Drgolf131

I'm the proud lessee of a 2012 E350 that is fully loaded with P2, leather, Distronic, etc. ... And my lease will be up in a little more than a year. So I've been looking at the pics of the new 2014 E-class and trying to project what I might do when my lease is up. Initial thinking is that while I like the new body, I also like the looks of the car I'm driving and may well want to just keep it.

So I'm wondering what others in a similar situation might be thinking...

BM2BZ

i think it's still a little too soon for you to think about this. you can decide after you see the real thing in both luxury and sport trim. i know some of the members hate the new look but i don't mind that at all.

BenzV12

Missing hood emblem is something objectionable in sedans but I think new headlamp designs will be capturing more attraction than quad lights .
Overall, I prefer present than facelift model but facelift is something like that receives many cool stuffs that mostly should be reserved for next models to come in the MB E Class family .

klobbr

Mostly because I took delivery on my 2013 last month, but mostly because of the headlight and lower fascia solution. I prefer the tighter lines of the 2013 lowers, not the flapping gums of the 2014 which to me is like watching someone on a rocket sled trying to keep their lips together. That's just me tho. If the V6 offered more performance I would probably have a different take on it.

K-A

I think it's one of the sloppiest, most desperate and disjointed facelifts (now designs) to come out by a German manufacturer for a Sedan. IMO the pre-facelfit will be the higher regarded version, and age much better when you look back at both, say, 10 years down the line. The facelift has no focus on harmony and cohesion while the pre-facelift, like it or not, at least is staunchly thematic in its approach.

It's too bad because if they did something subtle like what they did for the W204 exterior facelift, it would have been all the better I think and allow the W212 to age and be regarded gracefully, not making it look like M-B thought in that particular model they needed to change everything around so drastically to keep it relevant or whatever (not a great service for those who already paid for theirs).

Nuru

Agree on seeing them in person before making a decision. I am hoping that a ton of people trade in their 2012 and 2013 cars to get the 2014 cars, so I can trade up into a 2012/2013 E350/E550 4MATIC!

Arrie

I would not buy one. Looks too "gimmiky" in front. Those leds inside the main lights, another "Far Eastern" design.

MB could have done a lot better job by just modifying the DRLs at the bottom and keeping the main lights as they were.

2014 is absolutely stupid design in my opinion. They will loose potential customers.

Higgs Boson

and gain others that weren't looking before.....

btw, loose means not tight. lose is what you are looking for. just being overly helpful, dont hate me.

rovermark

I would buy one, but only if I can get it in the traditional grill option. The centre star is too brash for a sedan.

alanme123

I honestly thing removing the hood emblem takes the "mercedesness" out of the car..

telemakhos

From the pictures I'm not crazy about the front end - those gapping holes don't look very attractive. Will reserve final judgement till I see them in person.

C280 Sport

I am not too nuts over it. I do not see myself owning this one unless I can get it with the AMG Package and also the hood star and not the cheap c class looking grill.

Drgolf131

The 2014 looks like it would be really easy to mistake it for C-class ... Especially with the star in the grill. I do like looking at the star sticking up from the hood as I drive down the road. While I agree with those who have said they will have to see he car in person before rendering final judgement, I am questioning the decision to make the grill different for the Sport model. Also, I am not on board with brushed metal interior trim ... I love my black ash, and I can't tell if that will still be offered or whether it will just be the burp walnut.

snakeslayer

I jumped on my 2013 specifically because I didn't much care for what I saw on the 2014 redesign, especially the diesel getting downgraded to a 4 cylinder. Less HP and less torque in a car that weighs as much as a Mercedes is not a win IMO, even if the fuel mileage is better.

I *do* however really like what I see on the next S-class, so there is hope that the next E redesign will be a bit better.

Wig

+1

It's also always true that Benz facelifts improve on the outgoing model. The W211 f/l was a huge improvement.
I'm sure there will be engineering and technology enhancements with the 2014, which we'll all appreciate.

The looks are another matter. The loss of dual headlights is a shame, and I liked the 'ponton' fenders. The new 'star in grill' is hideous. The interior is not great either. Way too similar to C-Class.

If I was in the market right now, it would be a difficult choice to go for 2013 or 2014. If I could get what I wanted with the traditional grill, that would swing it towards the 2014.

rovermark

The new S-class looks very nice; there is hope that the next generation Mercedes' will once again be elegant. Hopefully the star will come back with a proper grill.

pappilo

The front of the new S looks damn too much like the front of the 2009 W212. I now understand why they completely redesigned the bumper on the 2014 W212. If they hadn't, with the new single unit headlamp, it would have been almost impossible to distinguish between a facelift E class sport and the all new S class sport.

I just wonder why Merc think its okay to use the bumper which I first saw on the W204 in 2007 on the all new 2014 S class which is expected to remain fresh well into 2018.

I think they should have been a bit more creative in this department but hey what do I know, I am just a lowly shop worker and the chaps who came up with this work for Mercedes.

Count Laszlo

Does anyone know when the '14 e350 will hit US showrooms?

I may get the wagon. It's between the wagon and the new RRS. I have a LR4 which I love... but it's time for her to go at the end of the summer. I don't keep cars after 3-years.

If I don't get the new RRS, then I may opt for the outgoing RRS. And at that point, I'll compare the outgoing RRS against the '14 e350 wagon and decide from there.

I think the face lift looks good, looks great on the wagon, but somewhat on the fence with the sedan. It looks amazing on the AMG, but I'm not in the market for one of those.

C280 Sport

I think later on this year around August or September.

Betty White

Mine was finished on 3/27, and the dealer expects it to hit in 2 1/2 - 3 weeks from then, so approx. mid April.

tutooo

I went to the NY Auto Show this weekend to take a look at the new E and CLA in person.

The E on display appeared to be a sport model with the new sport grill. The side looked terrible with the front of the car. It is simply to classic and boxy to be paired with the new sport front. The ugly, small 17 inch wheels on it did not help. I really hope the final version they end up selling will have larger wheels on it stock and not sold as an extra. They also lowered the chrome strip on the sides to the bottom of the doors now. I also do not like how the new side skirts look - there is no harmony with the rest of the car. I was not a huge fan of the current W212 design when it first came out so I cannot yet say what my final judgment will be on the redesign. Hopefully (I am sure), the new grill will grow on me with time. The LED headlights have great detail to them. Up close - they look great. The taillights are also a step forward and look fresher than current.

The CLA is less than I expected. It is smaller than what it looks like online. To keep the price down, the headlights on the base model are primitive and ugly. Just a huge round reflector. The interior looked to be better than expected from the outside. Unfortunately, I could not sit inside it. This will be a car drivers under 25 will target. I could not imagine myself in it. The CLA45 on the other hand looks like a little beast - very aggressive. It also has updated headlights. I just hate how all German manufactures push cheap head/tail lights on their base models.

zam2000

Went with friend this weekend for the W212 shopping at FJ, for his family. The dealer have both new 2013 and 2014 in the lot.

One word to summarize the 2014 look: HEDIOUS !!. All the curves from the front bumper look just like they stole from the previous Hyundai design. Doesn't look like the car came from a single design studio.

So he picked up the 2013 E350 with sport package. Look quite fantastic.

thenew3

I may be biased because I purchased a 2013 last month, but I also purchased the 2013 because I saw the 2014 in person on the dealer's lot and thought it was horrendous.
So we quickly snatched up the last 2013 E350 wagon the dealer had, even though it didn't have all the options we wanted.
The 2013 should have come with Bixenon or LED head lights as standard in a $65k car.

The 2014 front end design theme might work ok on the CLA and to a lesser degree the S, but on the E, it is absolutely horrible, looks childish.
Where as the 2013 looks very mature and elegant. I believe 10 or 15 years from now the 2013 will still look much better than the 2014.

My parents are currently in a C300, they typically replace it every 3 to 4 years, they are not due for another 2 years, but I'm urging them to think about replacing it early this time and get into one of the few remaining 2013 E350's.

cascade

I think the new 2014 e class in sport or Luxury guise is pretty awful looking. I guess I will hang onto my 2012 e350 Sport, which is a great cruiser, though frankly it is ugly compared to my '91 560SEC and '95 e420.

hyperion667

"The no stress express"

a most excellent sentiment!