My 1995 Corolla had 18000 miles on it when I bought it. When I finally got rid of it, there we 425290 miles on it. It was a fantastic car.

I’m a former owner of Porsche and Mercedes. Now it’s Honda or Toyota and nothing else. It’s not just a cost of repair issue; it’s the terrible inconvenience of multiple trips to the dealer or of being stranded by the side of the road when “German engineering” lets you down. When I get into a car I want to turn the key and have it always start. That’s true luxury.

During the World Cup in Qatar, I was surprised to see Toyota's all over. The Oil tycoons mostly drives a Toyota or Lexus SUV. And a normal Taxi is also a Toyota Camry. Impressive stuff.

Reliability is the true luxury

I was a salesman at a Mercedes-Benz dealership. I had customers that were “Mercedes people” and that is all they buy. They are used to bringing their cars in to service and getting great treatment and are used to high maintenance and repair costs. For some buyers, it is their “I’ve finally made it” car that they always wanted. “The best or nothing”used to mean built better than anything else. Sadly, now it just means cars that are full of technology and not made nearly as well as the older ones.

I once bought a 6 year old Corolla with 65K miles on it. I put another 50K, and sold it for nearly the same price in 2 years. Never had a single issue with it.

This video should be taught to car manufacturers. Several years back I read an article about the research Toyota was conducting on screws, bolts and clips to be more robust and reliable while being cost effective as well. The kind of detailed analysis they were doing really impressed me.

Had a 97 carolla that lasted me ALMOST a million miles! The only reason I had to get rid of it was not because the engine stopped running, it was because the floorboards rotted out lol. The engine still popped on like new

Toyotas are designed to be good cars for a long time, Mercedes and other German car brands are designed to be amazing cars for a short time.

I had a 1999 Toyota Camry that i swear was going to out live me. That car would not die. Finally sold it a few years ago because my kids no longer wanted to ride in it. They said it was too old. To be honest, it was a commuter car. When i sold it, it had 235,000 miles and it ran like new. I trusted that car more than newer rental cars I’ve driven. Today i still own a Toyota. Will always buy Toyota based on my experience with that Camry. She never left me on the road. Only asked for oil and gas. Nothing else… Loved this video by the way. Made me a fan of the channel. 😊

Absolutely. This video is spot on. I had a BMW which fell apart, then I had a Corolla which has lasted more than 10 times as long.

My diesel Toyota Avensis (not available in the US) lasted 150k miles before losing oil pressure, my 2015 E class diesel is on 194k with the same 8k oil intervals and it’s going strong! Nothing has really gone wrong with it either, touch wood

Awesome work here. Not just talking about all the cheap plastic issues, but showing them first hand. Excellent!

My 2006 Corolla just turned 344k. The odometers on that gen freeze at 299,999. I keep track with trip B odometer for oil changes and business miles. Nothing major has gone wrong other than the ubiquitous parts that wear out on all cars. Though uses a small amount of oil and not as tight as it used to be, it still moves on down the road. It's one of 6 various Toyotas that I own...

We owned a Toyota Tercel that was the mousiest car in existence. It had a major design flaw; it kept turning on. I really miss that mouse.

My grandma always said: The more bells and whistles you have on something, the more things to break!

Remember when Mercedes-Benz W123D (any diesel) could do 800k miles without breaking a sweat? Those were THE MERC™ And after 800k miles, the engine would still be fine. It was the bodywork that gave away due to so many NaCl (salt) on the roads were that were sprayed during the winter (snow)❄

Bought myself a 2008’C300 last month. Last owner had it for 13 years and it has 121000 miles. The V6 engine feels silky smooth and I’m sure it could run for another 100k. Although it will cost more to maintain than the equivalent Accord or Camry, the driving experience makes it worth it for me

I think the Mercs in 70’s and 80’s were highly reliable because of less electronics and less cost cutting during those times.

I had my Mercedes Benz ML350 2004 for about 20 years. Exterior is falling apart, but everything is really good. Bottom frame, everything under the hood and the interior is still really good for a car around 240,000 km. Some rubber pipes have started to become fleamsy, but I did the Vietnam War way and duct taped the hell outa it.

I've owned a Corolla & Tacoma and both of those vehicles were the epitome of reliability, which is why that brand will be my final end of life car vehicle. Great video Mark.

My mother has a 20yr old Corolla. Nothing in the drivetrain has ever had to be repaired, just normal wear and tear items such as brakes and exhaust replacement due to rust.. It has a timing chain not a belt so no worries there either. Most reliable car I have ever seen.

The CEO of Toyota isn’t “going electric”. He believes that this is a foolish plan.

Great teaching moment, even though I got a Jag XF 2011 for the past 10years. Best car ever for me, just hit 120k miles and still going strong.

That Camry is a keeper. Please make mine with a 6 speed manual and I will give it a good long term test.

I have a 2001 Camry and it’s still running great with no issues at all.

Back around 1995, mother once owned a 1994 (or 1995) Mercedes-Benz S420 (less than 100 miles on the clock) which she loved and drove around enjoyably. After a while, some issues crept in and made the engine not as responsive as it should have been. After a few trips to service for issues now and again, she traded it in for a BMW 7-Series. When I asked her what car she had that was the best to own, her answer? Her Mark 2 Toyota Supra. Around that same time, I purchased a 1985 Toyota Corolla sedan, 5-speed manual (basically a blue box with a cassette player, manual windows and locks and air conditioning). I got it with around 50,000 miles on the clock from an old lady who was the neighbour of my ex-wife's (wife at the time) stepfather. I paid $600 for it. I had all four engine belts snap on me on the way back home from New Orleans and when I pulled into the apartment parking lot, I could hear the coolant boiling in the block. The next morning, I changed all 4 belts, added new coolant and cranked it. She purred like nothing ever happened. In 5 years, because I was a welder who worked all over the country, I put over 400k miles on her until I was t-boned by a Chevy Suburban. Because there was no damage to the engine or gearbox, I took it out and sold it to a guy who needed an engine for a 1986 Corolla, a cheap car for his daughter for college... ...it lasted another 8 years...Since that time, I have owned two more Corollas. I now live in Australia with my current wife, where our daily driver is, happily, a Camry, which we will trade in for a Camry Hybrid sometime this year. Trust me - I need VERY little convincing about Toyota's reliability.

I was a BMW owner for over 15 years. Loved the cars and still do. The same problems and costs you talked about here plus a major engine issue in a car with less than 40,000mi drove me away. I replaced it with a Camry and couldn't be happier. I'm sure long term, the Camry will be the car of choice!

Agree, love the Camry! You can keep it a long time with no worries. Congrats on such a fine car.

My 2002 Mercedes Benz E55 W210 has 145k and counting as my daily. Reliability depends on often you do preventative maintenance and following service intervals which many people neglect and then call their vehicle unreliable.

Depends also on how well you take care of your car. I have MB V6’s that are 9, 10, 17, and 18 yo. Take your MB’s to a specialist rather than the dealership to save on costs.

My 1994 Pontiac Trans Am that I bought new, has 338.000 miles on it. The engine has never been touched, even the timing chain is original. Stil runs like new, uses no oil. Engine is the LT1 . The whole car has been very good.

That dynamic force engine in the Camry is actually pretty peppy around town I have the previous engine and drove the new one and was really impressed. Especially for what it is.

This video helped me decide my next car wasn't going to be a Benz AMG SL but rather a Lexus LC500. I knew it really, I just needed the extra justification. Thanks for the insights.

My VW beetle turbo has actually lasted a surprisingly long time. It’s a 2003. That said, I just downgraded it from a daily driver after using it for that purpose the entire 8 years I’ve had it. My new commuter car is now a Toyota and I’ve been impressed by the repair record on it. Hoping that pattern continues.

Great video. You have some great unique content and really know your stuff.

The W204 and W212 were the last reliable MB products...got over 300K miles on my w204 still my daily besides my Jaguar S-Type 2008 3.0 V6...still has that "Bank Vault" feel when you open and close the doors...very solid.

This is one of the most comprehensive quality comparisons I have ever seen. Great job! My impression is that Toyota exterior and engine build quality is better but the interior in the Benz and Toyota are about the same. We need to see the build quality in an E Class - hopefully it is more sturdy. For the money Benz needs to step it up!

I have just subscribed to your channel, because of your precise captivating ,pithy presentation. I admire your brevity without missing out on the essentials. Good work.

Very good video. The best part is where you showing the noise of the things. I drive a Toyota Paseo 1996, summer and winter every time. No problem. Greatings from switzerland🇨🇭

The Mercedes models that will last 300k miles are the old ones. But even then, you'll spend more money than you would spend on an equivalent toyota to get there.

hey you listened to me and bought a camry! I have a 22 TRD camry. 1st new car ever purchased. First toyota. I intend to own it for years and years. I'll take quality and longevity over luxury any day. I'm looking forward to my first "repair" likely being tires at about 40,000.

You can never go wrong with Toyota. My mother still drives her 2006 Corolla and over the years it’s been in 3 accidents and after all that it’s still refuses to fail. So far it’s approaching 300k miles and it’s still running.

I had a ' 99 C-280. It made me nervous watching him work all the controls. They were very flimsy. It was almost worthless at 8yrs and 60,000 miles. My '15 Yaris is at 508,000 and going strong. ( A/C works and has never been touched ). Also have a '17 RAV 4 at 200,000 same thing.

Thanks Man for the video. Mercs now don't seem to be on longevity paths. Its why am stuck with my w202 for every day movements, G270d for my upcountry and w126 for special visits. New mercs have failed to replace old mercs in my region because of so many issues and high maintenance costs.

High resale value, excellent reliability, won't leave you stranded, no cvt, no turbo, great fuel economy. I've had my 2019 camry for nearly 4 years and it runs like the day I bought it. Paid 24k for mine and could have sold it last year for 24k with the insane used car prices we had.

Drove them both. Sold the Merc (200D) with 450,000km and the Toyota Auris Hybrid is still going strong at 280000 km. Neither had anything big go wrong: just regular maintenance and the occasional small repair.

Well I had a 2004 c class sold last year was still pretty solid, didn't feel like it lost any power , had 420 000km I bought as second with 230 000km. I currently own a 2017 A class now approaching 170 000km and still solid.

This makes me want to go out to my Camry, pat it on the hood and say, "Good girl" 😍

Great update and analysis Mark , summary, you don’t always get what you pay for ❤️✌️💪

The interior of your C300 seems much better put together than every other one I've seen either in person or on YT.

Honestly it depend on the merc , I've got two mercedes my first 1 is a c270 cdi (w203 2002) and my new car à c350 2010. Both are bulletproof 😅 The diesel one is a old Lady (for a car) and still kicking , eating road and the torque is awesome still going against newer merc , bmw etc . As for the new one v6 gas I just love the fact that I don't have a turbo and fell in love with how she handle the road . Less stress it means less parts to replace .

I'll take substance over style everyday, Toyota

That's why I fatefully drive my 01 Camry with over 400k miles it. Been driving it 5 years. Only had to do front brake pads, and wheel bearings. Love that old Camry.

🇸🇪 I bought a brand new Toyota Hiace m.y 2010 here in Sweden (the European version with longer wheelbase) and drove 260.000 km without one trouble or fail of any kind. It felt and looked almost like new after 9 years when I sold it.

My 2001 Mercedes E430 has 227,000 miles on it and it runs and drives like a new car. Doesn't use a drop of oil between 10,000 mile changes. Has never broken down and left me stranded.

I got myself at 2023 Toyota Camry Can't go wrong with the car can't go wrong with the brand . Not the most technologically advanced but at the same time Just like you explain technology don't last forever and when it's time to replace it it breaks the bank so keep it simple.

Thanks for the great video! Alot of people need to see this so they know what to expect when you buy a European brand.

Good Stuff Mark. I'm on board with ya. You always need at least one Super Realible car in the stable.

Good one keep em coming

Some Mercedes models are reliable too. Just parts and labor are expensive. Also harder to work on yourself. I almost bought a used S Class but changed my mind after I saw the maintenance cost.

We have a 2021 Camry LE, purchased new and we are trading it in for a new 2023 Toyota RAV4, which we had to order due to the high demand in the US and the only reason for the trade is we need another highly reliable car but with cargo space and AWD for winters. In 2004, we had a new C320 which we called our "starter Benz" and it was also our "final Benz". By the way, oil changes at 5000mi, even if a manufacturer says 10K, and that 4cyl Toyota, with its naturally aspirated engine taking 0-W16 will last three fold of that German stool sample.

The old BMW motorcycles pre-1969 were beautiful machines. There were numerous rollar bearings and shaft drive. On the ivory and black models, the initials of the pin strippers were put under the fenders. The BMW emblems were made out of porcelin and had a brilliant blue on them. The solo seats on these had a brilliant rubber vs spring action. We are one of the lucky guys that remember the older days of BMW. The Mercedes Sprinter? They’ve always been rust buckets. But, at least, the older ones didn’t have the DEF nightmare.

The large Mercedes Dealer near my house in NJ has to keep and maintain a Fleet of close to 100 late model "Loaners", because of all of their customer's service issues. The Dealer provides the Loaner as part of the Mercedes "Service" you pay via the expensive MSRP. Without the Mercedes "Service Loaner" program, the Mercedes brand would crash and burn.

I had two W123s about 20 years ago. Here in Finland, the salt sprayed on the roads during winter period ate away the bodywork, on the other hand everything else was almost made to last forever. I wish to be able to buy a Toyota sometime in the future, though.

My 2008 Honda accord now has 278000 miles on it. Yes have done regular maintenance in it. Can’t wait to get to that 300k mark

I like German cars because they give your mind some extra work when servicing them the first few times- it's pretty fun to decipher how the engineers thought processes went into designing things. Wouldn't recommend it for anyone that doesn't like working on their own cars/isn't interested in engineering. P.S. Old BMW are good cars, just require the normal maintenance when you first get it and then the cooling system every 5 years.

The only German car I own is my 2002 e46m3 and since I rarely drive it, oil changes once a year is all I need to do. Same goes for my s2k. However my dailies are the Lexus ls430 and rx350 and they don’t require too much maintenance, fairly reliable and still drive like new. Great analysis overall buddy 👍🏻

I went to Autozone in Geneva Ohio and the manager was telling me how his son was a technician for Lexus before the pandemic. After almost 2 years this Lexus technician got hired at a Ford dealership and he keeps pondering why Ford makes their servicing so hard. I will never understand why people continue to buy Ford, Dodge, Chevy, Tesla, Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, etc. I am guessing that they are not even doing any kind of investigation before they purchase a second most expensive item in their life's.

Im stuck on this channel or scotty kilmer

It’s burning oil a bit but my 2003 Scion (Toyota) Xb (bB)’s powertrain is still running well without issues after +200k miles. All I did was doing oil chain in time and replacing worn out parts.

Great video. Right as I was looking to upgrade from a civic to a 330i...I'll just buy a newer, fully loaded civic again lol. I just want a own a car for many years and not pay hella money for repairs.

For a perfect balance I'd keep the Benz as a weekend toy, the Toyota as a daily driver.

My mom has a 2010 Toyota Corolla with over 300k mileage

Point well made. In my case, a BMW, and two Mazdas. No comparison is maintenance costs, reliability and cost of ownership. I love both brands, but for different reasons. The BMW is sport luxury. I love the heated steering wheel, and four heated seats. A remarkable car to drive or ride in. Now, I've driven Mazda to Texas and Canada. It was fun, but not exactly relaxing. A non stop blast Dallas to NYC was, well, tiring. South Carolina to NYC in a BMW was a walk in the park. In 5 years, our Mazda needed NOTHING. Oil changes, key batteries. Last week the battery finally died. First time the car let me down. At 90k, my BMW has been good, but not like the Mazda. A thousand spent on an airbag light. A thermostat gone bad; with the electric waterpump ands a coolant flush for prevention, 1500$ Same with rear shocks. Common on wagons- and a thousand. EVERYTHING on the car starts at a grand. Now, in fairness, when the BMW goes down, I get a brand new one. Even when I had to drive to Virginia for a week. Nice dealership. Great snacks. Plus, the novelty of being treated politely in a car dealership. My Kia Soul was a good car, but I literally cringed going into the dealership. Every part of the experience was low rent.

I've had cars since the early 1980s, just bought my first Toyota - at 19 years old with only 135,000 miles on the clock, this Avensis 1.8 feels like it has just about finished running in! I'm over the moon with it!

200 $ an hour shop rate to get it fixed....that is insane !!

Weird how my 2011 Camry has struts for the hood. I’d rather have the prop anyways since I just replaced my struts since they no longer held the hood. It was super easy to replace though!

My neighbors up the street when I was a child bought two Mercedes sedan diesels . They both outlasted the parents & their children 😮

I have quite the opposite experience with Mercedes. I have been driving an E550 2010 for 7 years now... I bought it second hand and I have barely had any problems.

I'm a Toyota man too. I been driving Priuses for the past 10yrs or so because of their reliability. My old prius has over 400k miles on it. I got rid of it a few months ago. It still ran fine. just couldn't pass emissions testing because of the oil bypass problem with the piston rings. It was ruining my catalytic converter. If the frame wasn't rusting I would have just replaced the motor. 800 dollars for a headlight assembly just about made me have a heart attack though lmao. And that's just the part not the labor. 2k for a headlight assembly just makes me laugh because it's laughable. I hope the newer Toyotas have more of the features that the other brands have now. Because I found that even though Toyota is very very reliable, they tend to steer away from heavy tech. Which is understandable because that keeps prices down and reliability up. But... lol

Toyota has the better engine startup sound to me

"Keep it simple for longevity." I like that.

Everything you are saying is 110% TRUE! I still own a 2000 Toyota Corolla with 118,000 +... It still drives like it's New because I take care of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The camrys from early 90s till around 2001 or so, and past that to be honest are stellar! Older corolla too! And if you get a Japan one that's even better. Also the older rav4s , and 2010--2013 highlanders are great too! But you gotta get them for a decent price! Some prices for these used cars is insane

Japanese cars are my favorite ones. I personally like Mazda the most but I love them all. My daily is a 2016 Mazda 6 GT with 84,000 miles. I've had zero issues with it. My toy is a 2020 Jaguar f-pace SVR and I've been very fortunate with it. No issues either and it has only 30,000 miles. I believe the SVR hasn't given me any problems because it comes with a Ford 5.0 V8 engine. I can't speak for the rest of the Jags. I'm not sure if the factory Jag engines have improved their quality.

that was as old school of a quality test as I've ever seen 😆 i remember my grandpa kicking the tires, slamming doors....

Funny thing i found about the engine layout of the inline 4 tranversed is that they look almost the same Like they're all placed and positioned almost similarly and the item shapes are also quite similar

240,000km on my w212 E550 and still loving it. I do all my own work and save thousands (I am a mechanic). Air suspension has needed some minor work (rear bags) in the last 4 years and the engine mounts just replaced but that’s about it. I’m a Toyota guy at heart (Landcruisers mostly) but I give it to the Germans on the w212. It feels like a very high quality car even after 13 years. So much so that I wouldn’t consider buying a brand new one a real upgrade.

Great video, thanks. A better comparison would have been the Mercedes against a Lexus ES.

GREAT VIDEO!

that section where you pressed all the buttons and everything in the interior had me hypnotised

Thanks for the straight up honest review mark. Toyotas are know for their reliability but still have know but minor faults of their own. German cars are just suspect reliability but only more on the bells and whistles side for the regular show offs.. lol.

Great video. I am glad that you used vehicles that were not clean and staged. You did a good job taking the time to open & close doors, click switches, and show us the difference in materials being used. Unfortunately, this is only one sided because it is a video. Being the owner of a German vehicle (no, I did not buy it to show off to my neighbors), I can tell you that living with it compared to any Asian car maker is quite different. I have owned vehicles from both countries. For example, the sheet metal that is being used is much thicker and has more internal bracing, the Toyota (Lexus) is thinner and very tin-sounding when you knock on it with your knuckle. The fit and finish is not even close. Most buttons in German vehicles if they appear to be metal are, not painted and will not rub off over time. If you have a knob (usually for infotainment) , it has a satisfying precision clicking sound when turning it in a German vehicle. Put a German car on a lift, and you will see that there is a lot of modern technology being used for suspension geometry, sound deadening materials, belly pans and skid plates, there are no expenses cut. The details and thought that go in when building a German vehicle is quite high. For example, in the shot of when you opened and closed your Mercedes door several times, the seat-belt extends itself automatically to help the individual not have to reach so far back to grab it. The gas cover door comparison that you demonstrated was another great example, Toyota is famous for being flimsy. The speaker grills are usually made of metal not plastic, and the list goes on. On the flip-side, yes, the maintenance costs are higher, but most folks who plan to own one for many years (past the 3 years you like to mention) understand this and plan accordingly. If one is a person who buys a vehicle just to get from point A to B, then yes, by Asian, nothing wrong with that. If you want style and quality, then buy German. Note: On your next video, you should speak about the difference between your Toyota and Mercedes All-Wheel Drive system, they are quite different in execution.

I love the ASMR portion of the video. This is what the viewers wanna see. The every day feel of the car if it's sturdy and well put together! Bro's gotta clip them fingernails!

Very nice video helpful. What camera gear are you using for filming ? I like the video quality.

I've seen multiple 2.0 engines from newer mercedes rocking 150k-200k. You just have to maintain them.

I love Toyota and own one, as well.But I also love Porsche, As I find it to be the most reliable German car out there. However, one of the most consistent and reliable was an old Mercedes 240D, back in the day. Love your Camry!

I have a w210 e240 with 300 000km and still running on original transmission and engine.Still running strong.I owned a w202 c220 with 404 000km.

My 2014 E220 is strongly going on with 261k miles on it. All I have done is frequent oil changes, replaced my gas pedal and that small tow hook plastic cover on the back bumper and that's it, whereas my 2008 Mazda (not toyota sorry) had its oil rings, pistons, valves, timing belt, water pump and differential replaced at 80k miles. All they told me was this is normal wear for Mazdas that age. I have owned and own both for 1 year.