Dema

If you do not know, new BMW 5 series have complete manual in a car computer system. So you do not need to go online, especially if you are on road. Just open manual and get interactive tour and get all information. You do not need even read since every feature get demonstrated. Very neat. Certainly MB is behind here. My old W210 had mini version of a manual I could keep in a car without taking much place and it was cool. But since that time no any steps from MB to improve accessibility and quality of manuals. MB switched from an innovation company to a conservative company. Can you name any feature MB introduced first? It was long time ago, but now MB just follows other makers. People can’t pair phones, garage door opener losing settings.. Kind of a sad feeling.

LaicepsYdobon

The only time it will not work is if you are trying to figure out where the batteries are located in the car after they have ran out of juice But seriously it is a pretty nice feature but you will not use it too often. How ofter do you crack open your manual ? Once a year ? I'd rather use the space it takes on the internal hard drive to store the manual for music or more POIs on the map. The one and only time I personally used the on-board manual is to find out what exactly the "Gentlemen Function" was. +1 bonus if you can guess what it does without clicking on the link below.

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtest...-function.html

I agree with you. Beside the Coffee Cup icon (Attention Assist) there is nothing too earth shatteringly new in the W212 (and to be honest Attention Assist is kinda gimicky in my eyes). Homelink loosing settings and problems pairing a phone are minor annoyances. What I would be rather disappointed with is what the F10 is going through now. In more than one instance people are complaining that the car is pulling to the right and some cars got an official recall from BMW because of a faulty fuel sensor. Yes; the F10 might be a more technologically advanced car but I'd rather drive something that I'm confident about not leaving me stranded on the road. The F10 has been out in Germany for +1 years now and it was only introduced in July in the states. Why wasn't the pulling to the right and fuel sensor issue caught before ? I was eyeing the F10 as a contender for my next car but this recall doesn't really boost my confidence in BMW quality. In that respect the W212 wins in my mind.

DerekACS

Yes, I agree with your concerns about the F10.

Have you driven one ? I have only tested the 535i with Sport package. This car feels huge and not very agile with its wide turning radius. The electric steering is devoid of any road feel, so much so that I bet BMW will come up with a re-designed system before too long. When the E46 was first introduced, there was so much criticism of the steering, that it was changed for the 2nd year of production. Car & Driver really slammed the electric steering in the F10.

I expected to be blown away by the F10, but instead, I was very disappointed. The car is an attractive package and it is well put together. But it has certainly moved more toward a Lexus as far as the driving dynamics are concerned.

LaicepsYdobon

Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to drive an F10 yet. I was fortunate enough to drive a 750i on the Spartansburg track and the more you pushed that car the smaller it felt which was pretty amazing. But yes, I am hearing mixed reactions to the new 5 which is not what I would have expected upon the arrival of a new 5 series. It's kinda interesting to see how the German car manufacturers changed their game. Porsche released a 4 door car, Mercedes became more sportier and BMW gravitated more towards comfort and luxury.

Dema

Just curious, is “coffee cup” things something common for all new generation car? I noticed the feature at Volvo S80 when did car research before taking W212. And I was surprised seeing the feature in Benz as well. Volvo looks somehow behind of other makers in electronics. Navigation still looks like portable, no iDrive. However other features as Bluetooth, iPod, DVD entertainment, 5.1 sound seem to be in place.

Uhlenhaut

Guys you can definitely enter stuff in the NAV while the car is in motion either via voice navigation or using the COMAND knob. You cannot watch DVDs while the car is in motion if that's what you're referring to; you can only watch them while the car is in "Park."

As an aside, I think this is the most user friendly car I've ever been in. You can access different screens in so many different ways. For example, you can just push one of the buttons near the screen, do it via Voice Activation, or use the knob. They've really made it easy.

Also, I think the build quality is far superior to the 211 (except for the headliner, which is this cheap nylon like material). The wood trim and cross-stitching on the door panels is beautifully done. Also, if you look under the hood, they've done a full plastic engine seal to promote the longevity of your engine. Building off that, the 212 is much quieter than its predecessor. There is virtually no road noise. Others have cited the improved handling so no need to reiterate that.

One thing that could be better for me is the sound system (Harman/Kardon isn't cutting it). Otherwise this is a pretty epic car.

Tjdehya

I am now waiting for the arrival of my W212, P2 pkg, Pano roof, Parktronic, and Drive-dynamic multicontour seats. I wanted the Driver assistance package but I decided that I couldnt wait any longer.

I test drove a White W212 and the car felt a lot different than my W211. The rear headrests didn’t bother me at all, the brakes didn’t fell as good as my W211. The engine response felt the same. I was kinda disappointed to see that there were only 2 settings available for the Airmatic because I normally drive with the Sport 1 which is kind of the intermediate setting between Sport and comfort. So now I don’t have that option. I felt a gentle tug from the seatbelt after I clicked it in which kind of made me feel as if the car was giving me a warm welcome and also gave me a hint of added security. Overall apart from the engine the W212 feels like a big improvement over the W211. I can’t wait to get mine and I am sure I will have more praises and gripes when I get my hands on my new vehicle.

LRM1

Is that what that is? I thought something was wrong with the brakes.

LRM1

I just picked up a 212 this afternoon. Turned in my 211. All I can say is that they are totally different cars in all the ways everyone described. The 211 was obviously an older model with stuff "added to it" over the years, this is all thoughtfully designed and in the little time I've been in it I love it.

Best of all I got a deal I couldn't say no to. So I'm paying the same for a much better car.

Tjdehya

lol At first I thought so too. It didn’t take me long to get used to the bigger range on the pedal because I never completely got used to the very tiny range on the W211. It’s funny I got used to the shifter a lot faster than I thought. I hardly drive mine (due to another thread I posted here) but I find myself reaching for a shifter in other cars. I am finding it harder to get used to the Push start/stop button. I know the placement is similar to a lot of other cars but I do feel that it could have been better placed. On the W211 it was easy with it on the shifter I would put the car in park and hit the button at the same time; I would do the reverse when starting.

Firestopper0383

I had a 2003 E320 and absolutely loved it. I never experienced any of those horror stories I read about in the W211 Forum. It was time to trade up and picked up a 2010 W212. So far I have had it for a week and I can't believe the difference between the two. The W212 is a well conceived and manufactured machine, I have no gripes with the car at all, wonderful appointments. The only problem I have, is getting used to no center console shifter and the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Not that I shift my car a lot manually but when I have, using the steering wheel paddles, I get the feeling the radio should change channels.LOL

abhansali

Question: is there no more 4 zone A/C in the new 2010/2011 E550? I have a 2004 and I have the rear control of the A/C. The ones that I have seen on the internet do not have any controls for the rear (in the center console). Isn't that something that is quite common in a $55K+ luxury car?

Tjdehya

You are correct, it's gone, it's not even an option for the US market. When reading the Manual I am not sure if its an option or if its standard for the Canadian market but us Americans dont get a choice. Also the B-pillar air vents are gone, now the only air the rear passengers get are from the center vents.


Hey I can lift the winshield wipers when I wash the car now.
Couldnt do that in the W211.

K-A

LOL.

K-A

Just had to dig this one up.

Was looking at pics of my W211 today, and it almost brought a tear to my eye. I love my W212, and this isn't a comparison post, but WHAT a beautiful car! There was something about my W211 that just oozed elegance, yet sport to me. Arghhh, I wish I could have had both! Not like I sold that thing for all so much anyway! I'd have to park it outside though, and I wouldn't have it for such a sweet ride.

In memory of....

Spirit Crusher

My 2009 E350 AMG 4Matic



My 2011 E350 4Matic



Looks wise:

The W212 is miles ahead of the W211. Interior and Exterior are extreme milestone differences in terms of comfort, size and functionality. The exterior was modernized and the addition of LED options for the sports package was the cherry on the pie.

The paint seems to be better so far on the 212 and is holding up to a lot more weather and environmental abuse.

Brake dusting no longer exists which is the best feeling ever after having to clean my AMG rims once every 2-3 days. I don't touch my rims for 2 weeks now and at the end of those 2 weeks my rims are still practically clean.

I always managed to accidentally hit the paddle shifter on the 211 because the steering wheel was clumsy. The new wheel is fantastic.

The interior is so much roomier and more comfortable. I finally felt relaxed and comfortable in my car. While, the 211 was comfortable as well it felt much tighter. I've got more leg room, arm room and there's still space in the back seat.

Sound system is much better and louder than the previous one.

Performance:

I made a thread about this when I joined up and no one had any responses for me but for some reason, I'm not sure if the 3.5 has been modified but this engine is so much quieter, smoother and more responsive than the one in my 09. The transmission is phenominal as well. It's not a fast engine but for a V6, that ******* tears it up past 65+ mph.

I'm also getting far better mileage than I was previously.

---

Navigation is updated but I'm not going to say it's better or worse, I don't use it often and when I do, it works well as it did previously.

--

I couldn't be any happier.

Well... Maybe I would have rather got Iridium Silver instead though. Two black cars in a row can be hard on ya!

K-A

Good write-up. I feel the 212 is a lot more durable (knocking on wood) as well, as my W211 felt a bit more "fragile" in certain ways. Even the paint feels more durable (again, knocking on wood). I always wonder if it's a "mind-trick", or a literal.

I do always wonder if the conscious design to make the W212 look tougher than the softer W211, plays a bit of a mind trick on me in terms of how much more durable elements of it are though, but I don't think so.

Spirit Crusher

I feel the exact same way.

leapingpoint

i still own both W211 and W212 now, in different cities.

i like the handling of W212 a lot better than W211. W211 drives more like the S... the much improved handling of W212 has been a nice surprise to me.

Dema

Anybody keeps W210 also? W210 is very common on streets, so I started realizing that over several millions of them were sold in US.

K-A

I still drool when I see a super clean Silver W210 with AMG Pack, and the carbon fiber B-Pillar covers. Just a beauty, especially amongst all the sloppily maintained ones on the streets.

MLRLINCOLN

Owned 2005 E320 and just traded 2008 E350 4Matic for 2011 E350 Sport 4Matic in September. 3000 Miles on it now. Each car has been nicer than the prior one. The 2011 diffently has a better interior than the other two as far as I'm concerned. The Navigation/radio is located in a much more user friendly location compared to the other two I owned. The center compartment is much bigger and softer on your arm than the 2008. And, the bluetooth connection works great, once you get the wright phone. Still not sure about back up camera option. Ambiant lighting is better. Was a little upset about no floor shifter but have since got used to the shift paddles on steering wheel, kind of fun shifting now. One thing I can tell you is that the wheels that come with the Sport Pkg. are really nice and they are using different brake pad material that leaves NO Brake Dust on the wheels. I've owned 7 new MB's now over the last 20 years and enjoy cleaning them 2 or 3 times per week. Wait till you see how easy it is to clean the wheels on the new 2011. I would go for it, if I were you.

K-A

Once again, I concur with the great lack of brake dust! Puts my W211's brake-dust "powdercoated" wheels to shame.

About the interior, no doubt the tactility, and efficiency, and thoughtfulness/lay-out/planning of the interior are far superior to the W211. The W212 emphasizes comfort, in engineering first, and "feel" second. I.e, everything is meant to be right at your fingertips, easy to use, non straining, and non distracting. Having to rest my wrist on my W211's shifter just to change the radio stations around wasn't very soothing.

RNBRAD

Eventhough the 212 is better than the 211 in just about every way, there's just something about the 211 that will always appeal to me. For this reason I will remain a 211 as well as a 212 owner for a long time to come. There's just some days that are 211 days.

K-A

Haha, that's cool. ^^