i found this interesting. i particularly like how doug is aware of how unaware he's been about many things in his career and life. he's pretty humble and realizes his success could end at any time. i also didn't know his back story of writing articles, working for porsche, etc.

no one can say he doesn't work hard. he's also basically a nerdy loner who did everything himself, which is why his overhead has been so low, and why he's now worth a fortune. his cars and bids has apparently done very well too, and luck doesn't hurt, with used car prices skyrocketing anyway.

enjoy.

 

I watched this interview too, its very good.

 

Good interview although i can’t watch many of his car review videos lol.

I watched Doug back in the day when he got his Ferrari 360 as that was my dream car when i was younger. I think he himself doesn’t fully understand why his videos are so popular. The Cars and Bids venture was great idea and they rolled it out at the perfect time.

 

he's a very analytical guy, so he lets the numbers guide him. when he strikes onto something that's popular, he does more of that. smart guy. with youtube you can even look at engagement by the second of each video. you can see which parts people skip, etc. it's why doug has probably 10x the views and subscribers as most others.

 

I can only take so much of his videos because of his voice and sometimes they are just too long for me. He is actually pretty knowledgeable about cars and when he talks about some of the history of the cars he is reviewing I learn some new things that I didn't know before. I also like the quirks and features because those are some of the things I like to know about when I am looking to buy a car that I won't get from a test drive.

 

It's interesting going from forty years of magazine subscriptions to using youtube for auto reviews. How times have changed.
Doug is great, and I appreciate him pointing out the oddball things no one would otherwise discuss. Mostly though, he is humble and sounds like a nice person. That weighs in heavily when I choose who to watch.
One thing that miffs me though is my own OCD and his hygiene. I'm on the other end of the spectrum where my car has to be clean 100% of the time. Sometimes when I see Doug climbing all over everything on a hot day... it gives me the heebie jeebies.

 

My issue with him is the doug scores. He'll review a 1990 LS400 and he'll rate it a 2/10 for features because he compares it to a 2019 LS500. Obviously a car that's 29 years newer is going to have more things. He doesn't put things into proper context.

 

naturally that vid was triggering for me lol... he also just drove it around the block for like 5-6 min, the LS doesn't really start to come into its own until you build up some speed on the highway

he'll also completely contradict himself within like a 2 min period, but it's ok i still enjoy doug videos and their 'humor'

 

I'm sure. Basically out on the highway is where it really shines with how smooth, quiet, and comfortable it is.

Today I saw his video about the Mercedes Metris. It's pretty funny watching him just bash that thing left and right for 25 minutes.

 

it's all those things, but mainly it also has very confident and capable handling at high speeds... without experiencing it there it's honestly a bit hard to justify costing so much more than an ES or just some lincoln or caddy lol

 

Yeah I don't even watch the Doug Scores.

The reality is though, compared to modern cars its really nowhere near as special today. When we got our 98 LS400 new it was AMAZING how smooth and refined and quiet it was. Passengers would comment on it. Today, every car is much more similar to that than other cars of that era. I don't fault him for his viewpoint on the car today.

 

exactly. sound deadening and quietening techniques have come a long way. the ls400 was indeed amazing not only for being quiet, but for also providing a great smooth ride. they obviously paid very careful attention to bushings, engine mounts, etc.

even econoboxes like sentras and corollas are very quiet these days. even my santa fe has dual pane laminated side windows. it's quieter than my lc500 even when just cruising in each.

 

Some of you smoke the high quality stuff (nothing wrong with that) a modern Corolla is a fart box horse carriage compared to the original LS. It's not only about sound pressure measurements it's the types of sounds and lack of no Corolla or Sentra comes close.

 

i know it's impossible for me to leave some bias out of this but you've clearly gone too long without riding in a 1998 LS... i frequently get to go back and forth from driving my LS to cars from today, and if anything it makes the LS seem even more special considering it's still just as quiet and even smoother than modern cars with its thick tires and emphasis on total luxury

the directness of the throttle response exceeds today's cars (i suspect less emphasis on mpgs plays a part there), the sound system FAR exceeds todays cars in terms of the sheer output it can deliver while maintaining top notch clarity (hi fi was more important back then too, i suspect), and the ergonomics/visibility just completely blow away today's cars

unfortunately it's impossible to still drive a new 1998 LS so we'll never truly be able to compare apples to apples... but i'll say this, my friend has a W222 S560 and will still ask to ride or even just sit in the LS for the superior comfort

 

clearly the same dealer that doug uses... and he can be Z00TED at times