Test Drove New E... - Page 2 - MBWorld.org Forums

penna550 · 2009-06-13 00:16:29

Went keyes with a friend. She is in the market for a new car. Went to few dealerships down van nuys LA area. Audi, bmw and benz. She didnt like bmw or audi, so last stop benz she tried the new E350 coupe and sedan and she said no matter how nice it drives she hates the way it looks from the rear she said is just plain ugly. I personally thought it looked ok i guess the coupe looks better rear that is. She bought ML550 2009 in the end. She likes height. I said you should HAVE GOTTEN THE E550 COUPE!!! oh wells. She did says its a good improvement from the w211.

06-15-2009, 05:32 PM

#27

rkao

Super Member

Join Date: Jun 2005

Location: Oakville, ON

Posts: 516

Likes: 0

Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

'12 ML350

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaicepsYdobon

I agree with you that the W211 is a proper Mercedes. While the W212 is growing on me as a nice car it by no means give me, and some others, the impression it is a worthy successor to the W211 which in my book will go down as the last proper Mercedes. The W211 has some nice swooping curves on the hood that are accentuated by the signature round lights. While I think the W212 has a pretty face it is by no means serene. I see aggression and mischief when I see a W212 from head on and that's fine because that is what the whole car is supposed to project. By looking at the W212 it gives the impression that it will tear up the asphalt on your drive home. The W211 is more subdued and instead of menacing other cars on the road it will let you sit and unwind and whisk you home without any drama; to me that is a proper Mercedes.

I actually had the opposite reaction when the W211 was introduced back in...was it 2003?

When the middle Limousinen-klasse MB morphed from the W124 to the W210, I found it an acceptable evolution because the front fascia and the rear were still relatively square and appeared solid; even if the round headlights made its presence known as the way of things to come at MB.

Then the W211 came out and I was shocked at how svelte it appeared compared to the relatively square predecessors. I actually didn't like what MB had done with the W211 initially and preferred the 'brutal' for the lack of a better word treatment of the E-class (and the 300-class before that).

Of course the E60 5-series changed what my favourite was in this segment and went to 3rd place of 3 when the Audi A6 came out.

For me, the W212 hails back some of MB's older more square design language of yore and is one of the reasons why I appreciated it immediately - and seeing in person has only enhanced my impression of the car's aesthetics.

The fleet sales manager at my local dealer told me the W212 drives with a 'heavier' steering feel more like a 5-series and he worried that some of MB's traditional customers may frown upon it. I for one am psyched to drive the W212 for the first time if its steering feel and feedback qualities come closer to matching the BMW's, one of my few pet peeves of the marque.

Reply Like