ImInPA

It has been a couple of months since trading my 2011 E350Bluetec for a 2012 S350 Bluetec. I justwanted to share some of my initial impressions of the S Vs the E in my everydaydaily driver use of the cars. Here aresome of my initial impressions.

Interior:

The interiors for these two vehicles are both very well puttogether. As nice as the materials arein the E, the materials in the S seem to be just a notch more upscale. Some small details on the interior finishthat I have noticed are things like the B pillars. In the E, they are a very nice piece ofplastic. It looks good and is notsomething to complain about in the slightest. On the S, even this piece is carpeted at the bottom and covered infabric above the carpeting. The interiorrubber seals around the doors are covered in fabric as well on the Sclass. The S also incorporates air ventsinto the B pillars for the rear seats. This is a feature found on most Volvos, but missing in the E. The double pane acoustic glass in the doorsis also very notable for even lower sound levels through the glass than thealready impressive E. One of the small,but noticeable differences in the S Vs. E is the electric motor sounds, or,actually the lack of them. For example,when rolling up or down a window, the motor cannot be heard. Only the sound of the glass against the feltcan be heard. This is very reminiscentof the MBs of the 80’s. Even the soundof the seat motors and steering column motors has been engineered out of theaudible range. Speaking of the seats,they are perhaps the best seats I have ever experienced in a car. Next time you are at your dealership, sit inand S and you will know immediately what I am talking about. The standard HK system in the S is muchbetter in reproducing the lows than the HK system in the E. Slightly larger (7.9”)and dual voice coiled woofers in thefront doors and the amplifier design seem to be the most notable difference in these two systems. Onedisappointment with the S COMAND system is that it is based off of the NTG 3.5system and does not support BT Audio streaming. The E does support BT Audio Streaming. I find this an strange omission in the “flagship” vehicle. The leather used in the seats seems to bemore “old school” in thickness than the leather I have seen in Es (mine hadMB-Tex). The rear seat legroom in the Sis actually greater than the front seat leg room. The rear seat in the S provides truelimousine leg room. One can comfortablecross ones legs without coming close to the back of the front seats, and, realstretch-out room is available. It ishard to believe there can be larger rear and more comfortable rear bench seatin any sedan. As quiet as the E is goingdown the road, the S is even more so. There are still patches of highway that will transmit road noise intothe cabin, but, compared with my luxury E, far less noise enters the S cabin.



Exterior:

Until you hand wash the S for the first time, you are notaware of how much larger a vehicle the S is. Trust me on this one…it is much larger from a wash and waxperspective. As large as it is, the S isvery nimble. With the 240hp 455 ft-lbsof torque diesel engine, the 5000 lb. S steps off the line with the the statelyauthority one experiences in any powerful vehicle. To my rear end, I do not sense muchdifference between the S and E in acceleration or perceived power. Both tend to feel very much like a commercialjet accelerating, just a wall of thrust pulling you back in your seat. The main difference is that the S lets evenless engine sounds into the cabin. Ialso find the S diesel to be a bit “smoother” with less vibration felt in thesteering wheel than in the E. This isminor but notable. With regards to thedesign of the exterior, I think that is a personal thing. To me, the W221 is one of the best lookingvehicles ever designed by MB. The W221has always been a bit polarizing, so, what you think of it is fine withme. That said, I also think the W212 Eis very attractive and also exudes the classic MB qualities. I am a big fan of the facelift coming nextyear for the E. That said, even with thenew W222 S class photos revealed, I think the W221 will look very nice next tothe new W222, especially the 2010+ face-lifted W221s. There has always been something about the Sclass to me that keeps it looking great as long as the car itself ismaintained. I still find the W220 to beabsolutely beautiful whenever I see a well-cared for example on the road. I mustsay that I am totally impressed with the ride for the Airmatic setup on the S.In Comfort mode, the car wafts down the road as well as any vehicle out there.In Sport mode, it tightens up considerably but, never feels harsh. It isincredible the amount of body roll that goes away in sport mode. In eithermode, the S has a stately feeling to it that reminds you that you are drivingsomething special.

BenzV12

Thanks for your detailed comparison review . Believe or not , I was planning to pm you on your move to S and ask you a couple of questions but it seems you already answered them lol
Well, one more question though , how can you compare turning radius W212 vs W221 ? W212 feels like an even smaller car when making U turns or 3 point turns but W221 being a longer roughly 35 cm , could need one more extra maneuver at the same road where W212 can easily turn

I never get the idea of not having NTG 4.5 in updated facelift versions to W221 either at least Bluetooth Audio streaming should have been available

Another thing I kinda dislike on W221's interior , it's mostly center console related, lack of numeric buttons and hide them "egg shaped" lid .Whereas , it's really easy to use the numeric buttons on the W212 when you need , you don't mess up with the flip lid lol

I must add , A/C buttons are truly awesome for W221 , there is even a setting for A/C fan speed for passenger side and it's a unique exquisite add-on

How do you like steering wheel in the W221 , what do you prefer 3 spoke AMG vs facelift W221s ?

Arm rest area, I love it , with a flick of a egg shaped tongue lol , you can see arm rest flips open two side at the same time , I just enjoy it

Whereas, correct me if I am wrong , there is no split armrest ,one whole lid flips open

Happy driving , keep posting

QuadBenz

Nice comparison! You're just missing pics

ImInPA

The tuning circle is larger than wit the E although still better than any other vehicle in this size that I have experienced. I have not run into situations where the E would make the "U-Turn" but the S is too large. The S does not feel large when driving it. I am sure there will be a road that I will not be able to make a full turn on, but, I have not encountered that yet. I am amazed with how the S sems to shrink as you get moving.

I have he Wood/Leather wheel and love it. Ithas a very nice and properl weighted feel. I find the steering to be marinally superior to the E (I had a luxury moel) in feel and smoothness.

There is no split armres for front seet occupants. he lid opens two ways, open towards the passenger, or, open toward the driver. A nice feature.

I too missed the numeric buttons at first, but, I am finding that I do not actually use them very often and the clamshell is easy t oen and use.

C280 Sport

Nice write up! I love my W212 but I would not mind a S350 BT in the garage as well

BenzV12

Thanks ImInPA for your answers

Raymond Lee

ImInPA,
All I can say is enjoy the S350! Someday I might have a chance to look at one.

K-A

Great review! I love that you got down to the details which really give an impression on the R&D gone into the cars. Things like seals, materials around the pillars, switches, mechanical sounds, etc.

Sounds like a very rich car.

mleskovar

Thanks for the write up. Ooooh. I usually keep cars a long time but I drive so little now (4-5K/yr) that I'll probably move up to the S in a couple of years. I saw some pictures of the new S interior and really liked it and the new diesel engines have my attention. I'll wait for someone else to depreciate one for me Your explanations of the differences from the E are what I felt moving from a C320 to the E350. Have you found any drawback with the diesel from the gas engine? Are there any service requirements that surprised you?

hyperion667

thanx for sharing! and yes, pictures would have been excellent lol!
glad you were able to get an S, sure is an upgrade from an E........
share some inside shots anytime

ImInPA

My E was also a diesel so I do not notice any real difference in the engines, even though the S has 30 more hp and 55 ft-lbs more torque. The 4Matic helps keep the power to the road. My E had a tendency to over power the rear wheels from time to time. No such slippage with the 4Matic S.

ImInPA

Well, my patience has run run out on attempting to past some photos here....will try again later...

Mbenz260e

Too bad I am also eager to see eat. S350 diamond white would be my ideal car if I had to get any car right now...