Luxury UNDER £1000 - Mercedes Vs Lexus, Which is Better? [LS400 Vs S500]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ธ.ค. 2021
- I bought two cheap luxury cars, but is this 2002 Mercedes S500 or the 1997 Lexus LS400 the better used choice? Which car offers the most cheap luxury? The W220 Mercedes is not famed for its quality.. while the Lexus LS400 revolutionised the market BUT was criticised for the plastic interior.
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My daily is a 94 ls400 with 1,100,000 miles on the clock and every button light and switch works still fine, just done the alternator this weekend cost £100 and a few tools 🧰, the UZ engine is only one of three v8’s ever made to be aircraft certified, these engines can easily do 5 million miles if it’s looked after no doubt
Your point about getting a much older and abused Lexus for the same prices as the Mercedes is the key here. They hold their value far better than the MBs for a reason. A 2002 LS is going to be a lot more money unless it's a true basket case.
Lexus hold their value better (mainly in USA) due to stupid fanboys talking thrash about German cars, not for being better in terms of quality.
@@bumpyroad3251 where i live in people think that german cars are somehow superior because of stupid fanboys too, they are everywhere apparently
@@hamzathewalkingalive2714 :
absolutely correct, German cars are generally a pc of junk, period.
@@bumpyroad3251 you actually believe German cars are better built than Japanese quality smfh
@@bumpyroad3251
Nobody needs to trash talk German brands...
Telling straight facts is pretty dang good enough 😂
I lived in Texas when the LS400 arrived. Personal friends bought them, and then walked away from the Mercedes brand after discovering how incredibly reliable the Lexus is. Also, Lexus service is exemplary, and includes a loaner car not matter the age of the Lexus.
having owned every generation LS i think the ls430 was the pinnacle..absolutely everything was improved and better than a 400 ..so this is an unfair comparison ...trust me choose the Lexus ,
So true, Alan. I still have an 05 LS430 and will never part with it. I would love to spend money on it, but it will not let me. Just goes on and on. Our newer cars constantly break with minor irritations, but never the Lexus.
When a European compare a Lexus and MB of course he is going to said MB is betterLOL. I owned a 1993 LS400 , the only things I did is change oil every 3k miles and timing belt every 90k . The car still drive like a new 😅
@@davidkuo4167 :
They have no choice but praising the actual junks!
The LS 430 is possibly the ugliest of the LS range. Bug eyed at the front and trying to look like the S-class at the rear.
@@pilskadden 01 to 03 is is a bit ugly true but the 04 to 06 are just beautiful and flawless
The big advantage to buying a cheap car (or a house or a watch) and restoring it is that you are immediately aware of what it needs to be right, as opposed to buying something at or near retail, and then getting surprised by hidden expenses.
I’ve found buying a project “right” is usually cheaper in the long run than buying something that’s been tarted up to look good, only to discover costly flaws under the surface.
Good point.
Looking forward to the continuation of this series. Thank you for the uploads to-date. I’ve throughly enjoyed watching them.
This is my favorite series I’ve seen in a long time. I can’t wait for the other 3.
Great vid, I love both of these cars and both have their strengths and weaknesses (aesthetically I much prefer the shape of the LS especially from the rear) I’d be happy with either but having owned a few of each marque I’d pay a little extra and find a really nice S55 AMG. For this money though the Lexus does 99% of what the S-Class does but will almost certainly cost less in repairs over a 3/5 year period. £1000 is not a lot of money but fixing old Merc’s can be an expensive business
Really enjoying this series and looking forward to more.
id have the lexus over the merc. ive had a merc of that age and it had never ending electronics issues
Yes, I agree with you. I had a 95 LS400 - a great car - unbelievably refined and not a single issue with it. I’ve had a series of Mercs and the electrical glitches drove me mad. They’re just unreliable. Cheers.
agree. my father drives mercs and the last 2 were of that era. a 98 c class 220d and it was a pure rust bucket and he was allways chasing electrical issues and a headgasket at about 180k kilometers until he sold it with a huge loss. after that he got a 2004 E class 220d and that also starts with the rust and some issues regarding glow plugs and non working interior lights.
i have a 1990 Nissan Maxima as a daily. i was lucky with rust and everything else just works.
@@philipmulville8218 having a sc300 and sc400 or soarers.
They've been nothing but issues with ECUs and power steering pumps dashes etc all failing
@@CSmithyPx Thank you. I’ll avoid both of them!
Great video Jack! I like the 'brief comparison' format
I owned a 1993 Lexus LS400 after 29 years, the car still drive without any issues. You need to compare how much the maintainer cost on the MB against Lexus. It will cost additional $10000 after you purchased a used MB S class.
I and my family switched from German cars to Lexus (for all). Once we touched Lexus, and we realized how un-reliable the German cars are.
General speaking after 4-5 yrs of a German car's ownership, you can start to learn auto-mechanics every month.
.
Then ur family doesnt know how to drive my dad had a merc e200 kompressor for 15 years now and he had absolutely 0 issues while his friends lexus is 250 died after a year
Jack, please help that Hubnut character by giving him some car buying tips!
I'm certainly enjoying this series.
One for consideration; if you can find one within budget; would be the 1997 (through to about 2000) Toyota Camry 3.0 V6 auto.
I had one of these for 8 years. It never let me down, was smooth as silk and, at a steady 70mph, a not too shabby 30+mpg.
Interior was very similar to your Lexus but you couldn't fault that car for reliability despite it being a lot cheaper to buy.
Great content Jack. Peace 👊👍
i had one sixteen years only sold this year 2005-20021 had lpg 1997 your description spot on
@@michaellyons9678 👍
I enjoyed that comparison Jack👍
This is a great video idea Jack, comparing great luxury cars for £1000 or less, and then seeing what you could end up with , a bargain or a bin it, looking very much forward to seeing your next video, 👍👍😀.
Alfa 166? 😀
Sweet Geek!! Cool reviews
Fab video continue in same way,realistic, informative, and refreshing........have u sorted leaks yet gd luck.
When you look for an E38 Jack watch the fuel tank, a big weakness, it's steel on them and rots badly, last time i checked replacements were £1200 and very hard to find, it's a saddle tank too so a big job to replace, had two E38's and both had dodgy tanks, first one had been fibreglassed and the second was slightly better but leaking slightly at the seam when over 1/2 full. They are great cars though.
Personally I would go LS 400 every time having had one for 5 years and it never skipped a beat. Yours isn’t the best example there is better around for the same price you just have to bide your time.
I love the sub grand vids. They're a must watch!!
Good to see your subscribers number growing. The channel provides real world interest and ideas!
Thank you Andrew!!
@@Number27 You’re welcome - and it’s Ian 😀.
Thanks for another great video. Loving this series Jack. Keep looking at LS 400s on autotrader an eBay. Very tempted 🙂
I have a identical color and everything. Bought it with 218k. One of the best cars I've ever had. I had to do a lot of suspension work though.
I find these videos very soothing and entertaining, and it's a welcome aside from watching the news.
Thank you!!
Love this idea. More like it please.
To have a fair comparison you really need a MK3 Lexus LS430 which is the same model generation to the Merc .
Was going to say the exact thing as I own a 05 Ls430
No, it is a fair comparison as it is a luxury car under £1k (see title of vid) He covers this point as the Mk 3 would cost much more than £1k.
Nice comparison test. I like them both. The Merc is newer & better looking but the Lexus is a legend regarding Japanese limousines & a very good V8. Keep them both!!!
Thanks Jack, I'm enjoying this luxury barge series! Seats in the Merc designed for the taller driver to, just a bit more space/usable all round?
Lovely Jubbly, your enthusiasm for the cars you purchase never ceases to cheer me up Jack. Never change your format, still miss the tomato Citroen though.
Cheers Paul, and happy new year!!
Good frank review. Oh, and really nice video image quality. Did you upgrade something, or are my glasses just cleaner today?
Agree mate. Like the Mercedes too. Wish I could convince my missus to buy a runaround for school runs and a luxury barge for the family trips.
I'm not the least bit interested in either barge but nonetheless I watched and even enjoyed the video.
You must be doing something right Jack! Keep up the good work.
Great a whole series. Don’t leave out Influenzo, the more you do, the more problems you will have as it will feel left out
I’ve been fortunate enough to own both a 2004 S600 and a 97 LS400 for the better part of a decade, and more recently I also purchased a 2005 LS430 Ultra Luxury. Off the bat, I’ll say that the running costs of the MB have been roughly 2.5x that of the LS400 on a mile-for-mile basis over the last 50k miles I’ve put on each, with both cars basically being maintained with an open checkbook. I expect the LS430 to be somewhat more affordable to keep on the road compared to the LS400 as some LS400 parts are becoming harder and harder to find, and therefore more expensive.
Comparing the S600 and the LS430 is interesting:
I’ll preface this by saying that my S600 is a strangely optioned car, with the only options on the car being the Designo interior and exterior packages and the exterior sport appearance package, which brings the MSRP in 2004 to ~$140,000. Radar cruise was not standard on the car even though the S600 base price was north of $120k. My car doesn’t have this feature, nor does it have keyless go, features that we’re both standard on the LS430 UL, which in 2005 was ~$72,000.
So what did paying 2x the price for the MB get you? In my mind, 3 things:
Slightly more leather on the interior (S600 has leather on the upper dash, and upper door panels, others the LS has similar amounts of leather), a Biturbo V12, and crucially ABC Suspension. ABC often gets a bad rap for being expensive to maintain, but I wholeheartedly believe that the S600 is a much better car for having it, and have even said that the one improvement I’d make to the LS430 (besides a V12) is optional hydraulic suspension. The 430 rides very well on its air struts, but for me there’s just something about the magic carpet ride you can only get with accumulators.
The LS430 has a couple advantages over the S600 beyond the extreme disparity in running costs:
The tech and infotainment is in an entirely different league, with the Mark Levinson stereo being noticeably better than the Bose system in the MB.
I find the seats in the LS fit me better, with the ergonomics of the cabin also being a bit better (I often find myself irritated by the fact that the steering wheel in the S isn’t quite centered, plus my knees are constantly hitting the bottom of the dash, a problem I’ve never had in any other car). Additionally, the LS is built to a higher standard, which may factor into the cabin being somewhat more isolated from noise. Finally, on the highway where these cars thrive, the LS is anywhere from 25-40% more efficient, giving it a significantly longer cruising range, at the expense of the truly phenomenal power offered by the V12.
Overall they’re both fantastic cars, each with their own quirks and uh, features. I’d argue the LS is probably the better car between the two, but I think that if I had to pick just one it’d be the S600. For all of its shortcomings it’s extremely endearing, going down the road it feels absolutely untouchable whereas the LS just feels like a truly very nice car.
A very detailed and interesting look at both, thank you. I have never owned a Mercedes, but have owned 3 new Jaguars which were total rubbish compared with an LS430.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It’s three really interesting luxury saloons
I went out Boxing Day and found the rear passenger side top part of the door seal on my Citroen C4 was leaking. Seal was not flush and had let in some water and the back seat is quite damp. I kept it covered too, but the rain was so heavy it just soaked through. I've covered that part with a bin bag under the car cover. I live in flats do the car is parked a few hundred yards away ☹️
I always enjoy your videos, Jack; great job. I hope you are enjoying your new career. Know anyone with an old Toyota MR2 or a classic Datsun 280 Z? I had one of each in my younger years and enjoyed them immensely, even if they were falling apart. Either would make a great review. Anyhow, I truly hope your Christmas went well and your New Year's Day is even better. Best wishes!
Regards,
Bret from Missouri
Excellent. Looking forward to those other comparisons. Btw, any news on the Bis-merc?
New coming soon!
Even though, as you say, the newer Lexus would be out of your price range for this series, as they were close in price when new, it would definitely be an interesting offshoot to drive one if you get chance at some point. Agree with your assessment of the LS400 and although it doesn't quite have the class or elegance of the Mercedes, I do like the understated looks and some of the details they put into this car.
Thanks jack, interesting video, but please remove the snows off the windows before driving.... There, I've said it 😆
Keep up the good work 👍🏼
Finally an unbiased car review speaking the truth, not some japanese fanboy rubbish blabbering about how great and vastly superior outta this Earth Lexus are, enough of these out there. Thanks for great comparison.
The cheap Jaguars seem to have all disappeared. Two of my friends messed about with cheap X308s a few years ago One bought a non runner for £400 and it was just a bit of water in the petrol due to a plastic filler cap. He drove it to the south of Spain! But then they all seemed to be min £1600
Electrics are an absolute nightmare on them, i bought one last year for 1K, was a 98 X300 3.2 Sport, it immobilized itself on my driveway and i just couldn't get it going, even the Jag specialist in my town wouldn't touch it, gave up with it in the end, shame as it was a lovely thing, i cant see past E38 Beemers for 90's barges, had two a 728i and a 750iL and they were fantastic.
Cool vid
The Lexus of that era is just a cool looking car snd looks a beast still. I’d love one with some better wheels
Good comparison and I certainly agree on the looks of the Lexus. The lumpy and wide front end looks good and still somewhat incognito to blend well in other traffic.
On the other hand, also regarding the exterior styling and looks, the W220 has aged surprinsingly well. I remember when I saw one on the road 5 or even more years ago, I was like, wow the owner is stuck on an executive car from several previous generations and made it look dull, and aged badly. However, now that we are 5 or more years later, hey, Happy New Year!! , it starts to look elegant again and subtle. And yet it blends well too with modern traffic I think.
Cheers mate!
Its interesting that at the beginning of your film you use the term 'Legend' a few times. And in the use of that term you forget another great Japanese luxury car from the 90s, that can be bought very cheaply - the Honda Legend. I'm talking specifically of the second generation model from 1990 - 1994. This was almost as large as the LS400 and used a FWD 3.2 V6, but in a north south configuration - a clever piece of engineering from Honda. I understand that when Honda came out with the first generation Legend in the late 80s it inspired Toyota to create the Lexus brand. I have a 91 Legend saloon and its interior is virtually identical to the Lexus in appearance, it's done 154,000 miles and never skipped a beat, ultra reliable. Yes its way behind in the interior gadgets etc of later cars but its been a great car for long distance travel and is very comfortable and fast enough when needed. Even more distinctive from this era from 1990 to 1994 was the Legend Coupe, same engine but alongside the auto you could opt for a 5 or 6-speed manual box (in some markets the saloon had the manual option). It has self-closing doors (as you pull the door shut the car takes over just before the door meets the pillar). This eliminates the issue of frameless door glass rattling and the general effort in closing large coupe doors - clever! I also have a Coupe. The coupe ceased production in 94, but the basic saloon shell with modification/styling changes and an enlarged engine to 3.5 L existed to around 2001. I've often fancied an LS400, thanks for the comparison.
A big fun Number 27 compare and contrast video. For that price and the car you got in your Mercedes, it is a cool, luxo barge with status.
Stylewise, Nineties Lexi are the thing for me. Perhaps a second Lexus LS400 only compare and contrast with High Peak Autos? Thanks :)
If someone is a deadbeat and show-off the Merc is better. Otherwise, with moderate effort and 0 wannabe credentials the Lexus trumps with its long term reliability. :)
You have a Merc then
Not much of a show off in the worst S Class ever made lol...though sure, a lot of badge for the money.
Then again yes Merc buyers aren't my cup of tea. Some have moved to BMW recently.
@ 3:40 hard to get one of these big saloons that looks really good......Audi A8 D2!! especially the facelift '99 onwards, and particularly in S8 form. I'm going to be reunited with my old 2002 S8 soon (complete with water leaks)
You should compare the 1998 LS400 with full option with that same W220.
The 98 face-lift comes option with navigation, self leveing headlight standard and optional air suspension, higher quality leather, more modern, faster...revised conventional suspension if with out air, newer engine that out put 30 more horse power.
Great comparison, so next you need an A8, BMW 7 series and a Jaaaagggg XJ?
Funny how people would choose looks above substance! The Lexus is streets ahead in all the vital stuff, such as reliability.
Matt Farrah's million mile Lexus proves that Lexus is the way to go.
The Merc interior and exterior look nicer, defo looks more upmarket. But that's about it. The Lexus was one generation behind that Merc, so it does lack in the looks dept. But fit and finish is way better, and reliability is defo 100 times better than the Merc.
And I absolutely agree, I prefer the looks of this Lexus model over the revised models after...lol
the old lexus myth again the basketcase one in the video clearly isn't 100x more reliable but you and alan partridge keep churning it out.
@@raycroal A 'myth' is a widely held belief which is false. Lexus reliability is NOT myth as they have consistently beaten ALL German brands decade after decade. That was your 1st error.
Your 2nd error: you say this Lexus in the video is not more reliable than the Merc. Actually it is! The Lexus has been running for 5 years longer than the Merc and it has already done 50K more miles (200K).
Your 3rd error: in previous video he shows that he has already done the repairs on the Merc (he's been working on it for months and it had rusts and body problems), so it is now all sorted. But the Lexus he only got a few weeks ago and he hasn't yet sorted all the faults, it has no major issues despite all that mileage and age.
Finally, he took the Lexus to a main dealer for a check-up and they not only gave him an estimate of what's wrong with the car, but they did the whole thing for FREE and they also topped up the oil for free! Merc charged him a fee for the same checks.
Some folks waste a lot of oxygen on this planet and they constantly need brand names to justify their existence. And when something bursts the bubbles of those brands they get scared.
Nevermind. Tomorrow might be a better day for you. 😅😅
@@a.m.9357 thanks for your very partridge like response helping to prove my point, the lexus is just another car with problems just like all other cars and known weaknesses just like all other cars and it is pure folly to think anything else
Lexus, no question for me.
Which of these two cars would be cheaper to repair also toyota products from the 1990s are some of there best because l own one and l live in Australia
I would def pick the lexus just for the reliability alone the Mercedes you can see the quality but both for the price we're great buys buy the best you can as you say I did same with a 2004 l322 rr I paid 2k for it but all the big things that go wrong have been replaced hope you had a great Christmas all the best donny
As someone who always buys Mercedes and very rarely spends more than a 1000 pounds I think this is a great series to run.
Just looking at my current e220 diesel wagon 2007 in black which cost 1300 pounds with 160,000 on the clock 3 years ago now approaching 200,000 miles , there is absolutely no need to spend a fortune on a new car.
My car scrubs up like new and drives like new.
It's a win win
Can you look for a nice E38 BMW 7 series next, the bet looking BMW executive saloon ever.
I have one so I'm slightly biased.
Difficult decision for me. I'm a Merc owner -- a W209 CLK, and I really like how Merc do luxury. But I've always been a fan of Japanese cars for their quirkiness, and I think the Lexus looks more interesting and is cool - as you said yourself :) So... I think I'd have the Lexus just for being different and to stand out a bit. But I can see that the Merc is probably actually the better car (but it's not always about that, right?)
i bought a bmw 7 series and it drives like a dream had suspension changed with bc coilovers and no rust which you will find on these but it cost me 4k and slowly going up in price so know is the time to buy one lol.
How about throwing an Alfa 166 into the mix Jack?!
Looking forward to the audi jaguar and bmw comparison .
Of the two I prefer the Lexus looks. It looks sharper, more purposeful and distinctive. The Merc is overly curvy and rather gawky at the front. It could easily be the product of an American or Korean company.
The fundamental case for a Lexus is it's reliability and that reputation the brand has, conversely the Benz has some reputation for having problems.
This could in a major part due to the attitude of the respective dealership networks. Some good makes of cars have a bad rep due to bad customer service by their dealers.
W126 looks good from all angles.
I work for an undertaker that runs a fleet of E Class limo/hearse's around the age of this S class or a few years newer.
Electrical/aircon/drivetrain all fine.
The airmatic is just a complete pain in the arse though. Walking up to the garage and just wondering which corner is on its arse out of the 5 cars we have with this set up.
It could be the mechanics fault though as they are not merc specialists I have to admit.
From this fleet ive learned the best old merc barge would be a high spec E diesel but without airmatic. The fundamentals are ok.
Both are great machines but i prefer Ls400
The Audi A8 will be an interesting comparison, when you find one. It may not be the best dynamically but you can be sure its all aluminium body will be rust free.
Rust free for sure, but not necessarily corrosion free.
@@paula200 As with Jaguar X350 models, but that's a small concern compared to holes in the floor and inner wings. Nobody expects total perfection, not including ex wives !
@@michaelarchangel1163 Do you know her? 🤣
The Lexus would be a better used buy than the Merc for me. I'm probably bussed as we ran a 2000 MkIV LS400 for about 13 years. It had very few issues and the bits it did need were easy to fix, although not necessarily cheap. Agreed, the interior is rather bland but is very hard wearing, just treat the leather occasionally. We did look at a couple of S class Mercs as possible replacements but they both had some issues that scared us off. Oh, and the Mercs were newer with far less miles on them. In the end we just kept the LS.
the seats look too small in the Lexus, which is weird given its a luxury barge, where as the in the Merc they look lovely and relaxing which is what you'd expect.
Good enough for Princess Diana !! Lexus Australia supplied her the white over Ivory of the same series,, I had the pleasure of selling it twice
What's interesting is that it isn't a fair year by year comparison, mainly because of the better resale of the Lexus. Which in itself should tell you about the differences with these two vehicles.
My family had a 95 LS, the only thing that actually failed was the alternator, although not an expensive repair, but it failed on me very spectacularly 😅
thats a classic LS problem , the power steering pump runs on ATF fluid instead of power steering fluid and if you put power steering fluid in it , it rottens the gaskets and leaks right down into the alternator and destroys it
An LS430 would blow the Mercedes out of the water. It’s not the LS430’s fault that it has a much higher resale value.
I remember thinking Lexus must be terrifying for Mercedes back in the 90s.
They did. So much so that Mercedes HQ in Germany actually bought a few of the original Lexus LS's to run them and analyse them. True fact. I think that speaks volumes. The Germans were basically caught off guard with Lexus. It was a similar story in the late 80's with the mk1 Honda NSX. It certainly raised a few eyebrows with Euro supercar makers. Fact is it was a better supercar than the equivalent Ferrari. I well remember reading press reviews confirming that.
I'd take the lexus any time of the day. Japanese do luxury different.
their actual quality is much higher than mercedes perceived quality where fake wood etc makes you think it is "better/higher"
reality is that Japanese do not like to show off so things like RR, Bentley etc do not appeal to them, part of their culture and want to "blend in" even their highest end Century v12 5.0 toyotas are very understated on the outside compared to say RR which costs nearly the same.
they adjusted that in ls430 to appeal more to the western culture etc but even then the 430(celsior) in japan can be had in some amazing configs, wool interior etc.
I think as far as ls400 goes you have got a bad apple out of the bunch. Crashed before, after market suspension etc.
as a comparison my friend owns a 95 ls400 and none of those issus are there, car is still creak/rattle free and everything bar one heated seat works. Another near 200k mile example.
I personally owned a Toyota Crown which was similar to LS400 in Japan and absolutely loved it, nothing ever went wrong in 2 years and everything inside worked as it left the factory. The cloth black interior was extremely cosy and rattle free.
overall I think you got:
very good example of an S class
and quite a bad example of an LS400 - the main con being the suspension imo.
I think an S-Class is a great luxury car but you need to go in with your eyes wide open and expect the worst with it. LS400 is safer bet if you want something to just "work".
good comparison I just wish you had one on OEM suspension! those ride amazing. Japanese market also had air-ride option on the cars which added and extra level comfort. I think my perfect spec would be:
pearl white 2 tone(silver lower)
Wool interior
Air-ride
Air-purifiers etc
Not that simple. Interiors in MB always hold up better. Not going to beat the engine and transmission in this one either.
The Lexus is a less complex car though. Might be a bit more safe and tried solutions on some things.
No fake wood in Mercedes.
@@martinsvensson6884 I don't know, the interior of the first-generation SLK I saw at the auctions was falling apart!
@@TassieLorenzo What was falling apart? Never seen an MB interior do that in my entire life unless completely misstreated or rediculous miles.
@@martinsvensson6884 bruh people be looking at the worst examples of cars and apply it to the whole brand
A lot depends on the previous ownerI would guess if the same owner owned both cars from new the Lexus would trump the Merc.Maybe a Honda Legend could be added to the comparisons as a dark horse?
I used to drive Mercs and BMWs but when I got a Lexus I realised that German cars are very unreliable and expensive to fix.
Obviously both cars fit the bill, a lot of car for the money, but that aside I’d have a Jaguar XJ6 , whether XJ40 or X300 over either of them
For that money £1000 ish I’d take any but first it would be the Merc but try the A8 Audi thanks Jack 👍👨🏻🏭
Were these cars even roughly designed in the same years?
Great video as always Jack. Make some room for the rare Honda legend won't you?!! And C6 citron, I still think comparing old and current would be interesting!!! Ben 🚌🚍🇬🇧🇩🇪🇯🇵
Find a maxda xedos 9 with the miller engine
W220 is known as the issue bomb, electronic issues like boardcomputer, power windows, navigation system, cruise control then also mechanical issues power steering, control unit from the auto gear box, (abc) brakes..!!, hydraulic suspension and last bit not least: optical issues rust !, surfaces looses their finish, ceiling, covers get loose and so on..! Just Audis from that era are more horrible.
Jack you missed a car in the list: Alfa Romeo 166 or 164 :)
Wherever you go and talk about cars. People will say… “oh bmw”… and then they will agree that “w’s” break alot. Then they will praise Audi’s performance. But they will agree audi’es become a nightmare when old. Finally, they will all come to mercedes and indeed, if you talk about pre-1990 benz’es, they are absolutely indestructible. However, technology came and Mercedes never learned to deal with electronics, so we have money pit benz’es from the 90s foward.
After all, you come to Lexus. And everyone will smile. It translated into reliability.
W220 vs. LS430 will be a much fairer comparison.
Will you be keeping them all as you buy Jack??
No I’m selling each one before I buy the next. There’s a video on the Merc and when I sold that..
I remember that generation of Merc S Class getting What Car? Car of the year best luxury car several years in a row. In terms of dynamics, luxury feel it was considered to be one of the best cars in the world. It’s reputation rapidly went downhill as the cars aged. The Lexus was best luxury car in 1990 but by 1997 it was an also ran considered to be very refined but rather bland/dull. At this age you’ll probably have faults with either but the Merc is more complex and therefore probably more expensive to fix. The Merc really had a tendency to rust too so getting one that clean for 1000 is impressive. If everything works it’s a 60000 pound car for a grand. That’ll pay for a lot of repairs
Very informative and useful report I think you are right the Germans have the edge but are very closely followed by the Japanese!
Thank for watching and for your comment Alex!
Great video. As much as I like Toyota/Lexus cars, there's something about this era of Mercs that just trumps them
yeah that comparsion isnt that fair since the ls400 just is at least one generation behind but lexus didnt update much on them on the next gen.
but this also shows how good the ls400 is on resale value. they hold thier value extremly well compared to most german rivals because the long therm quality was just on a higher level back then.
and i agree on the japanese cool that the ls400 has. they do have thier own character these cars. and im all for that 80s 90s japanese way of building cars. love that era of cars in general the most.
You’re lucky, here in Austria a totally beat up Lexus LS400 is bout 5000€ and same for the S Class!
I actually prefer the first gen ls400 didn't like the styling on this one as much. When you say ls430 you sure you don't mean ls400 which is next model to this one?
Buy all the LS model you can find. A little bit of me dies inside whenever I see them being used for banger racing 😭
Could do with a more factual, less subjective comparison ... mpg, measured engine power from a dyno, maintenance costs, etc.
Also, at this price, 'Luck of the Draw' very much comes into play as to what you actually get ...
Looking at Your Lexus, I think you Have Water leaks due to it having a Fr Offside Bump at sometime. I would look into Accident damage & any panels replaced.
It's very hard to assess on camera.
Try measuring all the Shut Lines Everywhere.
Buy a cheap note book, & remove some pages to fit a KNOWN PERFECT Panel gap.
Slide this wad of paper around every panel gap on the car.
I think the Bodyshell may have a Very Slight TWIST , Causing all the Water leaks, ???
Get the car checked for Accident damage all round.
Also Check if it is a 1970 Morris Marina with a Lexus Badge ?
Even Marina's didn't Leak that badly.
Really good series this, here's another thought for the future not necessarily to buy but if you can hunt some down why not try to do a comparison test between the Type 4 cars so Fiat Croma, Lancia Thema, Alfa 164 and Saab 9000? Or even a battle of the Sales Reps, a Mondeo, Vectra, Rover 600, Zantia or something like that. A bit like the listing you used to get in Autocar in one of their articles.
depends on what one’s definition of “better” is. more gadgets, better suspension, better handling, Merc. but I believe the “better” car is the 1 that spends the least amount of time on a lift.
2 ways you could have improved this video.
1. used a decibel meter to compare the noise inside both to see which car`s quieter
2. and the coin test which i keep on banging on about...........