Excellent video today, guys!

Those old Benzs are such elegant cars. The newer S classes are nice, but give me the elegance of the old ones every time.

The biggest difference is the old one is incredibly more reliable than the new one

SEL actually stands for S = Sonderklasse or Special Class. E = Einspritzung or injection/petrol, and L = long-wheelbase. S doesn't stand for sedan.

The 73 is far superior and has aged well. I don’t foresee the new one aging well or being compared to a new model in 50 years.

The back seat screens are mostly useless. I've driven modern luxury cars with such screens but passengers still only watch their own phones.

That old car is fantastic.

…that 108 is a stunner. Sad that I had no clue why it was 108 until a few years back and to think my first car was a 1972 280 SEL 4.5. It was my Grandfather’s, sadly he passed in ‘84 and I inherited it when I turned 18 in 1985. In ‘89 Gran left the 1971 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet. They are still parked in the same garage here in Atherton and every so often I dust them off drive them around. It brings me such joy as I reminisce on how wonderful they were and how truly grateful I am.

Always loved the S class. W140 is such a classic, 1999 Grand Edition will always be one of my favorites.

Great video! I had a '70 280SE for 35 years and never finished restoring it. It was rock solid without one speck of rust when I gave it away two years ago!

The original one had a gear knob. Stearing feel. It didn't slam the brakes on. As one lane goes to two. And a parked car was in the other lane. Causing a 3 car pile up. It didn't feel like somone was in the passager seat. Pulling at the wheel every time it thought you weren't central in the lane. It didn't allow people to steal it from you driveway with a gizmo. Without the thief's even needing your key. It didnt have a 100k mile "life-cycle". It didn't have 56 sensors that packed up under 40k miles. And cost £1000 each parts and labour to replace. It didnt have a tablet on the dashboard. That you had to use to turn your heating up. Causing a 3 car pile up. And it had class. Rarther than looking like a posh mondeo.

That opening shot of the 2 of them side by side! Wow!

Man, that old S-class interior brings back some very early childhood memories. My grand-dad owned a dash-8 (W115, I think it was a petrol 200, pre-facelift model) and its interior was pretty similar to that S-class'. I distinctly remember that he had two after-market extras fitted: One were automatic/self-retracting three point seat-belts in the front which, apparently, weren't standard equipment from the factory. The other was an external traffic-service "decoder", which was a little black box hanging under the dash. The function it provided was the same that the "TP" button on slightly more modern car stereos would give you - namely that it would let you mute your radio but if the traffic-news came on it would increase the volume automatically so you wouldn't miss any traffic announcements but didn't have to listen to the radio the whole time to do that. I never got to drive that car because I was too little, but he bought another Merc shortly before he died and my mom inherited that car. When I got my license, I did get to drive that one. It was a W123, 230E which felt a lot more modern than the dash-8, and, man.. that thing was impressive. My family had been driving VWs and Audis only up to that time (late 80s, early 90s) and while that Merc was already an older car at that point, it really felt like you stepped into another world. Driving experience was also totally different, starting with the weirdly heavy gas-pedal which I blame in part for doing a near 360° spin with that car on a wet and leaf-covered road.

I had a 1975 Mercedes 300D. I really miss that car. The 280 SEL is a classic looking car. It is such a Beauty. .

The 560 SEL to me was the first true S-Class, my father had one. This car is kind of a different category.

A W109 280sel 4.5 is one of my dream cars, great video!

Had a 1990 Mercedes 190E Great reliable easy to fix Fun car. I do miss it !

Great video 300 SEL 3.5 & 6.3 had Mercedes air suspension. Only RR Silver Shadows had Citroen suspension under license (on the rear - for self levelling and comfort as an adjunct to coil springs). In 1978 I had a new RR SS II & a new Citroen CX Prestige and a new 2CV6. With the series 1 CX had the rust resistance of the same vintage Benz.

love the compare . love the video colab . great review . bring some more

That 280 SEL is gorgeous and Kase is pretty nice to look at as well.

Lovely presentation, hi from New Zealand

You should try picthing the new MB elongated bratwurst against the Mercedes 600 grosse from the same era as the 280SEL 4.5 . Then you really will see how cheaply the latest flagship is slapped together . The Grosse has hydraulic and air everything , so it is a far more realistic test .

Lovely video! Doesn't SEL mean : S = SONDER or SPECIAL, E = EINTZPRITZMOTOR or Electronic Fuel INjection, and L = LONG WHEELBASE ?

This is an excellent video! Great job on getting me to watch the entire video on cars I’m not really interested in.

They both looks fantastic

Great Job Kase and Tommy 🔥🔥🔥

My Mom drove a ‘65 220Sb, then a ‘’67 250S and other Mercedes; in 2021 I followed her lead and finally purchased my own S-Class…a W222 CPO 2016 S550 4MATIC. There is nothing like them- Bullet-Train fast, Orient Express coddling, and truly reliable as hell..! They are built to serve..!! I LOVE THEM I also keep a 1961 220SEb and a 2019 C300 4MATIC Cabriolet…too many Mercedes are never enough Mercedes…and the newest ones are absolutely stellar in terms of ownership joy!!

Really enjoyed the video! Like a lot of commenters, I'm definitely a bigger fan of the old vs the new. I am extremely familiar with the old models and I kind of grew up with them; the thumbnail caught my eye immediately! I have to offer a couple of nit-picky corrections about the 280 and Benzes of that era though (sorry can't help myself). So the "S" designation actually did represent an upper tier of the model line up; it did not represent "sedan". The standard models (W114/115 during this period and most of which were sedans), lacked the "S" on the badging since it was not the upper end model. The term "S class" became a marketing name many years later after the "190 class" was introduced since this created 3 tiers of sedan models whereas prior years had only 2. The 190 morphed into and became the "C class", the midsized cars became known as the "E class", and the large top tier models became known as the "S class". In the mid '90s, the badging was reversed to reflect the new marketing designations so, for example, the 420SEL was re-designated simply the S420 and the 300E became E300. In prior years, the E represented a car with fuel injection but by this time, all of their cars were injected so the E became re-purposed as a tier in the model line up. Definitely a confusing history unless you kind of "watched it" evolving back in the day and were nerdy enough to actually care LOL. Lastly, the early 4.5 engine was actually 230 HP... pretty impressive for its time. Unfortunately, by the late '70s it WAS down to about 170 and the difference in responsiveness was extremely apparent. Drive a late '70s 450 and you'll immediately see what I mean! BTW, I absolutely LOVE the Euro spec lights on your 280....super cool!

black interior with red wood finish remains my all time fav. was so bummed out when they told me this doesnt exist on my current car. like the e38 bmw's, i looooove this

My father had the 73 Merc and I tried one recently to add to my collection. The thing the bothered me about he 73 was/is the softness of the seats and the lack of support to back and bottom. I was sliding all over them.

How many accrued miles on the 73’ v8 Mercedes SEL? 😊

You know, it's a close call - but because of the instrument cluster, I'd go for the 50 year old car every time. There is an understated elegance and luxury with real gauges. I don't quite understand why luxury car makers don't get that.

Hey TFL how about a comparison review of 4 big sedans, lexus Ls, mercedes s class, bmw 7 series, and audi A8,

@theaudiophikeworld: Thank you for pointing out those facts, seemingly what they overlooked or misdefined in [t]heir reporting…

The new one is very nice I don’t know why you optioned it with red leather seats it couldn’t of made it look more terrible with Grey paint

I know a guy who restored and modernized six SEL Mercedes. And uses them as classic Limosines.

w108 came out in 1965 so almost 60 years in between!

Kase, Love it! Tommy, is always the fan favorite. Thanks gentlemen

A lovely video. They definitely don't make them as they used to. But time will tell. Both are beautiful. Keep the videos coming.

I own a 1983 300d. 66,000 original miles, no rust and never been restored. Slow but lovely to drive. My uncle had a 74 300SEL 4.5 in Canada. As a kid that was the coolest car ever to me. I remember my cousin spinning the tires on that car. Don’t know whatever happened to it.

Is the driver seat busted on the W108 or is the gangsta lean on purpose?

Thank you, Tommy and Kase, good review. If I can not have a Lexus I'd take the older Mercedes

Harry Niemann wrote in the "Illustrierte Chronik der Daimler-Benz AG" (Illustrated Chronicle of Daimler-Benz AG - publisher: Daimler-Benz Group Archive): "Even though the designation was not officially used for the 116 model series until 1972, the 250 S to 300 SEL 6.3 models (1965 to 1972) are regarded as the first 'S-onderklasse' (S-pecial class) ".

Part of an MB's charm is how well they age. I just don't see the newest offerings aging as well as the Benzes of old due to the amount and type of tech in the vehicle. I feel like the last of the S Classes that have aged, and will continue to age well, is the W221 body style.

The ‘S’ officially meant ‘Sonderklasse’ or ‘Special Class’ in Mercedes parlance…not ‘Sedan.’

I flew into a Mercedes dealer to buy a car and they picked me up in a new S-class. Beautiful inside and out but the materials felt a little cheap.

nice video. still more CADDYS & LINCOLNS from that era on the road un renovated and running well world wide.

Give me the new S. Nostalgia is fine and good, but in this day and age when we are driving 30-40 miles one-way to work and idling in traffic for extended periods of time, the ‘73 does not work. People will scream, “…but it was built for the autobahn.” The car is 50 something years old. Not going to happen. As a show off weekend car, it will be great. Drive downtown or cruise to the golf course fine, but this car can’t meet the mission of today’s driver. Give me the new one.

I genuinely wouldn't want to own either one of these cars for various reasons, but I definitely prefer the old 280SEL to just drive and enjoy. Mechanical controls feel much better than electronic controls.

You are wrong about the model code, it used to denote the engine displacement, so for instance the 280 had a 2.8 litre engine. Whilst there were some exceptions, it generally was a true representation of the the engine size. That is until the last 10-15 years or so when this downsizing craze started and so Mercedes wanted its cars to sound more potent than they really are.

Both beautiful cars! Not really a fan of the big ugly screens in the new one...

The old benz lettering was legendary and not wishy washy like the new generations. Anyhow great video

The brothers clothing styles match each vehicle. Aka kase and tommy. And it’s absolutely incredible it really adds to the vlog. And says everything. Good job bros.

I love the classic❤❤❤

The 4.5l is a low comp desmogged engine. The europeans would have been the 280 SEL 3.5

nice to see both side by side :) lets see which one still runs in 2050... oh and the turning radius is almost the same on both cars!

The 90’s were the last great period for Benz. The new ones are insanely plush and cram packed with luxury and gadgetry. But reliability and cost to own and maintain is astronomical. I’ve had 6 Benz throughout the years. I now drive older ones with analog gauges but I have them modernized with big touchscreens. I don’t want a screen as an instrument cluster. I’m ok with modern amenities, but a total screen dash just looks cheap. And I like physical buttons for their tactile qualities. So I’ve blended the best of both worlds with my older E350 and E550 without over complication. And the reliability is still great. I had a newer E class but got rid of it after just 6 months. It was definitely nice. But it always had something wrong. I got to the point where I dreaded starting it up and getting maintenance notifications or warnings. My older Benz’s have been near flawless. And I can afford the regular maintenance on them because I bought them outright so I have no car payment.

Nice video Tommi/Kase, you know back in 1973 that 280 as you say was right around $11000.00 and new fully loaded Cadillac Eldorado Seville in 1973 was right around $8000.00 so they weren't too far apart in price, i had an Uncle Louie who sold Cadillacs back then and always drove them and smoked stogies all the time and he'd say why would you pay more for a small Mercedes when you could gave the big beautiful land yacht of a Caddy with an almost 500 C.I. V8 and good quality reliable air conditioning that worked and you could freeze a side of beef where as the A/C in the Mercedes back then was no comparison to the Cadillac's A/C they didn't care back then gas was under 40 cents a gallon, from a round 1976-77 the prices of the import luxury cars Mercedes,Jaguar,BMW, ETC,jumped well ahead of domestic luxury brands, my boss in June 1977 bought a new Jaguar XJ V12 Vanden Plas Saloon for $27000.00 and a comparable Cadillac was only $16-17000.00 the Jaguar came with Goat skin float mats front /rear and it sucked more than your first TRX, it got 7 or 8 mpg city and 10 mpg hwy,that was when gas was leaded and never went bad and lasted 10 yrs easy 👍

+1.. I'll take the silver metallic '73 Mercedes-Benz W108 all day long. .. Twice on Sunday. .... Full disclosure in the garage as we speak are; a 1994 MB E-320 C124 Coupe, a 1998 Carrera S (993) and a neu sckool 2023 MB E450 wagon. .. The MB C124 coupe has a communicative drive & solid build character of Mercedes days gone by. .. "The Best or Nothing" was the corporate mantra. .. The '98 Porsche Carrera S (993) is akin to the '94 MB in that the precision drive & build character is front and center, never wavering. .. Lastly, the neu '23 (S213) E-450 wagon is a technological Tour De Force. .. The wagon is attempting to be heard saying "character" above the DIN of all the techno-wizardry.. We're just not there yet MB (S213) .. Cheers, M/S

The „S“ in SEL doesn‘t mean „Sedan“, it means „Sonder“, the German for „Special“.

The old is gold. Would like to see the new one runs in 50 years 😂

Nice work Tommy and Case

New S Class is not reliable. Had a lot of issues with a company owned one. Granted the thing is abused with NYC driving but have had a lot of electrical issues. Last night the rear air suspension went out. Has less than 80k miles on it and it’s a 22

Give me the 1973 model any day. So beautiful

Is that Norma Bates??

I'll take the '73.

Does the old S Class tilt the wheels it turns?

and yes 280 was 2,8 litre straight six!

The W108 any day Casey! One of the most beautiful cars ever built!

I have the W223 22. Believe me when I tell you, its hard to drive anything else afterwards. You will constantly compare that car to the S class.

It's interesting how the E class is now basically what the S class was back then.

the W140 was peak S-class as was the 126

Id want to now the ´73 any day... the new one only on a lease with service included

One of the longest car manufacturers. They are the first !

tommy, have you seen how old the suburban name is from Chevrolet history

I don't foresee any new Mercedes Benz actually lasting 50 years. No one is going to deal with the repair and up keep costs whereas the much more simple older Mercedes Benz. You can actually maintain and keep it put together for life. Also Mercedes Benz parts are always provided for your vehicle Mercedes Benz does a very good job of keeping those parts supplied.

"Old taxi" still the best

Fun video and love Kase's car ! Can not believe all the finger prints and smug left on the screen and console on the new car. Not real classy and the black finish is used on too many new cars . But a great video guys !

A neighbour in the cilage has the old one and this is something unique nothing touches the old ones. The new one looks cheap and lacks character but it's still a expensive car

Would take the 1973 280 SEL all day long. No comparison.

Tommy and Kase both car served the same purpose, just that new generations have better roads and do not enjoy the view outside much ; but eyes stuck to the screens.

Steel or plastic ?

One thing they forgot to mention tho, One of these cars is gonna live to see its 100’th birthday and the other one isnt gonna live to see 25. I mean, when was the last time you saw a ten year old iPad still working? Dont get me wrong tho, i’d love to have a brand new S-class haha…

11.000$ in 1973 is 1000 now. i like s550

I take the old one in a Heartbeat

Give me the old one with its better build quality, better durability and that wonderful analog feel.

There is no MB Tex in the S-class it’s a base leather and you can upgrade from there

They only need analog gage clusters on the new S-Class and it would be so much better

You should do one with the Land Cruiser from 50 years ago and 2024

In the new S class there is so much contrast how expensive and luxurious walnut with aluminum looks compared how cheap and crappy infotainment and screens look.

They traded quality for tech. Let's see what that new S will look like in 50...or even just 10 years down the road when I believe the w108 will merrily pass salvage yards with millennium era MBs piled high.

This is like comparing time, imagine what this car will be in another 50 years😮...

0:14 Wa was da? The W109 need to be restored to it"s original condition. This is bad for my Mercedes heart.

3:17 lolwut??? 😁😁😁

Old money vs New money

No old Mercedes naming was “wishy washy”!

look at the thickness of the carpet in the new one and you will understand that to have the same thing when in the past you have to go to Bentley today

When you factor in maintenance cost forger in the new one.

Rich people don't use phone cases haha. So the rear holders are functional :)

Old numbers denoted litres of displacement; 2.8L = 280. You're not comparing like with like. Your new 580 = 4L, with zero correlation.