Enthusiast1

Just tired of reading, from the same posters over and over and over again how they are disappointed in the W212, yet they continue to post in the W212 enthusiast threads.

I for one am completely satisfied with the new design and it's progression and cannot wait to get one.

Anyone else?

lboudreau

I think the new W212 is fantastic. I think there was a need to improve over the 211 and they made the right changes. Increasing body strength by 30%, making it more comfortable and safer, and adding the Mercedes fit and finish back into the equation.

I know there will always be criticism about new things no matter what they are, but I guess everyone should take it with a grain of salt!

K-A

Knowing whom this Thread is referring to.... I don't get why some people get so bent over some debate/car talk or whatever. I give the car credit too . I've even said although I don't like it enough to splurge into it right now, at some point I wouldn't mind having one to enjoy all its perks.

ibooudreau is right, the 30% stiffness is remarkable, and fit and finish is great, it's feels more durable than the 211, but to me however the attention to detail and overall interior refinement is down.... my opinion, and there's nothing wrong with saying that. I've been saying that about the 204 as well, how the interior feel strong, but cheaper than the 203's.

People will criticize new things because they're new, and people will jump on the bandwagon only because they're new. Many of us do have our own confident opinions in what we prefer and talking about them on a "Car Talk" Forum is fine, as long as it doesn't get personal or offensive.

K-A

To save from dumping on your Thread I'll give my positive impressions of the car:

Probably the safest, most solid car on the road today. I doubt ANYTHING on wheels uses higher strength steels than this thing has.

Extremely quiet and comfortable. It feels like a 211 while driving but does everything just that extra bit better.

Styling is subjective, and my negative opinions aside, I think it's designed to look really sharp and good from some angles, and it does, namely when it's driving opposite of you and passing you.

On top of that, I'm sure reliability will be above the 211 as a whole, and of course we all know how great the tech is.

If there's any car that I can pick (money and "what is or what isn't worth it" to me aside) to put tons miles on, and do the long distance driving that I currently do with my Malibu, it would be the W212, as I feel nothing will protect me better, and I feel nothing is better engineered to make my trips as easy and assisted as possible.

Enthusiast1

Okay, okay, I was just having a little fun there, I hope no one got offended. But seriously though, the W211 is an absolutely beautiful automobile that I have always admired. Hell even the Koreans emulated it with the Kia Amanti, although I'm not sure that's the best compliment.

That being said, the W211 has and always will be a special car to me. It, to me, has been the car of my generation that upon sight has been a genuine Mercedes. When you see a W211, you know what you're seeing, in that it's without a doubt, a Mercedes.

I took some time this week to take and informal poll of my family, have of which are German, and still reside in Germany. Of that half, some have in fact worked for Mercedes. While the family I asked was evenly split on their overall love of the W212, they all said that it reminded them of the 1960's Mercedes they all grew up with, which is a nice nod to the heritage. They felt, visually, that the W212 has the stronger shoulders and nose/chin of the Mercedes they remember. I never looked at it that way, and visually the W212 does have a seemingly more aggressive presence while the W211 seems a little more graceful and lithe.

Anyway, love hearing peoples' opinions, keep it up!

lboudreau

I think its interesting that your family said it reminded them of the models of the 1960s. I'm sure that "first look" feeling you get with the 211 will soon be the case with the 212 once people start getting used to it.

K-A

Good write up and very well put.

To me the 212 actually reminds me of the 80's Benzes, and indeed is more aggressive than the W211.

I agree too, the 211 is Mercedes through and through, I feel the design is a homage to the clean, graceful and elegant designs in their history. It breaks no new ground in design, and that's why I like it (and why I think it's pretty timeless). It is a lot more graceful, smooth and pretty, while the 212 is more masculine, and brute, bringing back some of the more aggressive of M-B's traits, and adding new influences never before seen on a Benz.

When the 211 first came out I was instantly in love, most I knew were too, I think the 212 will always be more of a "love it or hate it" thing, but I think M-B seemingly wanted to go in that direction, more-so than ever before.

Funny, your description of the W211 is very much like what this Article says of it::

capp325

Yeah I don't get it either. If you hate the new design so much, why even hang out on this board? I guess some people have waaay to much time on their hands. Or perhaps they actually think that somebody out there finds their repetitive, broken record posts to be 'informative'?

K-A

Or we just find it amusing that certain people take it so personally and get so butt-hurt over it. This doesn't have to be a "Fan Boy" Forum, again, as long as it's not offensive, nothing wrong with car talk and discussing opinions. That's what being an enthusiast is all about.

capp325

Expressing an opinion once or twice is one thing. Repetitive/obsessive rants on purely subjective topics such as styling and design is not 'discussion' - it's trolling, pure and simple. And that is NOT what being a car enthusiast is all about.

K-A

And being a BMW owner while just joining an M-B Forum and blatantly acting as a laughable "elitist" against certain M-B models/members, while also personally insulting a Member with your materialistic views and purported prediction of their financial state, is?

Please. Pot, meet kettle.

I give my opinions to the discussion at hand, and I back them up with reasons as to why I feel that way. I'm free to do that as I like, so crying about it is wasting your time.

Just stick to the topics or discussion.

zaxxon

I'm already brain-washed by someone's repetitious postings.

W212 is the worst and cheapest E-class ever built.
W211 is the best car in the world

Period!

mallard

After 3 weeks of ownership I can say I come close to being completely satisfied, particularly after owning a W211 for 6 years and fighting quality problems all along the way. I'm anxious to post pictures and a complete review but we've had rain here for the past couple of weeks and I'm waiting until I can get it all cleaned up for some nice shots.

stogie1020

Good to hear Mallard.

Can't wait to see the pics. Color combo?

russjr

looks are such a subjective thing that i won't get enmeshed in that bit of nonsense. however, when you talk about the inherent qualities of the 212 you would do better to compare it to the s class. have had several s's and loved them all, but have sold the latest (s63) to get new e63 and am driving a new 550 in the meantime and find it at least as quiet as the s, certainly as solid feeling and extremely well made. this is not to discount the s but to show the improvements inherent in the 212. also, the 550 has surprising power. feel anyone getting the new e will be VERY pleased.

petee1997

I have owned many MB's. The W212 takes the E class to an entirely new level. I could not be more satisfied with the quality,performance,technology and pricing.

SnowCub

I'm happy that the W212 has increased it's interior dimensions a bit over the W211. I was worried when the W211 shrunk compared to my W210. Overall it looks good and as others have mentioned, reminds me of the older pre-80's models. I am looking forward to owning one of these in the future, preferably with a diesel engine.

K-A

The W211 shrunk compared the the 210?

I gotta fact check that again, but I'm almost 100% positive the W211 is bigger than the W210 in every dimension.

The proportions are more taut, and sleek, therefore giving it a "smaller" look, but that's a good thing.

Trango

Can't wait for the pictures Mallard. Looking at buying the same combo. Well... Palladium or white that is, combined with Natural Beige and the AMG package.

petee1997

K-A you are right,however, this thread is for the happy people. There is a thread for the disappointed folks. I know you are a generous person and this is a good opportunity to show it, by not pissing on our leg.

Dartman

(Dartman does his "happy dance"!)

Kar don

K-A,the W211 is dated in almost every aspect. You may not like the looks of the W212 but it is a better vehicle. The design of this vehicle started when MB was getting hit hard for quality issues, they learned their less (we hope, only time will tell). From my initial drive the materials in the 212 are much higher quality than the 211. The 211 leather was terrible unless you got nappa, stiff and brittle feeling. Also the door panels felt cheap in the 211, the armrest feels so flimsy. 212 feels solid and much tighter than the previous 211.

JamesB C300

Interior on 203 was junk compared to new 204. How you can think otherwise completely discredits your opinion.

Enthusiast1

Must be a lot of satisfied customers in my neck of the woods, as I've seen about a dozen different new E's around my neighborhood in the past week or two. Stopped by the dealership here and they said their getting a great reception for the vehicle. Most people have stated how much more sporty and aggressive it looks compared to the outgoing model, and how it looks like a smaller S-class. I like it more every day. Just counting down the days now.

K-A

Well dated is subjective when coming from a design perception, I think the 211 looks remarkable especially for a 7 year old car, and has a pretty timeless design.

I agree though, the 212 is better in almost ever objective way, period.

Materials I don't agree with you, the materials in the 212 felt cheaper in quite a few areas. I can list them even. The door on the 212 is in fact one of the most austere and surprisingly "cheap-y" areas to me in comparison with the 211. Also, my E has Leather inserts even though the interior is MB-Tex, which the 212 doesn't, so you're literally sitting on plastic in the 212 unless you go Leather. However I agree, the Leather featured in the 211 isn't anything too nice.

The 212 is definitely tighter and more durable vehicle inside and out, I just think it's the interior materials/design, on a "fancy" and class/refinement, "soft touch", etc. level where IMO it doesn't necessarily match, personally. I'm sure this is due to the trade-off for the more durable and strong vibe the 212 is going after, which the 211 seemed to have more of a "refinement/elegance" vibe. The 212 is just screaming "strong/confident". At the same time, the 212 costs $5K cheaper than the 211, and it has many enhancements, so aside from sharing tons of parts (and almost a platform basically) with the C-Class, they had to cut costs somewhere.

Sorry, I'll just stop there. Unfortunately this Thread was made with me obviously in mind, so I've naturally had to do some "defending" or whatever.

Like I said before, anyone who's into the cars looks (and I'm sure plenty of people are and will be), will find this car unbeatable, as it is an engineering and over-all build-quality (I think it's safe to assume) marvel.