Cadillac vs BMW - How do they compare? How do they stack up to each other? Great video
Mercs are special, no doubt. I recently got me a 1985 190E. It has NOT been well maintained; it's beat up inside and has heavens-knows-how-many kilometers on it; yet it glides down the highway, eating up distances, keeping up with modern traffic and still driving better than any modern econobox that I've ever driven. Not bad for a cheap beater :)
I don't know if you knew this beforehand, but the 190e/190d is an amazing choice for a car, reliable, comfortable, safe, and somewhat nice with handling (incredible if you go for the 2.3 or 2.5 16 valve 190e), take care of the maintenance decently and you'll probably be giving it to your grandchildren in some decades
@@benjamingordon2627 W124s are one of the best models. The W123 is also rock solid but most have succumbed to severe rust by now. I have a W140 which is a great all rounder. It's a bit big and heavy but the rust proofing on them is excellent and it has the bulletproof M104 engine so I plan on keeping it indefinitely if I can keep on top of the electronics over the years...
why do you guys think its expensive to fix mercedes cars? yes parts are more expensive, and maybe labour to but mercedes dont break as often so in the end its cheaper to "fix" mercedes than cadillacs
I have an 02 DHS. It's been incredible. Bought it in 04. 221000 miles later, I still love it. No issues.. at all. And yes, it does have more under car cladding than your daughter's well used base deville
Scotty Kilmer’s view is all about reliability and low cost of ownership is all that makes a car worth owning.. hence “Toyota Toyota Toyota.. .. Wizards view also includes looking at it for what is is.. build quality and engineering and design. Now a days the Germans are using a ton of plastic for their cooling systems and such and that’s where they are cutting corners.. that’s a real concern.. however I like the way German cars drive over other manufacturers.
scotty kilmer is a hack that spews unreliable anecdotes to millions of people to provide confirmation bias. He tags keywords for views which is illegal in youtube terms but manipulates it in such away to get away with it.
Shane Sexton scotty lives in the past😂 And the reason stuff is plastic is not due to cost, its due to that its better then metal in that aplication and cost less for costumer to replace👍 All cars have problems but not one of mine bmw/Audi or MB has had big cost on replacement parts but i guess its diffrent for you in us then us in europé. Still our Volvo V70 cost more under one year then our bmw 525d did for tree years just in maintinens😂
this,i can change the water pump on a town car in 30 minutes on the side of the road with just the part,a socket wrench kit and a jug of water or coolant don't even need to jack the car up
I had a 98 E320 4matic and that car was a tank in the snow! I sold it at 314,000 and I would not think twice about driving that car across country. I had an 87 190 turbo diesel with 327,000 when I sold it. Like anything else of quality, it costs more up front, but the product lasts much longer.
@@NameSchema100 Yes they were the worst model for rust. The darker colours such as black and navy seem to do better. Silver seems to be the worst for rust.
Must not have seen a lot of DeVilles, my dad's 04 has a front belly pan. I've seen a few at pick a part too. They are fairly cheap, and the rivets are junk too. The 2002 DTS I own has better suspension, Road Sensing Suspension, basically Magnaride up front, actuators on the rear air shocks. I'd still take my DTS over the Benz any day. Both are pricey to maintain, but the Caddy will still be cheaper. Also, the DTS has 300hp and 3.71 gearing, compared to the base and DHS that have 275hp, 3.11 gears.
The s430 2wd had a 2:65 rear diff, and easily breaks the 30 mpg mark on the interstate. I've racked up another 100k miles on mine since getting it in 2015. Still running like a clock.
I like the comparison for sure, very well done. but since recently being in Germany for a month, ive realized. companies design their cars for their target market. Cadillac owners are not routinely slowing their car from 150mph to 60, 20 times per day. we don't expect our car to feel planted and commanding at 120+. we want a luxury car to feel effortless at 75. as someone who loves a plushy soft ride, i even criticized a BMW x3 for feeling vague and wallowy at 100, but stabbing harsh around town.
I appreciate your honest opinions about these cars. The Deville was not meant to be tuned for the Nurburgring, just a smooth, soft, pillowy ride. These cars have very good handling and steering for being 207" long. The hood ornament sure helps with knowing where your nose is planted. Nowadays, Mercedes stuck to their roots. I wish Caddy had done the same. The Deville was the last stalwart at Cadillac.
The automatic trunk pulldown started in 1955 originally for the Eldorado series and lasted all the way up to 2002 on the last Eldorado. It remained optional during the 50's, 60's and 70's era but then became standard on all Cadillac models of the 80's and 90's. Only the Eldorado Brougham from 1957-1960 had a fully automatic opening and closing trunklid only operated from inside the car. The switch was found inside the glovebox.
@@starxlr7863 Just watched a video of a 1956 Cadillac with the power opening and closing trunk option, I was amazed. Way more impressive than soft-close doors that you can barely see in operation if you aren't paying close attention lol.
@@Stressless2023 Mercedes was always way ahead of everyone. There is nothing impressive about the power opening and closing a trunk for God's sake. It's a gimmick more than something that is really necessary. The soft close on the Merc is not only on the side doors but also on the trunk and the hood too. What this utility provides is less slamming the doors to make sure they are properly closed, thus saving the owner some real cash in terms of repairs because lets face it- If you slam the doors so often - they do tend to break more quickly. Especially with all the electronics in them , the electric mirrors and windows , climate control buttons and central locking system.
Excellent video sir. This will hopefully assist all those people who say Mercedes is just a fancy badge on a regular car. It takes real knowledge and intellect to appreciate what you’re getting with a Benz.
Complicated doesn't make it better. I shudder to think about the cost associated with any suspension work on the Mercedes. I would imagine those rear air shocks are probably 1/5-1/10th the cost of the Mercedes. My dad had an '01 DHS. Yes, it was an old man's car. The ride was far better than his friend's '03 S500 4-matic, but certainly wouldn't hold a candle when it came to corners. Acceleration was better in the Cadillac as well, and despite the flaws of head-gaskets and oil leaks, the Northstar had such a wonderful, throaty, sound and an amazing torque curve. It didn't need more than 4-speeds. It had excellent power from off-line to redline. He did have trouble keeping the front cooling hose on it - it rubbed on the valve-cover and required replacement 3 times in the 13 years and 120K miles he had. he had to replace the water pump as well, which is not an easy job. Regarding mileage, it did quite poorly in town due to it's heft, but he regularly got 30-31 MPG on the open road. Even though I'm not an old man, it would be my pick 100x over for a highway vehicle. Oh, and his had night-vision. Amazing technology that wasn't available in ANY Mercedes at the time.
kristoffer3000 seriously. People like to just go off of what their buddy said and talk about how much more expensive the parts are which isn’t really true.
@@CadexLaw I had a lot of comments about my old Merc being expensive to own and repair and it had the lowest parts prices of anything I've had to date. VW has been the most expensive. (170$ for an AC relay that breaks quite often, cost me 5$ on eBay.)
Your videos are usually much more accurate in their car facts. A 2000 DTS is was still around 50 grand with ALMOST all of the features that Benz had and some you could not get on the Benz. It took me 8 years to try Benz again after the experience I had with my 2003 CL600.
@@colmfarrel4742 Cadillac is great at having a great idea but not fully developing it before it goes mainstream. I remember when Cadillac first introduced night vision around 2000. It's not bad, my grandfather had it on his first gen 2001 DTS. My father always talked crap about its usefulness and then ran and got an 2007 S class with it.
@@pete538 ABC repairs were killer back in the day. I loved the pillerless lines of this car so much that I got an old BMW 850 in 2012 not knowing that car was crap also.
Wizard complains there's no auto-closing doors on your Caddy. Well.... if you lack the strength to close the doors on a Deville you probably shouldn't be driving.
You are the only person I have ever heard of with an old S-Class that hasn't sunk tens of thousands of dollars into them. They are nice car but you better have a big wad of hundred dollar bills or a huge limit on your credit card whenever they need to be fixed.
@@petrosaguilar8916 they're just not worth it. Most people that drive them now days buy them for dirt cheap and drive them till they can't anymore. People that can afford the maintenance can also afford a car that costs more then $4k.
That's why I wish these cars cost much more used. That way they would not fall into the hands of abusers. It's a vicious cycle - broke buyers can't afford maintenance which leads to lower resale value which leads to more broke abusers buying them. BTW - Buying a W220 and maintaining it properly will still cost you much less than sales tax, depreciation, and interest on a new S. They start at roughly $92k.
That's due to free labor and already having the tools on hand. For a typical owner ball joint and alignment woop there goes a grand, electric shocks with air springs 400+ each for name brand ones. If we were in europe Mercedes worth it, here it's alot more costly to own as it ages.
Thanks for this; as someone who is a satisfied owner of a 1994 Deville Concours, I'd say that back in that year, the Cad used better materials and had a more precise fit and finish than the 1997 onward models. Mine has genuine Zebrano wood and a much nicer feel than the plasticky and drab products Cad put out during the Bush2 years.
What is crazy and ridiculous is that....I had a 2003 Mercedes C240 for 3 years, drove it for Uber and Lyft recently for 3 months and it drove EXCELLENT. Uber told me that my car is now too old and I needed a newer car. I said fine and bought a 2008 Mazda 3 Speed thinking it would be a nice fuel efficient car for Uber and Lyft...worst decision I have ever fucking made. Tons of problems, its like it made out of cardboard and has every problem possible. Recently the Transmission Control Module crapped out, motor mounts shot, electrical problems, all kinds of codes being thrown. Im selling it and getting another Mercedes.
Thx 4 the great comparison Car Wizard! I have 4 AMG's which I restore and it's nice 2 finally get compliments instead of bitching about Mercedes "unreliability"....
I have a W221 S550 and absolutely love it. It’s been a great car, and the quality is unmatched. Sure they are more expensive to fix, but the car is just so good it’s worth it.
Brent Waterbury I have a 2007 (first year) with AMG sport package and Premium 2 pack. I did a resonator delete, secondary cat delete, and X pipe and it sound incredible. Quiet but extremely aggressive, sound like a slightly quieter AMG. I’m at about 98k miles now.
I'd never considered purchasing a Mercedes until this comparison. I have had a car with the Northstar engine and it was very expensive to fix. My mechanic told me to get rid of it because I was paying BMW repair costs for a domestic vehicle. Thanks for the comparison.
And more important than any of this, is what happens when there's an accident. There's a dramatic difference. An accident which would leave you crippled and maimed for life, if you were in a Cadillac, is likely to be something from which, in an S, you emerge completely uninjured. Thank you for describing, from a mechanic's viewpoint, the quality and DURABILITY of Mercedes. While my Lexus LS has doors far more silent than the soft-close on that S, and while far less goes wrong as an LS ages, I do realize that S-Class is much safer than LS. You may have convinced me to switch.
@@johnlukach4091 That's good to hear! Thanks for the feedback! Now, if someone will just happen-by, and reassure me as to the front partial offset crashworthiness, and head restraint system, in my LS, I'll feel even better.
So I basically determined the Deville doesn't last that long due to design but that's okay cause I can buy two at this Benz price..this was a great video..thanks for taking your time and lifting the two
I purchased a 2005 Mercedes Benz S430 with only 91k miles from the original owner who meticulously maintained the vehicle at a Mercedes dealership. He was just getting up there in age. It looks exactly like this one, same colors inside and out. I have different Mercedes rims is the only difference. I absolutely love driving this car even though I also own a 2017 Lexus ES350 with 60k miles. You can tell it is very well built. It drives great z I have replaced the vacuum pump for the soft close doors, trunk, and locking and it was pretty inexpensive with me buying a used OEM part on eBay and doing the work myself. I can't bring myself to selling it. This was a great comparison video! Thanks Wizard
Totally agree..but the cost is nearly double. Plus the Merc is the s class top of the range..so it's not a fair comparison. If you look at today Cadillac its superb against a merc as well. Also GM should build the Cadillac Elmiraj it leaves the Merc for dead for luxury.
@@ratj4715 the mercs sold here here are made in America, in fact they have one of the bigger workforces in correlation to the produced cars, if I remember correctly. And I buy quality, not a feeling. If the Japanese do better cars, i buy there. It's the same with my tools...
Erebos No their not most are made in Germany look it up. And caddies are 100 hundred percent American made. Take your foreign car and put them up your ass. People like you are the reason this country is where it is. Only think about yourself. It will come back to you sooner or later next time it will be your job. Am in my late 50s never owned a foreign car never will never had a problem with America made just like anything you have keep care of them. I seen the damage foreign cars have done to this country and everything that is foreign made. Why do you think we have a loser like trump because people are sick of what going on in this country when it comes to foreign made stuff being dumb into this country from people making 50 cents to a dollar a hr. Where the fair trade their is none so keep buying your foreign shit until their nothing being made in this country.
Looking at the comments, some are trying to offend the wizard while he is being honest and it’s funny how some can’t accept the facts and that the German engineering is called for a purpose German engineering as that is a quality standard... keep up the good work wizard and unbiased reviews, facts are facts and no one can argue with them!
Well that's always been the American car manufacturer's mentality towards cars in general, not just luxury cars - make it as cheaply as possible; reuse whatever you can from other cars, give it a sheen of window dressing with low-tier pleather, faux wood, and electroplated plastic, and bodge it together with as much plastic cladding as you can muster. That reduces your overhead and maximizes your profit through minimal investment and sales volume. Joe 6-pack isn't going to know what real luxury is so long as you give him this imitation luxury at a comparatively cheap price, and hide its deficiencies under the branding of 'MADE IN 'MURICA'.
Next week the wizard will compare a $50000 Corvette against a $100000 super car and be surprised that the car twice its price has a lot better quality, craftsmanship and options. 30,000 dollars difference is not comparable even with a 3 year age gap. The Mercedes is almost 75% more expensive.
I'm not sure I get what you are getting at with this video. You keep saying the Mercedes cost more and it is better quality and engineering and worth the additional money, it doesn't mean the Cadillac is bad! Why heck, my 2010 Cadillac is still going strong at 130,000 miles. It's pretty easy on gas and it's held up well and still looks good. Probably true of the Mercedes too. A more apt comparison might be that Mercedes to a high end Audi or Jaguar and compare the Cadillac to its true competitor, the Lincoln.
I agree. Second video where I like the idea but a disappointing execution. Talking about a car that's almost 50% difference in price. Not to mention the difference in time which adds inflation and options.
😍 I'M A FAN OF THE BOATY CAR/RIDES....I LOVE THE GEAR LEVER ON THE STEERING COLOLUMN, I LOVE THE FRONT BENCH SEATS, I LOVE HEARING THE V8 PUR WHEN I STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR HEAVY, I LOVE THE SIDE TO SIDE ROCK AFTER EVERY TURN AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE A LONG FRONT END PULLING INTO PARKING SPOTS LOL😍
I have been watching your vids off and on for a while now. I really appreciate how you look at each car as its own unique thing while (trying) to not be brand-jaded. Its really nice to hear professional opinions in a matter of fact way. Subscribed! I have often thought of trying to find a used Merc or BMW, but I am as worried about over-engineering as under (from a diy garage mechanic perspective). The soft-close, the silent locks, etc scares the crap out of me for the day when it finally fails. Do you feel this is a valid concern or am I over-thinking it?
As a car enthusiast I knew that most German luxury vehicles would outperform domestic vehicles, but it was very interesting to see the exact differences. Thank you for the in-depth comparison!
I must say that I love your videos as well as your standpoint on different makes and models..... I am personally a Euro car consumer, had so many major issues with domestic vehicles myself, back when I was a domestic consumer, quality control didnt really exist, it was just a sales number game, and the quality actually made BMW look like a much better option. now im a BMW ( please don't kick me off the channel for this) as well as a land rover guy. have a 2001 E38, which im doing a 2001 m5 drivetrain swap on currently, also have a disco 1, disco 2, as well as the last model LR4 HSE Lux..... I have nothing against Japanese, or even korean vehicles (they have really taken the world by storm IMHO) Keep up with the awesome videos good sir, there is much to learn, and I really love how you explain everything so clearly :)
That was one very good topic - comparing the implementation of a luxury car on both sides on The Atlantic - to see in parallel the approaches and design decisions. Nice one, Wizard!
General Motors cost cutting and planned obsolescence almost put them out of business a few times. I just don't know if this company will ever learn from its mistakes.
Those boots on the Airmatic shocks certainly do protect them but they are usually the first thing to go (crack and let debris in). If they are compromised you have to replace the whole thing. Arnott put a better boot design on their own shock so it lasts longer. That's why I don't recommend people buy reman shocks from the dealer.
@@SirMarxy Yes, they have separate parts numbers for the boot, but they won't sell it to you. You also have to take the whole shock off anyway to put it on, so at that point you will want to replace with an entire unit. If the boot is compromised they only have so long due to contamination.
He doesn't sound like he likes Cadillac's, well I do and my 2005 DTS has 167000 miles and still kicks ass and I love it. Yeah it's worth what I paid for it, stop knocking it. And this car was way advance in technology for its year which I don't hear you saying that, Mercedes are junk big aspirin.
@@maxim430 yeah no doubt. But it would be a fair comparison. Lexus is better in about every way. Especially when aging it ages 10x better then the Mercedes
"Better in about every way" Like what? Remember Lexus only copies Mercedes and the other German brands. They seldom if ever innovate any new technology.
How a car ages depends on how it was cared for. Styling wise the 2001-2006 Lexus LS looks way more dated than the timeless sleek design of the W220. I just saw an S430 4-Matic just like the Wizard's (even same color) rolling down the freeway. It looked like new and was obviously cared for by the older man driving it.
To clear up some of your misinformation: All 2000+ Devilles could be optioned with side impact airbags. Higher-end Devilles could be had with a power rear sunshade (along with side sunshades in the rear doors), among other features that were near-comparable to the S-class. Plastic belly pans for additional under-body aerodynamics & protection were installed on all 2000+ Devilles, they simply are missing on the car in this video and apparently from all of the Devilles you've worked on. Lastly, this generation of S-class had their own sets of pros and cons just like the Deville... Nearly every Benz from this era including these W220 S-classes were built using terrible quality stamped steel body panels and rotted out like crazy if you live anywhere near the northern states. The "AIRmatic" and "ABC" air suspensions you gush about so fondly on these Mercs were extremely problematic and were 1 of the biggest reasons many owners literally junked these cars & one of the biggest reasons why it has virtually zero resale value (similar to Deville's). BOTH of these cars had their own pros and cons, the Benz was not the be-all, end-all of reliability or build quality in this era and the Deville was not the pariah or poseur-mobile that you make it out to be either. Period.
The Wizzard doesn't hide his prejudices. There's no mystery in this comparison. But, he projects trustworthiness, as few other Tube folks do. A pleasure to watch.
In September of 2014 I bought one of my dream cars with just 29000 miles on the clock! A W220 S65 L AMG! It took me 9 years to find a very well maintained one, a German import. Back in 2005 when they came out I remember drooling over the pictures in various car magazines, just reading the numbers made go soft.... 612PS and 1000Nm..... a nuclear power plant on wheels.... Today, about 5 years later with just 38000 miles on it I still enjoy every ride, specially the cold starts.... man.... tuned like a symphony orchestra on crack :)
Hes very one sided. He loves his japanese cars however there's plenty of japanese cars out there that also get incorrectly repaired or diagnosed. The German and American have built excellent engines, its all about whoever is working and servicing them!!
Most mechanics have Scotty's viewpoint based on experience. People like the Car Wizard are in a niche and definitely have the minority opinion on German vehicles.
@@BoogieDownProduction "Most" American mechanics. Not most mechanics. The reason is simple: The cars are usually too complicated for an Average US mechanic to fix them. The average American mechanics are used to outdated American simple designs with 0 % electronics - so when a German modern car comes in their shop they definitely are confused and more than not do a lousy job just so they can take the money. My advice to everyone in US who wants to own a European luxury car : "If you DONT HAVE MONEY TO BUY A NEW MERCEDES, You sure as HELL WONT HAVE MONEY TO REPAIR IT EITHER." buying second hand Merc in US is an endless money pit because authorized Mercedes mechanics in US are darn too expensive and the average mechanic in US wont do a good job too.
Thank you sir for that good video. But really, I think that nothing can seriously be compared to the Mercedes quality and design, and this since always. Have a nice day 👍
The Deville your showing is the Base Deville. There are the Base, DHS, and DTS. I have a 2001 Deville DTS and it has the 300 HP Northstar. Console Shifter, Analog Gauges and full plaster cover from bumper to back of the engine. Telescopic Steering Column, Sunroof, 17" tires, etc. Feels sportier than the base one with the column shift and digital dash. Northstar is a great engine but if you have to remove alternator, water pump, it is the way too big job then needs to be and if you enjoy chasing check engine codes then there a great car lol I really like the way it drives and its quiet on the hiways overall
Hey Jason, my wife owened a Caddy: like you said, they cheaped out on a lot of parts. As for the Northstar: every mechanic I've ever met has said, "Don't buy a car with the Northstar".
Because of the heads and it to bad because they are really great engine. I fix my own and had that car up till 2 hundred thousand miles and sold to a guy on my street like 7 yrs ago and he still driving it. And it still a very good looking car it the El Dorado
Definitely not fixed in 2001, maybe a little better as each year went on but if you watch car wizards old video I think he mentioned that gm fixed the issues in 2005.5 + models of Deville dts. Sad that you have to look for such a specific model time frame for the Deville because 2005 was the last year of this body style. It would be a difficult task finding 2005 Devilles then looking at the build date to see if it's built after may or not lol
That One Guy when did they stop making the North Star motor I thought it was 2004 model yr. and I heard different things from different people. I watch a channel one day of a guy that work for Cadillac he said 2001 but who knows who correct. He said his 2001 had almost 4 hundred thousand miles on it and he did show it. But I must say I don’t know for sure. And you do get many different answers. This guy could be wrong himself. Come on all he could come up with was heat shields it like really heat shields. And about a door and saying the motor look cheap like really I think their good looking motor. What are they expected to look like. It was just a stupid made video all around. Comparing cars that cost 30 to 40 thousand difference in price or more.
Id be surprised if GS/LS and any other Lexus vehicle does not outlast MB 10:1. So many 90's Lexus cars on the road in great condition, german vehicles not so much
@@BoogieDownProduction 90's is too soon for mercs to be noticed! In europe roads are full of 70's and 80's mercedes. Lexus? What is that??? Only americans in the 90's really believed lexus would rival mercedes or bmw, it never happened, now lexus is just a memory of 90's america and an inexistance in europe!
@@goncalosimoes8736 Europeans dont drive as much as Americans so I dont think Europeans having old and outdated german cars is really comparable to 1990+ cars that are still being driven in America. And since this is an American channel by a guy giving advice to mainly Americans, its easy to see the context of my comment.
I love your honesty. I agree my cousin has a mercedes benz s class from the early 2000's just like the one you show in your video. It runs beautifully. Thanks Wizard.
Don't get me wrong, MB is my brand and I own an MB and I love it, but this video was pure Cadillac bashing and while some of the arguments were valid, some were also ridiculous or simply personal preference and not a sign of objective quality. This was a very very biased video. Also, I would not let my daughter drive around in a car with virtually blind headlights. The irony of this video is that these MB models were built during their dark years when they were in bed with Chrylser and MB quality suffered severely. These W220 (which WERE made to a price point without a doubt) are no comparison to the type of quality a W140 had.
@@713vinh He missed his own point. All he did was show his bias, and his lack of knowledge... The Deville could be optioned with nearly every feature he dinged his base model for not having, all for less than the starting price of a base model S430, let alone his well-optioned S430 in this video smh.
What they both have in common: Depreciate quicker than imagined possible.
tax write off for biz people likely softens the blow.
Only if you lease....
Rafael Fiallo - Ha! Try buying one in the condition that Wizard's is for $1,500. If you find it, buy it because it's the deal of a lifetime.
Colin Ashby a Toyota 4x4
BMWS aren't exactly known for good resale either
Legend has it, his wife got a heat shield for their anniversary.
That is funny. Goddamm.
Dusty Rains she also got a nice soft close bathroom door.
This thread is gold 😂😂😂😂
Legend says he got her cause of her dual exhaust.
For better stopping power?
Hoovie: 1996 Buick Park Avenue ultra
Id gladly buy the 96 Park Ave Ultra over either of these two cars. Even if the price of all three used cars were exactly the same. Hell, even if the Buick was priced higher than the other two were priced used...
I want to see that compared to the Mercedes. lol
That's actually a better car than that Deville in the video, much more reliable engine. Plus I like the pillow seats, Cadillac quit doing that in the early 90's.
Aaron Bays nope, my 97 seville still has them
Hoovie's gonna regret selling the Buick
Listening to you talk is extremely relaxing. Keep it up Car Wizard 🤘🏼
Lol 😆 I use these vids to help me get to sleep 😴 at night (no offense)
He soft spoken
Adjusted for inflation today, the Mercedes would cost $101,000 and the Cadillac would cost $63,000. This is an apples to oranges comparison. After factoring in the cost of parts and basic services, which is cheaper to keep on the road? (I am not talking about major service such as replacing an engine.) Compare the price of changing the oil. The Mercedes is going to be a lot more expensive. Replacement parts will also be much more expensive for the Mercedes. I know a a guy that owns an independent Mercedes shop. He is not impressed by Mercedes quality (but does love the high cost of repair.) He drives a GMC truck.
"Smells like an expensive handbag" One of wizards other hobbies, sniffing expensive hand bags :D
That's on his other channel
That's fuckin' hot!!!
Father worked in the leather trade. The smell of leather always reminds me of him. As kids we would find bits of leather in the turn ups (remember them) of his trousers. Why i always liked Jaguar interiors.
I thought I saw him skulking around Louis Vuitton.🤣
To be fair that is a base model Deville. I know for a fact that by 2005, the Cadillac Deville DHS did indeed have optional power rear window shade (had rear door shades too). Cadillac did offer a lot of options that people didn't order. You in fact have a BASE model Deville. I agree that the bean counters didn't help in the design, but a lot of options were available. The 2000 Deville introduced optional night vision, NOT then available on the Mercedes Benz.
Johnny Deville your knowledge on Deville’s makes sense, given your name lol.
I just read this after posting the same myself. Should have compared a fully loaded DHS or 300hp DTS.
I used to get all my boys with “foreign” cars loving my DTS.
@@jamals4045 I know what you mean! My buddy has a 2000 Mercedes Benz E-class compressor that hasn't aged very well, and he's impressed with my '90 Brougham d' Elegance!
Yeah could've got a DHS or DTS for $50 k still a lot less then S class and got Navigation, power rear and window sunshade, massaging seats, power lumbar for rear seats , rear climate control , heating and power steering wheel, cooled memory seats, Bose audio , rain sensing wipers. Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist, genuine wood inserts , night vision all that and still $24k less then S430. Really a biased video.
@@abram7117 My buddy has a 2000 Mercedes Benz and his real would has begun to fall off! The electronics are a bit shady in his Mercedes too, along with front suspension and transmission problems!
The S-class is in a whole other league, and even today, Cadillac doesn’t have a model that competes with it. The “flagship” model that Cadillac thought about building a few years ago would have competed with it, but it never came to be. I think this video bashes the Cadillac a bit too hard against a car it never competed with in the first place. Yes, you can see the differences in costs and it’s impact on design and quality, but the Mercedes is 80% more expensive, which is a lot. Not everyone could afford the price difference even if they preferred the Mercedes.
yeah i dont get it either. mercedes breaks down, caddy breaks down. same thing broken on both. caddy repair costs 200 bucks. merc repair, triple that or more. the cladding really didnt make a difference on the caddy, nothing is rusted out after 16 years. so why bother?
@chukzombi - Wait another five or so years and compare a Mercedes with a Cadillac both driven in the rust belt. I've had to replace rusted out brake lines on not one old American car, it isn't fun or cheap.
@@petrosaguilar8916 ive replaced rotten fuel lines on my 27 yr old chrysler ragtop twice. but it only cost a few hundred bucks and i was on my way. i rather deal with cheap to repair instead of break the bank to repair.
I'd rather have a fuel and brake line design that lasts 25+ years and not replace them at all.
@@chukzombi Merc's really aren't that expensive to repair.
Target demographics. The Mercedes was built for the wealthy. The Cadillac was built for retirees.
I owned the DTS variant of the DeVille and I can personally attest that it was a freaking awesome car. I found that the interior didn’t wear, it was comfortable, and it was overall great. I happened to have the *actual* fully loaded model. Moonroof, night vision, navigation, etc. 320,000 miles, albeit with help along the way. I plan to buy another one eventually because it left such a lasting impression on me, even though it’s a rather bland car to most people. The DTS had that kind of special electroluminescent dashboard and the DHS has the rear power sunshade. My DTS had the side impact airbags as well! The trim comparison isn’t particularly fair, but in general, you’re right - the Cadillac wasn’t built as well, but even being relatively poorly built in comparison it is significantly nicer than other regular cars.
170k miles on it and the interior looks like a new one..That's a bit amazing..
"You don't have to slam the door.... like a cave person"
So true though, I hate cave doors.
Lol soft close anything is the dumbest concept. I’ve always done a double take to make sure I closed it soft enough to latch (my Jetta doesn’t have them and I don’t slam my doors either, I close them). Plus you know those motor are gonna ware out and drain the battery faster!
@@mromatic17 most top end cars have it... It's a luxury feature not a necessity. Half the features on high end cars serve little purpose but are there just because they can haha
@@19jacobob93 yeah all that it is is a gimmick to make ppl feel better about spending more money. I like mercs and BMW’s for their performance and nice interior. The only luxury items i really like are heated and ac seats and sunroof or targa top. The rest is just wasteful IMO
@@mromatic17 yeah absolutely, I mean they have to come up with something new with each model so I can imagine they start coming up with ideas for the sake of it haha that said the soft close doors on my W140 do serve a somewhat purpose, since the doors and latches are so heavy even with a decent slam they rely on the soft close feature probably 50% of the time. Maybe it's there because of the weight of the doors and the force needed to close them is deemed too brutal for the people who would have been chauffeured around back in the day 😂
Wizard loves a Heat Shield.. 😂
It's a good indicator of attention to detail.
@@waverunner7063 I know. It just made me chuckle how many times Wizard mentioned it..
shields up!
Even my Golf IV (16 years old now ( i drive it for about a year now)) has heat shielding and some coverage.
We germans know how to build cars (we invented it afer all) and the japanese too.
The Forest Gump of heat shields
From 1965 til 1968, I worked at Bill Short Motors in Little Rock, Arkansas during the summers, selling many different brands of European cars, but I especially loved selling Mercedes, because when I told the customers about the quality, safety and value, I didn't have to feel as guilty as I did when selling Renaults, Triumphs, etc. You knew you were selling them value for their money. I have loved MB vehicles ever since. My wife and I bought a well- used 1981190D and we wish we had never traded it off. It had 208,000 miles on it when we traded it. We were concerned about major repairs in the future, but we should have known better. We never had any trouble with it the whole time we owned it. That was in 1999. That old 190D is still running around Cheyenne even today! Listening to you speak of your Mercedes brought all these memories back. Bless you and Mrs. Wizard!
Curious to see an update - Newer (within last 3 years) Mercedes vs Cadillac vs BMW - How do they compare? How do they stack up to each other?
Great video
Japan cars last way longer than American cars
Mercs are special, no doubt. I recently got me a 1985 190E. It has NOT been well maintained; it's beat up inside and has heavens-knows-how-many kilometers on it; yet it glides down the highway, eating up distances, keeping up with modern traffic and still driving better than any modern econobox that I've ever driven. Not bad for a cheap beater :)
I love old Mercs. Keep on top of maintenance and they never stop!
I don't know if you knew this beforehand, but the 190e/190d is an amazing choice for a car, reliable, comfortable, safe, and somewhat nice with handling (incredible if you go for the 2.3 or 2.5 16 valve 190e), take care of the maintenance decently and you'll probably be giving it to your grandchildren in some decades
@@19jacobob93 Interested in 124 Benz
@@benjamingordon2627 W124s are one of the best models. The W123 is also rock solid but most have succumbed to severe rust by now.
I have a W140 which is a great all rounder. It's a bit big and heavy but the rust proofing on them is excellent and it has the bulletproof M104 engine so I plan on keeping it indefinitely if I can keep on top of the electronics over the years...
Wow the 190E is so cool. Still holding up?
If you are a mechanic then yes the Merc is great. If you are not then it will be very expensive to have it fixed.
10000% yes
What about Cadillac?
Exactly
Not even being a mechanic just as long as your gaining close to 100000 grand a year fuel pump replacement probably close to $2000
why do you guys think its expensive to fix mercedes cars?
yes parts are more expensive, and maybe labour to but mercedes dont break as often so in the end its cheaper to "fix" mercedes than cadillacs
The Wizard is like the Bob Ross of car repairs. His quiet gentle demeanor is very different than other repair UA-camrs like Scotty or ChrisFix.
The Wizard is music to the ears, those those other guys will give you a migraine... I'm also subbed to ETCG who's cool & calm.
But Scotty has 2.1 million subs and the most views last month of any car channel on you tube
@@12wingwfetech Just confirms humanity is doomed, idiocracy is no longer satire...
I watched ETCG mig weld a ball joint to a lower control once that is not cool
Scotty doesn’t even fix anything. His videos just complain about European cars.
Wouldn't a better comparison been the higher trim DTS? That's a base Deville.
Yes either the Deville DTS or the Deville DHS models.
I have an 02 DHS. It's been incredible. Bought it in 04. 221000 miles later, I still love it. No issues.. at all. And yes, it does have more under car cladding than your daughter's well used base deville
Platinum dts in white diamond
Tony Chasey does it have real wood tho
U would think!!!
I own a 03 Deville DHS. Believe it or not it has the rear sun shade built in.
The rear seats have vanity mirrors too
It should also be noted that my 1997&98 Devilles both had side airbags as well.
@@davidluciemable3778 in the rear?
KennyG Hansen I don’t remember; it was a while ago I had those cars
@ they were optional for the rear back then.
Scotty Kilmer hates the Mercs, its good to hear a different opinion, great video wizard.
and the wizard seems to be a great Technician too
Scotty Kilmer’s view is all about reliability and low cost of ownership is all that makes a car worth owning.. hence “Toyota Toyota Toyota.. .. Wizards view also includes looking at it for what is is.. build quality and engineering and design.
Now a days the Germans are using a ton of plastic for their cooling systems and such and that’s where they are cutting corners.. that’s a real concern.. however I like the way German cars drive over other manufacturers.
@@Shamus71 so true
scotty kilmer is a hack that spews unreliable anecdotes to millions of people to provide confirmation bias. He tags keywords for views which is illegal in youtube terms but manipulates it in such away to get away with it.
Shane Sexton scotty lives in the past😂
And the reason stuff is plastic is not due to cost, its due to that its better then metal in that aplication and cost less for costumer to replace👍
All cars have problems but not one of mine bmw/Audi or MB has had big cost on replacement parts but i guess its diffrent for you in us then us in europé.
Still our Volvo V70 cost more under one year then our bmw 525d did for tree years just in maintinens😂
Gotta love the wizard. No bias just critical evaluation
No bias??????? LOL!
I have to be honest - I love the massive clunk clunk lock on my Range Rover... I’m locked damn it!
Yeah when I had my x5 that quad gunshot noise on the lock/unlock was a feature I loved
That "clunk clunk" noise you hear is not your door locks, it's the sound of your transmission failing, it's a Range Rover damn it.
Locked. But probably not moving.
Same reason I love my Volvo 850R, the power locks sound like a rifle bolt cycling.
😂
This is why you get a Lincoln Town Car for the best American luxury car.
this,i can change the water pump on a town car in 30 minutes on the side of the road with just the part,a socket wrench kit and a jug of water or coolant
don't even need to jack the car up
Any panther platform vehicle, but definitely the Lincoln if you want the nicest. Those 4.6s can take anything!
The Town Car is an excellent example of what American luxury is capable of, all of the Panther Platform vehicles were great.
Thank you for not triggering my PTSD by speaking calmly on your videos. A total opposite of Scotty Kilmer.
The statement about the difference between Car Wizard and Scotty Kilmer could never be more true !!
Rev Up Your irritation!
Now compare a new $90,000 Cadillac to a new $150,000 Mercedes, along with a $75,000 Genesis because I'm curious.
That is great idea.
The price are not even close you can’t compare them.
It is harder to compare new care than it is old cars with the benefit of hindsight.
@@ratj4715 But they are all in the same class. Full-size, luxury sedan.
Sean Guy The price is not comparable 30 to 40 thousand more is a lot of money in anyone’s pocket
I had a 98 E320 4matic and that car was a tank in the snow! I sold it at 314,000 and I would not think twice about driving that car across country.
I had an 87 190 turbo diesel with 327,000 when I sold it.
Like anything else of quality, it costs more up front, but the product lasts much longer.
Lmfao, buy one today and see how long it lasts. German cars are some of the worst value propositions in cars today
Vigilant .Tapir maybe, BUT everything benz made until 98 when they merged with Chrysler was great and made to last
@@NameSchema100 The early 2000 cars with the exception of rust still last mechanically.
@@colmfarrel4742 Had to sell 2 mechanically perfect W210 E classes because of rust :(
@@NameSchema100 Yes they were the worst model for rust. The darker colours such as black and navy seem to do better. Silver seems to be the worst for rust.
Must not have seen a lot of DeVilles, my dad's 04 has a front belly pan. I've seen a few at pick a part too. They are fairly cheap, and the rivets are junk too. The 2002 DTS I own has better suspension, Road Sensing Suspension, basically Magnaride up front, actuators on the rear air shocks. I'd still take my DTS over the Benz any day. Both are pricey to maintain, but the Caddy will still be cheaper. Also, the DTS has 300hp and 3.71 gearing, compared to the base and DHS that have 275hp, 3.11 gears.
Dts*
@@walkerpendleton760 Any decent modern v-6 makes about 300 HP these days.
@@robc8468 but not 300 foot pounds of torque
@@hitace Facts what's a horse wit no guts
The s430 2wd had a 2:65 rear diff, and easily breaks the 30 mpg mark on the interstate. I've racked up another 100k miles on mine since getting it in 2015. Still running like a clock.
I like the comparison for sure, very well done. but since recently being in Germany for a month, ive realized. companies design their cars for their target market. Cadillac owners are not routinely slowing their car from 150mph to 60, 20 times per day. we don't expect our car to feel planted and commanding at 120+. we want a luxury car to feel effortless at 75. as someone who loves a plushy soft ride, i even criticized a BMW x3 for feeling vague and wallowy at 100, but stabbing harsh around town.
I appreciate your honest opinions about these cars. The Deville was not meant to be tuned for the Nurburgring, just a smooth, soft, pillowy ride. These cars have very good handling and steering for being 207" long. The hood ornament sure helps with knowing where your nose is planted. Nowadays, Mercedes stuck to their roots. I wish Caddy had done the same. The Deville was the last stalwart at Cadillac.
I like that there are no gimmicks with this channel.
I didn't know wizard is in his 40's. He looks good!! I'd say he's 30-32 max. Genuinely surprised when he said he has a child ready to go to college.
Yeah so anyone in their 40s looks like trash by default? Gfys douche
Moral of the story: You get what you pay for.
Cadillac had soft close trunks in the 70's :)
gusto80 the soft close trunk started in the mid '50's
Even in que 90s
The automatic trunk pulldown started in 1955 originally for the Eldorado series and lasted all the way up to 2002 on the last Eldorado. It remained optional during the 50's, 60's and 70's era but then became standard on all Cadillac models of the 80's and 90's. Only the Eldorado Brougham from 1957-1960 had a fully automatic opening and closing trunklid only operated from inside the car. The switch was found inside the glovebox.
@@starxlr7863 Just watched a video of a 1956 Cadillac with the power opening and closing trunk option, I was amazed. Way more impressive than soft-close doors that you can barely see in operation if you aren't paying close attention lol.
@@Stressless2023 Mercedes was always way ahead of everyone. There is nothing impressive about the power opening and closing a trunk for God's sake. It's a gimmick more than something that is really necessary. The soft close on the Merc is not only on the side doors but also on the trunk and the hood too.
What this utility provides is less slamming the doors to make sure they are properly closed, thus saving the owner some real cash in terms of repairs because lets face it- If you slam the doors so often - they do tend to break more quickly. Especially with all the electronics in them , the electric mirrors and windows , climate control buttons and central locking system.
I love the S-Class! Love the way it looks too, the 2004 model year. And I love that 3 pointed star on the bonnet!
ive got the S500 2004 ,and i love it
Excellent video sir. This will hopefully assist all those people who say Mercedes is just a fancy badge on a regular car. It takes real knowledge and intellect to appreciate what you’re getting with a Benz.
most relaxing comparison ever.
Complicated doesn't make it better. I shudder to think about the cost associated with any suspension work on the Mercedes. I would imagine those rear air shocks are probably 1/5-1/10th the cost of the Mercedes. My dad had an '01 DHS. Yes, it was an old man's car. The ride was far better than his friend's '03 S500 4-matic, but certainly wouldn't hold a candle when it came to corners. Acceleration was better in the Cadillac as well, and despite the flaws of head-gaskets and oil leaks, the Northstar had such a wonderful, throaty, sound and an amazing torque curve. It didn't need more than 4-speeds. It had excellent power from off-line to redline. He did have trouble keeping the front cooling hose on it - it rubbed on the valve-cover and required replacement 3 times in the 13 years and 120K miles he had. he had to replace the water pump as well, which is not an easy job. Regarding mileage, it did quite poorly in town due to it's heft, but he regularly got 30-31 MPG on the open road. Even though I'm not an old man, it would be my pick 100x over for a highway vehicle. Oh, and his had night-vision. Amazing technology that wasn't available in ANY Mercedes at the time.
They fixed the Northstar problems in 2004 too. This comparison is disingenuous. Let's compare the 2002 Cadillac to a 2000 Mercedes..
lol
Mercedes has the best quality cars and very safe, I love my 05 e55 Amg factory supercharged 500hp amazing car
Best quote - "you don't have to slam your door, like a cave man" LOL! Love the vids Wizard, keep them coming.
How do you compare a $73,000 car and a $43,000 car? Why don’t you compare repair cost on the two.
The Merc is probably cheaper to repair, the parts prices really aren't bad and they're quite easy to work on.
kristoffer3000 seriously. People like to just go off of what their buddy said and talk about how much more expensive the parts are which isn’t really true.
@@CadexLaw I had a lot of comments about my old Merc being expensive to own and repair and it had the lowest parts prices of anything I've had to date.
VW has been the most expensive. (170$ for an AC relay that breaks quite often, cost me 5$ on eBay.)
@@kristoffer3000 Newer Benzes are so much to maintain and repair.
I'd compare the Deville to an E class.
Id love to see Scotty Kilmer and the Car Wizard have a debate........the banter between these 2 would be priceless. :D
@@FlameOnTheBeat scotty is a fuck
Your videos are usually much more accurate in their car facts. A 2000 DTS is was still around 50 grand with ALMOST all of the features that Benz had and some you could not get on the Benz. It took me 8 years to try Benz again after the experience I had with my 2003 CL600.
What was wrong with it? ABC issues?
What features didn't the Mercedes have?
@@colmfarrel4742 Cadillac is great at having a great idea but not fully developing it before it goes mainstream. I remember when Cadillac first introduced night vision around 2000. It's not bad, my grandfather had it on his first gen 2001 DTS.
My father always talked crap about its usefulness and then ran and got an 2007 S class with it.
@@TheRock7733 Is that the only feature it had that the Mercedes didn't?
@@pete538 ABC repairs were killer back in the day. I loved the pillerless lines of this car so much that I got an old BMW 850 in 2012 not knowing that car was crap also.
I just love to see a mechanic of your ability describing your honest opinion. Truly love your channel
Say what you will, there are still those of us from the "older generation" who appreciate a traditional american luxury car.
We had a 1999 Deville and it was the most comfortable car I have ever driven. It was like driving on a cloud. I really enjoyed that car.
I had a 97 and my buddy had a 98. They really are comfortable, way more comfortable than any Mercedes I have sat in. No, I havent sat in a SL600.
Wizard complains there's no auto-closing doors on your Caddy. Well.... if you lack the strength to close the doors on a Deville you probably shouldn't be driving.
If the Mercedes was just USD 30K more expensive, it was still underpriced against the Cadillac.
You are the only person I have ever heard of with an old S-Class that hasn't sunk tens of thousands of dollars into them. They are nice car but you better have a big wad of hundred dollar bills or a huge limit on your credit card whenever they need to be fixed.
They are a nice car but you better have a big wad of cash to buy them new. Don't play if you can't afford to pay.
@@petrosaguilar8916 they're just not worth it. Most people that drive them now days buy them for dirt cheap and drive them till they can't anymore. People that can afford the maintenance can also afford a car that costs more then $4k.
That's why I wish these cars cost much more used. That way they would not fall into the hands of abusers. It's a vicious cycle - broke buyers can't afford maintenance which leads to lower resale value which leads to more broke abusers buying them.
BTW - Buying a W220 and maintaining it properly will still cost you much less than sales tax, depreciation, and interest on a new S. They start at roughly $92k.
That's due to free labor and already having the tools on hand. For a typical owner ball joint and alignment woop there goes a grand, electric shocks with air springs 400+ each for name brand ones. If we were in europe Mercedes worth it, here it's alot more costly to own as it ages.
@@cocoki700 they have airmatic which is way more affordable than abc stop fear mongering
Thanks for this; as someone who is a satisfied owner of a 1994 Deville Concours, I'd say that back in that year, the Cad used better materials and had a more precise fit and finish than the 1997 onward models. Mine has genuine Zebrano wood and a much nicer feel than the plasticky and drab products Cad put out during the Bush2 years.
What is crazy and ridiculous is that....I had a 2003 Mercedes C240 for 3 years, drove it for Uber and Lyft recently for 3 months and it drove EXCELLENT. Uber told me that my car is now too old and I needed a newer car. I said fine and bought a 2008 Mazda 3 Speed thinking it would be a nice fuel efficient car for Uber and Lyft...worst decision I have ever fucking made. Tons of problems, its like it made out of cardboard and has every problem possible. Recently the Transmission Control Module crapped out, motor mounts shot, electrical problems, all kinds of codes being thrown. Im selling it and getting another Mercedes.
Thx 4 the great comparison Car Wizard! I have 4 AMG's which I restore and it's nice 2 finally get compliments instead of bitching about Mercedes "unreliability"....
I can just hear Scotty screaming at his computer
I have a W221 S550 and absolutely love it. It’s been a great car, and the quality is unmatched. Sure they are more expensive to fix, but the car is just so good it’s worth it.
@@BeesonsCars Glad u love it. What year? I'm noticing the CLS550's around now and unfortunately they're too cheap!!
Brent Waterbury I have a 2007 (first year) with AMG sport package and Premium 2 pack. I did a resonator delete, secondary cat delete, and X pipe and it sound incredible. Quiet but extremely aggressive, sound like a slightly quieter AMG. I’m at about 98k miles now.
@@BeesonsCars Wow nice! Is the Premium 2 package a Harmon Kardon sound system?
I miss my S-class, I need to get another one!
#MeToo
I have one and really really love it
The Cadillac is still more practical to me.
I'd never considered purchasing a Mercedes until
this comparison. I have had a car with the Northstar engine and it was very expensive to fix. My mechanic told me to get rid of it because I was paying BMW repair costs for a domestic vehicle. Thanks for the comparison.
Lexus LS430 is better, will be on the road with 300,000 no major issues
And more important than any of this, is what happens when there's an accident. There's a dramatic difference. An accident which would leave you crippled and maimed for life, if you were in a Cadillac, is likely to be something from which, in an S, you emerge completely uninjured. Thank you for describing, from a mechanic's viewpoint, the quality and DURABILITY of Mercedes. While my Lexus LS has doors far more silent than the soft-close on that S, and while far less goes wrong as an LS ages, I do realize that S-Class is much safer than LS. You may have convinced me to switch.
Nope seen people in horrific accidents in the Caddy above everyone walked away including myself. I've seen the proof in real life
@@johnlukach4091 That's good to hear! Thanks for the feedback! Now, if someone will just happen-by, and reassure me as to the front partial offset crashworthiness, and head restraint system, in my LS, I'll feel even better.
So I basically determined the Deville doesn't last that long due to design but that's okay cause I can buy two at this Benz price..this was a great video..thanks for taking your time and lifting the two
Those cadillacs did come with splash guards in the front. I have two of them. Someone must've removed them
They are never simply removed. They are left in parking spaces where the driver hooked them on the curb lmao.
Yup. My 99 eldorado has one
No one removed them, those shitty gm clips holding them on probably popped out. My dad has one of those caddies and it's a gigantic piece of crap.
I purchased a 2005 Mercedes Benz S430 with only 91k miles from the original owner who meticulously maintained the vehicle at a Mercedes dealership. He was just getting up there in age. It looks exactly like this one, same colors inside and out. I have different Mercedes rims is the only difference. I absolutely love driving this car even though I also own a 2017 Lexus ES350 with 60k miles. You can tell it is very well built. It drives great z I have replaced the vacuum pump for the soft close doors, trunk, and locking and it was pretty inexpensive with me buying a used OEM part on eBay and doing the work myself. I can't bring myself to selling it. This was a great comparison video! Thanks Wizard
Totally agree..but the cost is nearly double. Plus the Merc is the s class top of the range..so it's not a fair comparison. If you look at today Cadillac its superb against a merc as well. Also GM should build the Cadillac Elmiraj it leaves the Merc for dead for luxury.
What about a Lexus LS430 compared to the MB?
Lexus is better overal ownership and quality
Georgi Georgiev lol are you kidding me😂
The LS is a much better built car
OMG, that's not even a question, MERCEDES any day!!
Mercedes, every day of the year!
Yeah if you got a 150 thousand dollars. A caddie is like 70 thousand. That a big difference in price. Double. I could buy 2 caddies.
@@ratj4715 then buy two, it's yourself own choice :-) i keep buying mercedes.
Erebos Go for it I love my American made caddie. I rather put America to work not someone in Germany
@@ratj4715 the mercs sold here here are made in America, in fact they have one of the bigger workforces in correlation to the produced cars, if I remember correctly. And I buy quality, not a feeling. If the Japanese do better cars, i buy there. It's the same with my tools...
Erebos No their not most are made in Germany look it up. And caddies are 100 hundred percent American made. Take your foreign car and put them up your ass. People like you are the reason this country is where it is. Only think about yourself. It will come back to you sooner or later next time it will be your job. Am in my late 50s never owned a foreign car never will never had a problem with America made just like anything you have keep care of them. I seen the damage foreign cars have done to this country and everything that is foreign made. Why do you think we have a loser like trump because people are sick of what going on in this country when it comes to foreign made stuff being dumb into this country from people making 50 cents to a dollar a hr. Where the fair trade their is none so keep buying your foreign shit until their nothing being made in this country.
These reviews are so much more interesting than Doug Demuro's most superficial reviews of the cars ever
Looking at the comments, some are trying to offend the wizard while he is being honest and it’s funny how some can’t accept the facts and that the German engineering is called for a purpose German engineering as that is a quality standard... keep up the good work wizard and unbiased reviews, facts are facts and no one can argue with them!
Well that's always been the American car manufacturer's mentality towards cars in general, not just luxury cars - make it as cheaply as possible; reuse whatever you can from other cars, give it a sheen of window dressing with low-tier pleather, faux wood, and electroplated plastic, and bodge it together with as much plastic cladding as you can muster. That reduces your overhead and maximizes your profit through minimal investment and sales volume.
Joe 6-pack isn't going to know what real luxury is so long as you give him this imitation luxury at a comparatively cheap price, and hide its deficiencies under the branding of 'MADE IN 'MURICA'.
Next week the wizard will compare a $50000 Corvette against a $100000 super car and be surprised that the car twice its price has a lot better quality, craftsmanship and options.
30,000 dollars difference is not comparable even with a 3 year age gap. The Mercedes is almost 75% more expensive.
He could compare a base $35k C-Class and it would still be far better engineered and built than a Cadillac.
@@petrosaguilar8916 but he didnt. I like fair comparisons. You know. Being fair in critiquing.
I'm not sure I get what you are getting at with this video. You keep saying the Mercedes cost more and it is better quality and engineering and worth the additional money, it doesn't mean the Cadillac is bad! Why heck, my 2010 Cadillac is still going strong at 130,000 miles. It's pretty easy on gas and it's held up well and still looks good. Probably true of the Mercedes too. A more apt comparison might be that Mercedes to a high end Audi or Jaguar and compare the Cadillac to its true competitor, the Lincoln.
I agree. Second video where I like the idea but a disappointing execution. Talking about a car that's almost 50% difference in price. Not to mention the difference in time which adds inflation and options.
😍 I'M A FAN OF THE BOATY CAR/RIDES....I LOVE THE GEAR LEVER ON THE STEERING COLOLUMN, I LOVE THE FRONT BENCH SEATS, I LOVE HEARING THE V8 PUR WHEN I STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR HEAVY, I LOVE THE SIDE TO SIDE ROCK AFTER EVERY TURN AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE A LONG FRONT END PULLING INTO PARKING SPOTS LOL😍
Me too.
Vela Bela um okkkk?
He talks about exposed underneath on Cadillac but all the shields do is hold salt and moisture to rot everything!
Can you do a video about pressure washing an engine? There seems to be a lot of misconception and fear about it.
I have been watching your vids off and on for a while now. I really appreciate how you look at each car as its own unique thing while (trying) to not be brand-jaded. Its really nice to hear professional opinions in a matter of fact way. Subscribed!
I have often thought of trying to find a used Merc or BMW, but I am as worried about over-engineering as under (from a diy garage mechanic perspective). The soft-close, the silent locks, etc scares the crap out of me for the day when it finally fails. Do you feel this is a valid concern or am I over-thinking it?
As a car enthusiast I knew that most German luxury vehicles would outperform domestic vehicles, but it was very interesting to see the exact differences. Thank you for the in-depth comparison!
I must say that I love your videos as well as your standpoint on different makes and models..... I am personally a Euro car consumer, had so many major issues with domestic vehicles myself, back when I was a domestic consumer, quality control didnt really exist, it was just a sales number game, and the quality actually made BMW look like a much better option. now im a BMW ( please don't kick me off the channel for this) as well as a land rover guy. have a 2001 E38, which im doing a 2001 m5 drivetrain swap on currently, also have a disco 1, disco 2, as well as the last model LR4 HSE Lux..... I have nothing against Japanese, or even korean vehicles (they have really taken the world by storm IMHO)
Keep up with the awesome videos good sir, there is much to learn, and I really love how you explain everything so clearly :)
That was one very good topic - comparing the implementation of a luxury car on both sides on The Atlantic - to see in parallel the approaches and design decisions.
Nice one, Wizard!
You sound like my grandfather used to describing the Mercs he owned in the 1960s/1970s. He was a mechanical engineer for International Harvester Corp.
General Motors cost cutting and planned obsolescence almost put them out of business a few times. I just don't know if this company will ever learn from its mistakes.
Can confirm as a tech: seemingly not
Those boots on the Airmatic shocks certainly do protect them but they are usually the first thing to go (crack and let debris in). If they are compromised you have to replace the whole thing. Arnott put a better boot design on their own shock so it lasts longer. That's why I don't recommend people buy reman shocks from the dealer.
Mercedes has separate part numbers for the boots, so you really don't need to buy the whole unit.
@@SirMarxy Yes, they have separate parts numbers for the boot, but they won't sell it to you. You also have to take the whole shock off anyway to put it on, so at that point you will want to replace with an entire unit. If the boot is compromised they only have so long due to contamination.
He doesn't sound like he likes Cadillac's, well I do and my 2005 DTS has 167000 miles and still kicks ass and I love it. Yeah it's worth what I paid for it, stop knocking it. And this car was way advance in technology for its year which I don't hear you saying that, Mercedes are junk big aspirin.
Interesting and useful presentation. Don’t hesitate to do more comparisons like this!
Cadillac can't compete. Should do S430 vs LS430
Lexus would win
@@maxim430 yeah no doubt. But it would be a fair comparison. Lexus is better in about every way. Especially when aging it ages 10x better then the Mercedes
"Better in about every way"
Like what? Remember Lexus only copies Mercedes and the other German brands. They seldom if ever innovate any new technology.
@@petrosaguilar8916 brand new they were toe to toe . 15+ years later the Lexus ages way better and holds it's value way better as well
How a car ages depends on how it was cared for. Styling wise the 2001-2006 Lexus LS looks way more dated than the timeless sleek design of the W220. I just saw an S430 4-Matic just like the Wizard's (even same color) rolling down the freeway. It looked like new and was obviously cared for by the older man driving it.
To clear up some of your misinformation: All 2000+ Devilles could be optioned with side impact airbags. Higher-end Devilles could be had with a power rear sunshade (along with side sunshades in the rear doors), among other features that were near-comparable to the S-class. Plastic belly pans for additional under-body aerodynamics & protection were installed on all 2000+ Devilles, they simply are missing on the car in this video and apparently from all of the Devilles you've worked on. Lastly, this generation of S-class had their own sets of pros and cons just like the Deville... Nearly every Benz from this era including these W220 S-classes were built using terrible quality stamped steel body panels and rotted out like crazy if you live anywhere near the northern states. The "AIRmatic" and "ABC" air suspensions you gush about so fondly on these Mercs were extremely problematic and were 1 of the biggest reasons many owners literally junked these cars & one of the biggest reasons why it has virtually zero resale value (similar to Deville's). BOTH of these cars had their own pros and cons, the Benz was not the be-all, end-all of reliability or build quality in this era and the Deville was not the pariah or poseur-mobile that you make it out to be either. Period.
You are, of course, quite right. It's too bad that more viewers, herein, don't fully understand the "whole story !!"
Benz > Cadillac get over it
He was calling out the Pontiac Bonneville with the Northstar, a fairly rare car.
The Wizzard doesn't hide his prejudices. There's no mystery in this comparison. But, he projects trustworthiness, as few other Tube folks do. A pleasure to watch.
In September of 2014 I bought one of my dream cars with just 29000 miles on the clock! A W220 S65 L AMG! It took me 9 years to find a very well maintained one, a German import. Back in 2005 when they came out I remember drooling over the pictures in various car magazines, just reading the numbers made go soft.... 612PS and 1000Nm..... a nuclear power plant on wheels.... Today, about 5 years later with just 38000 miles on it I still enjoy every ride, specially the cold starts.... man.... tuned like a symphony orchestra on crack :)
M113 Mercedes engine one of the best V8 engines ever made .
KEYO I work at Mercedes as a tech, I wholeheartedly agree with this. Rock solid
Cadillac Northstar v8 is better. I'm just fucking with you lol, those unreliable asses
How reliable is the m113? I’m tired of driving this civic
@@vel6979 Also tired of looking like you are driving a shopping trolley ?
KEYO yes that’s correct
I like you more then Scotty when you talk about German cars. He scares others into buying Japanese cars.
Scotty is weak.
Eda Bean
He is a douchebag
Hes very one sided. He loves his japanese cars however there's plenty of japanese cars out there that also get incorrectly repaired or diagnosed. The German and American have built excellent engines, its all about whoever is working and servicing them!!
Most mechanics have Scotty's viewpoint based on experience. People like the Car Wizard are in a niche and definitely have the minority opinion on German vehicles.
@@BoogieDownProduction "Most" American mechanics. Not most mechanics. The reason is simple: The cars are usually too complicated for an Average US mechanic to fix them. The average American mechanics are used to outdated American simple designs with 0 % electronics - so when a German modern car comes in their shop they definitely are confused and more than not do a lousy job just so they can take the money.
My advice to everyone in US who wants to own a European luxury car : "If you DONT HAVE MONEY TO BUY A NEW MERCEDES, You sure as HELL WONT HAVE MONEY TO REPAIR IT EITHER."
buying second hand Merc in US is an endless money pit because authorized Mercedes mechanics in US are darn too expensive and the average mechanic in US wont do a good job too.
Thank you sir for that good video. But really, I think that nothing can seriously be compared to the Mercedes quality and design, and this since always. Have a nice day 👍
I totally agree
I’ll take a car wity front split bench seating and column shifter anytime!
The Deville your showing is the Base Deville. There are the Base, DHS, and DTS. I have a 2001 Deville DTS and it has the 300 HP Northstar. Console Shifter, Analog Gauges and full plaster cover from bumper to back of the engine. Telescopic Steering Column, Sunroof, 17" tires, etc. Feels sportier than the base one with the column shift and digital dash. Northstar is a great engine but if you have to remove alternator, water pump, it is the way too big job then needs to be and if you enjoy chasing check engine codes then there a great car lol I really like the way it drives and its quiet on the hiways overall
Hey Jason, my wife owened a Caddy: like you said, they cheaped out on a lot of parts. As for the Northstar: every mechanic I've ever met has said, "Don't buy a car with the Northstar".
Because of the heads and it to bad because they are really great engine. I fix my own and had that car up till 2 hundred thousand miles and sold to a guy on my street like 7 yrs ago and he still driving it. And it still a very good looking car it the El Dorado
2005.5 And beyond they fixed the Northstars head gasket and most issues, so if you get one, get one after you that year
That One Guy I heard they fix that in 2001 but not sure
Definitely not fixed in 2001, maybe a little better as each year went on but if you watch car wizards old video I think he mentioned that gm fixed the issues in 2005.5 + models of Deville dts. Sad that you have to look for such a specific model time frame for the Deville because 2005 was the last year of this body style. It would be a difficult task finding 2005 Devilles then looking at the build date to see if it's built after may or not lol
That One Guy when did they stop making the North Star motor I thought it was 2004 model yr. and I heard different things from different people. I watch a channel one day of a guy that work for Cadillac he said 2001 but who knows who correct. He said his 2001 had almost 4 hundred thousand miles on it and he did show it. But I must say I don’t know for sure. And you do get many different answers. This guy could be wrong himself. Come on all he could come up with was heat shields it like really heat shields. And about a door and saying the motor look cheap like really I think their good looking motor. What are they expected to look like. It was just a stupid made video all around. Comparing cars that cost 30 to 40 thousand difference in price or more.
Car Wizard, now compare thw S430 to LS400/430
Hmmmm yeeeeaaa !!
Id still take the S430
Id be surprised if GS/LS and any other Lexus vehicle does not outlast MB 10:1. So many 90's Lexus cars on the road in great condition, german vehicles not so much
@@BoogieDownProduction 90's is too soon for mercs to be noticed! In europe roads are full of 70's and 80's mercedes. Lexus? What is that??? Only americans in the 90's really believed lexus would rival mercedes or bmw, it never happened, now lexus is just a memory of 90's america and an inexistance in europe!
@@goncalosimoes8736 Europeans dont drive as much as Americans so I dont think Europeans having old and outdated german cars is really comparable to 1990+ cars that are still being driven in America. And since this is an American channel by a guy giving advice to mainly Americans, its easy to see the context of my comment.
Nope, sorry but to me the Caddy looks like a Hyundai of the same vintage.
I love your honesty. I agree my cousin has a mercedes benz s class from the early 2000's just like the one you show in your video. It runs beautifully. Thanks Wizard.
I have a seville, the shimmy in the front end comes from not torquing the lug nuts.
Bet you the Benz cost 50% more too fix
You get what you pay for.
GM is real good at building a profit; Not so good at building a car~
not so good at making a profit either
Heath Newland Their making billions lately if you haven’t noticed.
Brian Ross I agree completely with you. 30 thousand that a lot more money in my book. I love my caddie.
Flies2FLL didn't gm go bankrupt
abraham alexander So did trump 3 times. And GM is making billions now.
So Hoovie's gonna buy a Cadillac Deville. ;-D
Reinhard Scheibe Apparently so
LOL!
He'll wait until the suspension blows and the wheel bearings mysteriously disappear
@@pemauck My neighbor's 2002 Deville DHS has the air suspension and bearings in tact at 184K trouble-free miles.
Imagine that, pay 75% more for a car and you get more stuff. 🤯
The cheapest E class would still be a better car than the top end Cadillac.
@@Kwippy 10 years ago maybe, not any more.
It’s around 30% more
ThewayICit are you serious lol
Don't get me wrong, MB is my brand and I own an MB and I love it, but this video was pure Cadillac bashing and while some of the arguments were valid, some were also ridiculous or simply personal preference and not a sign of objective quality. This was a very very biased video. Also, I would not let my daughter drive around in a car with virtually blind headlights.
The irony of this video is that these MB models were built during their dark years when they were in bed with Chrylser and MB quality suffered severely. These W220 (which WERE made to a price point without a doubt) are no comparison to the type of quality a W140 had.
Cadillac bashing? He was actually very nice about it considering its basically a wheely bin on 4 wheels
@@thrillseekanz7874 have you ever seen a 1st gen VW polo? THAT was a bin on 4 wheels, not this Cadillac.
Isn't that the point spending twice as much gets you more?
His point was to show you the difference and that's what he did duh!
@@713vinh He missed his own point. All he did was show his bias, and his lack of knowledge... The Deville could be optioned with nearly every feature he dinged his base model for not having, all for less than the starting price of a base model S430, let alone his well-optioned S430 in this video smh.
May people seem to beilieve that the only difference between premium cars and affordable ones is rhe badge