BenzV12

K-A , thanks again for your shots these side by side shots will help me judge who is the best .It's ,however, I already prefer pre FL model but at different angles new headlamp design never looks funny, angry as it does to pre FL model .

pappilo

Hi KA

I am one of your antagonists but fantastic job you have done here. most especially with the screen grabs of the black cars.

Wig

The FL sport looks okay in the black side by side shots with the pre-FL.

Except the nose. 'Star in grill' has no place on an E-Class, except maybe the E63 AMG. As I've said before, why is MB going after the 'sporty' buyer? That market is sewn up by BMW and Audi, the E isn't 'sporty' to drive, and it's traditional customer base may be turned off by the new styling.

ImInPA

I think that both the Sport and Luxury models will be very successful. Great pics!!! Thanks for posting them.

K-A

Thanks, pappilo! Glad you guys find some value in this thread via pre vs post facelift.

I love me some good side by sides so when I caught that video of the black cars, it was like a gift from the car gods.

Darbyva

I appreciate the time you put into this. You covered every question I had. As a former 2005 745Li owner, and now a 2012 E 350 owner, I've spent alot of time comparing various models. I really enjoy your take on things.

K-A

My pleasure, glad you found it helpful.

Gsc

The interior looks best suited for a much older audience.

I am super disappointed in the new E-Class. I'll be switching over and joining you on the BMW side, KA.

K-A

Looks like this facelift was a catalyst for some good things at least.

Seriously, if you have any q's on it let me know. How it's Optioned is especially key.

pwidjaja

K-A, very well worth of good info, thanks.
I'm trying to replace wifey Lexus RX350 with something, the face lifted E was considered but not anymore now.
This is the first time ever that I find myself to not liking a car's facelift.
In fact, looking at the FL, I hate it even more than when trying to warm up with the w212 design first time it came out.

boylston

Thank you for the side-by-side pics. I've seen the models in person and must say that the facelift is growing on me. Already, the pre-FL looks dated to me.

In six months, owners will be considering tail light swaps.

instantfob

I am starting to like the sport wagon since it's like a blown up version of the F1 safety car.

RNBRAD

I don't know where to begin. It almost makes me sick. I can live with the tail shape but the accentauted rear clip meh, not appealing. That front end looks like it come from another car. Kind of reminds me of when a police sketch artist is putting a rough face together. You know you pick out the eye shape, mouth, nose etc but it doesn't blend well till the artist blends it. That's the analogy of what I see. Go to the junk yard and put a car together with several other cars.......I like each section individually but there is no cohesion or fluidity. It's like wearing an elegant dress and a pair of Nike cross trainers.

jeremyshaw

I saw the 2014 in person, today, at the dealership. Sport front doesn't look as garish as I thought it would be. There were not any Luxury models in the showroom.

I'm coming from a non-MB sedan ownership history, perhaps I'm already accustomed to the oversized 3 point star on the front of the SUVs.

Nuru

More pic from one of my local dealerships. I have:
a pic of the 2013 and 2014 wagons side by side (2014 on the left)
silver luxury next to the black sport model
closeup pic of the front end of the wagon

Nuru

Additional pics - rear of the wagons (2013 and 2014)
more pics of silver lux

ScottNJ

That silver one doesn't look all that bad.

Nuru

yes, in person that color really works for the luxury. It looks pretty good in person, not disjointed.

K-A

The luxury I don't think looks disjointed necessarily, it's just the Sport does. Though like you sort of pointed out, in person the disconnect isn't as brash, but it's still there.

I actually was thinking that the luxury had a nicer grille than the pre-facelift W212, considering the luxury at least has a solid evolution of the pre-F.L's grille. However after seeing your pics of the luxury and pre-F.L together, I think I like the originals grille better as well! It looks stronger, more commanding. M-B seems intent on making their new cars look like cartoon doodles or something. The new grille is too round and overly "3D" that it almost doesn't look right. Though I do like the luxury grille on the facelift all in all. I really wish they would have offered that in the Sport Package, might have been a winning facelift in my eyes then.

Also, I just can't stop feeling that the 4 eyes have such a more individual and interesting presence.

No prob and thanks! I think the facelift can serve some good, namely if you're considering a pre-facelift W212, as deals for those are already getting so ridiculous, I don't think I've ever seen a car in this price range as discounted.

samkimg

Took a 2014 sport E350 out for a drive yesterday and didn't think it was too different driving than my 2010 E350 sport. Two things caught my attention:
1. They have swapped the turn signal and cruise control stalks. With the turn signal stalk now on top, it felt a bit weird after the last three years.
2. The ECO feature is cool! I stopped at the first light, set the HOLD feature as I normally would and then I realized the engine had stopped. Driving off, there was a microscopic delay that I didn't feel was excessive at all.

I also think that it looks better in person, and I was admiring the front when a new C class pulled up next to it. They DO look very similar, a sort-of big brother, little brother kind of way. I was unimpressed at how similar they looked.

So, now I'm thinking a luxury look with the 18" sport wheels might be a better way to go to avoid being another C class lookalike. The luxury front with the LED lighting system has a nicer front end. I'm gonna have to take another couple of test drives.

K-A

Glad to hear yet another person commenting on them driving basically identically. Just what I thought. I nor the salesman who has 2 W212's could notice even the slightest difference really. I think M-B's marketing dept is the only one feeding any buzz about different driving aspects. If anything I think the 12 & 13's got some slight suspension reworkings to make for a slightly softer ride over rough roads, which goes along with the slightly higher ride height, and the '14's simply carried what the '12 and '13's already "snuck in" (i.e M-B never marketed or notified the press officially about any changes) over.

cleankutazn

How do you tell the difference with the LED lighting and regular lighting?

Betty White

I've been driving my 2014 E 350 Luxury for 5 days now and my thoughts are:

Road noise is lower than my 2010 Luxury, with (surprisingly) no added harshness from the run flats.

Steering is a tad lighter.

Eco stop start is almost seamless.

Lane tracking package works very well. It will now be a necessity on future cars.

Interior changes add refinement.

I really have not found any area where I prefer my previous ride to the new one. The pre face lift is already starting to look slightly dated by comparison now. The new version looks much better in person than on a computer screen. I do however agree that the sport grill does not integrate as well with the rest of the body.

FASN8N

Nice review. My dad has an E60 M5 and is trying to decide between a 2014 competition package M5 or the new E63 S.

I really like the all wheel drive and performance numbers for the new E63 S, but can't get over the bland Kia like styling.

Thanks for helping make the decision much easier, looks like he will be sticking with a new M5!

K-A

Choosing between those two seems like a good problem to have! Glad you got something from the review. If I had to have just one current car for the rest of my life, I have to say it would have to be an F10 M5 I think.

Have you driven a BMW with the Start/Stop function? I'm wondering how it compares to M-B's. If I'm not mistaken, BMW used it first, so maybe it's due to typical rough-around-the-edges'ness of being the first at bat, but I'm not in love with it. I can imagine it'l get further smoothed over in future generations. Unfortunately I turned the Eco button "off" in the M-B.

I know some people like light steering, but I'm REALLY surprised to hear that M-B made the steering even lighter, considering I now find my previous E's steerings to be very light already. IMO M-B is going too far with steering lightness, namely in the ML and GL's which feel like a feather thrown at the wheel will spin it full rotation. Reminds me of an old School Bus if anyone ever flipped a wheel on those.