The planes fly better than the simulators do(17,000 hrs on 10 different models).
Modern Level D simulators do an excellent job of normal flying. And can be used for teaching manual flying skills. But they'll never 100% replicate flying the real airplane. A simple fact is simulators don't scare you but airplanes can kill you.
But the simulators are good enough that the first flight for newly qualified pilots is normally with a full load of passengers.
Simulators built in the last couple of years are better than 3, 5, or 10 years earlier. Flying an old level D simulator is horrible compared to a new build simulator. Is the old model good enough? Yes. Is it at the level of a new build simulator? Absolutely not.