Cadillac or Mercedes — what we actually found
Side by side from 58 Cadillacs and 258 Mercedes vehicles buyers asked us to inspect before purchase. The average car we check scores 60/100.
Head to head
| Cadillac | Mercedes | |
|---|---|---|
| Cars inspected | 58 | 258 |
| Average condition | 56/100 | 63/100 |
| In good shape (60+/100) | 35% | 61% |
| Holds up to (avg dips below decent) | ~86k mi | ~106k mi |
| Repainted or replaced panel | 72% | 79% |
| Structural repair found | 5% | 2% |
| Fault codes recently cleared | 21% | 20% |
Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.
How they score
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Cadillac▬ Mercedes▬ all cars
Good cars by age
▬ Cadillac▬ Mercedes▬ all cars
Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.
Most common faults
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
55%
Oil leaks · Engine
55%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
48%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
36%
Dirty or low engine oil · Engine
26%
Oil leaks · Engine
66%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
53%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
40%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
36%
Electronic components issues · Engine
20%
Trajectory by generation
Cadillac
Not enough Cadillacs at the 5–10 year checkpoint yet to draw a generation trend.
Mercedes
▬ Consistent across generations
Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →
Whichever badge wins on paper, the car in front of you is its own story. Get it inspected before you pay.
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Based on 316 inspections · updated Jul 12, 2026