I am thinking of replacing my 2011 E350 wagon with a new 2015 Luxury Line Styling E400 wagon. The 2011 E-class is too harsh of a set-up for me, and a complaint I have always had was that there is too much road noise inside. From the beginning, I read that the in Europe they had the comfort version option (the NA one was the sportier Avantgarde model) and its smooth and comfortable ride was always highly praised there.

1. For those who have had the pre-facelift and now facelift version (in luxury setup), are there any differences in ride comfort and interior noise?

Also, from the interior, apart from the stitched artificial "leather", it appears a bit more garish to me with all those chrome trim pieces in place of wood, apparently to satisfy Chinese customers, according to UK media.

2. Am I right in that there is really not much of an improvement in the cabin, just minor details? Does the luxury line include wood only on the centre console, or is it a combo of wood and metal. It does not seem to me to be much of a difference in the interior (both appear outdated compared the C-class).

3. LED vs xenon headlamps.. any difference in real-driving terms?

4. For Canada, does the 2015 Wagon include parking sensors front and rear?

5. Has the 2015 E-class been downgraded in some way to save money?

6. Does the new 2015 have a space-saving wheel? Have they eliminated the child-seats (a nostalgic throwback) in the rear now in favour of the Easy-Pack system?

What is the difference in the E350 vs. the Canada-only E400? Both engines are 3L V6, with the usual upgrade in power that happens industry-wide. It appears to be a marketing trick. Finally the car, even with the Eco start-stop appears on paper to use the same fuel as the pre-facelift.

 

The 400 will have instant torque for real world driving purposes.

 

2015 production is done. 2016s started production in March and some are already at Halifax.

Luxury line just changes the bumpers and wheels, not the suspension or interior.

Canadian 2016s have the "Avantgarde" run-out package (MAE), an all-in package that is mandatory on all orders. All wagons have PARKTRONIC plus surround-view camera as part of this package.

Rear-facing seats are standard or can be deleted at n/c for the EASY-PACK system. Resale value without the seats will suffer.

Space saving spare is standard.

The 400 engine is a great upgrade from the 350 at minimal incremental cost. Adding 2 turbos is arguably more than "marketing"

 

Thanks, I did not know that the engine was a turbo charged one. The E350 as I have it has a great relaxed power delivery that does not push you back in your seat when you accelerate. I hope that has not changed.

Are the full LED headlamps any better in real-world driving?

 

My opinion is that there is no downside to the "400" engine. It's better than the "350" in every way.

The full LED are more energy efficient and reliable than bi-xenon but I don't notice an appreciable difference in the amount of light they put down.

DISTRONIC PLUS with Steer Assist is still the best option hands down (IDP Package).

 

Distronic Plus is one of the reasons why I want to replace mine, until the next Wagon becomes available, probably by Model year 2018/19 by the way things look (and if MB then decides to bring it to Canada). I like the current design trend of the C and S-Classes, so I am hopeful that the next E will be fantastic.

 

In regards to the 400 engine, and since it's not the AMG, aren't HP and torque wars for a family wagon a bit nonsensical, especially when the 350 has proven itself to be a bulletproof, workhorse engine? I'm just wondering how much 'fun' it will be to repair those turbos down the road.

As for the LEDs, I'm not sure that I can really tell a difference either. Compared to the xenons on my old Cayenne, if anything, they seem not as bright. Then again, I've not driven outside the city yet so I can't fairly assess how they'll perform on unlit country roads.

 

I'm not one to complain about extra HP. It's not about stoplight drag wars for me. I appreciate being able to quickly overtake another vehicle and the turbos definitely help. Not sure why the turbos necessarily make the car any less reliable? MB has been doing the 3L turbo diesel for years in the ML/GL/E/Sprinter (plus many others worldwide). I'm more worried about the electronics than the powertrain.

As for the lights, the Cayenne is a taller vehicle; as you sit higher, you can naturally see a greater distance assuming equal illumination. Perhaps that's the effect you're experiencing.

 

1. Yes, I find that the ride of my 2015 E250BT, equipped with AMG Sport package and 'sport suspension' to be more compliant than my previous 2013 E350BT which came with 'comfort' suspension. Riding on either 17" Michelin Pilot Alpin snows or 18" Pirelli P Zero Neros, the ride of my E250BT is smoother than the 2013 E350BT which had 18" Conti ProContacts. I suspect that some suspension tweaks have been incorporated into the post-face lift chassis.

You might not be aware that MB incorporated some structural upgrades into the 2014 (post Jan.2014 build date) W212 chassis, which resulted in it having been awarded the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Rating, so far the only German sedan to have achieved this rating.

2. Although the interior changes are subtle compared to the face-lift exterior, I find them to be tasteful. They give the cabin a more high quality look than the pre-face lift version. Certainly not garish, IMO. The central vents aluminum trim piece is particularly well crafted, echoing the shape of the Sport version grill.

3. I agree with YYZ-E55's comments abut the LED lights, having similar performance to the bi-zenons, but the LEDs certainly have a more attractive on the road appearance. I also find that their cornering performance is slightly brighter than the bi-zenons.

No question that the W212 wagon is a great looking package, especially with the AMG Sport package ! The 'Luxury' package features an oversized traditional grill, with very lame looking multi-spoke alloy wheels. It's no surprise to me that this package has found very few takers in Canada. You might want to consider this fact since it would likely affect future re-sale.

 

Hadn't thought about that. Good observation.

I'm looking forward to testing out the auto-brights.

 

Thanks for the info.

I like the traditional grill and the accompanying wheels more than the Sport-setup. The resale value doesn't really worry me, so long I get what I like.

Euro NCAP did not retest the E-Class after the 2009. The IIHS report from 2010 and 2015 seems very similar, could not detect much difference on quickly looking through it

 

Styling is very subjective, so buy what best appeals to you ! I like the pre-face lift traditional grill/front end, but the newer 'luxury' version grill seems out-of-proportion to my eyes.

IIHS did not have the Top Safety Pick "PLUS" rating in 2010; the PLUS refers to the small offset crash standard. The pre-Jan.2014 W212 did not do so well in this test. Hence, MB's production change to upgrade the floor board structure for post Jan.2014 production.

 

On what planet is an engine that doesn't "push you back in your seat" a good thing?

I know a 300hp V6 is simply adequate for getting a DD around but it's lack of HP is not something to hope and look forward to in the next car I would one day get.

 

I don't know, maybe I just get more of kick in my sports car or motorcycle. For my part, I like the linear power delivery of the 350 and never really think about flooring it to get around....even though I guess I could. It really just boils down to different expectations when I'm in/on different vehicles.

Put another way, I gave considerable thought to the AMG 63 wagon thinking that I'd need the power coming from a Cayenne Turbo. But, then I asked myself how much I ever really got on the accelerator in the Porsche. It was basically never. My wife always complained about the herky power delivery and yelling why I was racing to get anywhere. So, instead of paying a truckload more cash for the same experience as I had with the big engine Cayenne, I figured I'd go with the 'responsible' choice. And, as it turns out, the e350 wagon has been fantastic. Far exceeded my admittedly low expectations. Also, this is in no way to take away from the e400 which is probably awesome, just to say that for a wagon, sometimes ponies don't really matter.

Anyway, food for thought....

 

Agreed

 

I see your point, I guess I just misunderstood the statement. For me, high HP engines don't equal to automatically driving like a teenager, it's just nice to know you have the power if/when you want it.

 

That was very thought provoking. Agree with your statement about the smoothness of power delivery in the E350 (even though I'm not coming from a Porsche).