This is Why A Toyota Lasts 300,000 Miles (But Mercedes Won't)

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 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’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.

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.

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 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.

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 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. 😊

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

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

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...

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)❄

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

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.

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.

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

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