Dema

Great, so I am less concerned about my age now, I just nailed it right, new styling is horrible. Good thing you can still buy luxury edition and relieve yourself.

Tjdehya

I think it's fair to say that the FL E is made for a different customer than the pr-FL. More than likely the guys who liked the pre-FL will not like the FL and visa versa.
I tried to like new E but it that new MB language does not blend at all with the current E.
The new design language looks good on the CLA, S, and the C. But it looks hideous on the E.

K-A

It also looks so doughy up front now, not as sharp or aggressive as the pre-f.l with that hard edged evil grin. IMO the facelift E's in their attempt to graft on soft and friendly fronts onto what is inherently and originally a hard and boxy design actually look less aggressive. More "sporty" yes, if you want to call it that, but the W212 design inherently doesn't look sporty at all as it wasn't intended to, so you're not getting an actual "sporty" looking car anyway.

Long3494Qut

For luxury I'd stick with the pre-FL but for sport the new one. I love them both but I've gotten more compliments when pulling up for gas plus it seems more fitting for my age. I believe age matters to some extent on the taste but to each their own. Some will love it, some will hate it, nothing new here. Only distaste I have with MB is that the E always had the quad lights and now it's on almost every future model coming up? Disappointing. Although I wont blame them, those headlights are by far the best I've ever had.

drz

Regarding the FL, I can recall the fire storm that was created in the forums about the Chris Bangle designed BMW 5 series. Granted it was a new model not a FL, but terms like Bangle Butt , and the new light shapes, filled the internet. There will always be criticism to new changes in design approach on a long loved and excepted look.

Let me if I may give my humble opinion into what MB might have been thinking. For the past decade or so many Asian cars have knocked off the MB front grille. I can remember seeing a Korean car that I had to double take as I thought it was a MB. The change to the Star Grille which has adorned many classic MB coupes though the years to me is a cool retrospective return to MB's better days, and a exit from the knock off, look a like styling of lesser manufactures.

I am looking forward to refinements and integration in this look on the new E Class model. All I can say is the FL really caught my eye at the 2013 Detroit auto show.

fintail

I still like the pre facelift style more (I've always liked angular over too curvy or round on modern cars) , and think the new front and back looks disjointed - but now I "get it" more. That's because I've had exposure to the W222, and now can grasp the revised fascia as a link to the new S. I think that's what it's all about.

Dema

It is exactly what I feel. Same problem was introduced in Jaguar XF, front and back looked as from different cars. New S looks like a sausage for me, so you not always can tell from which side you look, so it is a perfect balance.

instantfob

At the dealer lot that I visited this weekend, 1 out of 20 FL E's are luxury model.
I find the darker Palladium Silver and Steel Gray color blend/hide the new nose job better.

Polar White or Ir Silver will shows sharper contrast out of the extended nose.

K-A

Exactly. The XF got it to a lesser extent to the E. It's as if the designers pay no mind (or don't have the budget and are forced to haphazardly "fix" cars that corporate deem are underperforming) to the concept of "balance" and "harmony" when they graft on these totally off-beat fronts and rears (and in the E's case, shockingly an entire quarter panel) to cars that otherwise have absolutely no harmony or make no sense with them.

drz

I know you post just to stir the pot K-A but ;

1) They didn't change the rear only added cool looking LED lights
2) They removed the sadle bag hips ala Bently rear quarter panel, nice move
3) Increased frontal crash area to better comply with Euro pedestrian crash spec's as did BMW on the F10 to maintain there 5 star rating.

Understand I feel the FL is a look to future and I believe they will refine this slightly disjointed change in the next E Class model.

K-A

No doubt this "look" will look refined once the next E comes out. However, IMO it will further render the facelift W212 as an instantly dated and awkward confusion of "halfway here, halfway there", like a haphazard and forced space between a solidly-themed pre-facelift W212 and presumedly solidly-themed W213.

To me the pre-facelfit looked exactly how this body style was supposed to, then corporate wasn't happy with sales and forced the designers to come up with something different, no matter how discordant and imbalanced. It ruined the future legacy of the W212 generation as it obviously points to un-confidence by corporate over their own creation.

That's my thoughts on it, to each their own. IMO the pre-facelift W212 is a much better looking design especially from a holistic level.

Dema

What about interior improvements? I would accept it positively. Chrome accent around vents looks good. Moving clock in center isn't really good for a driver but passengers applaud.

drz

Everyone is entitled to there opinion of the FL E Class.

But the facts are there is a 23% increase in E Class sales over same period in 2012.

People vote with their wallets.

GregTR

+1. I personally found the original W212 face too chiseled and square looking with those diamond shaped twin headlamps. On the interior some hate that some wood paneling from the center console disappeared, I'm personally loving it as I'm not a big wood fan, I much rather welcome the addition of extra shiny parts on the side of the center storage area and the additional accents on the vents and the clock.

Plus I'm getting a wagon so the whole looks thing is a don't care it's all about utility.

Dema

It can be just lucky circumstances, like end lease for many previous buyers. MB is also giving currently amazing discounts up to $12k, so if you do cross shopping like BMW, Lexus, Jaguar, Audi, then more likely wallet will vote for Mercedes. However if forget about appearance, Mercedes is currently the best choice considering features offering. For example fully loaded A6 doesn't have power trunk close, distronic, hold...