E-Class (W212) 2010 - 2016: E 350, E 550

Why The 2014 Facelift Ruined The W212 (Opinion)

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Old 12-05-2015, 08:16 PM
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Why The 2014 Facelift Ruined The W212 (Opinion)

Let me start by saying that this is my OPINION, I'm not the type of person who wants to force my thoughts upon any of you.

in 2009, I was thrilled by the new looks the E class was given upon its reveal. It had sharp styling for both the Luxury line & the Sport line. Another thing that I loved about the 2010-2013 W212 was how it was different from both the C & S class, with the double headlights and taillights that extended into the trunk.

Then comes the 2014 facelift. The Sport line to me looks like its trying to be something it really isn't, and that's a sports car.

Overall, the sport's changes I can deal with, the luxury however suffered the worst in my opinion, That strange looking grill with an oversized chrome outline tells me that when this look was under development it was rushed out.

The rear of the 2014 luxury is plain and boring to me. Its biggest offense is that it has no rear exhaust tips, something the 2010 had standard here in the U.S.


Another problem is the new headlights. They look very generic without the Full LED package



Well, thats my thoughts. I wonder what other opinions people have on this.

Last edited by jaworks3d; 12-06-2015 at 10:46 AM.
Old 12-05-2015, 11:05 PM
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I had said that many times, I really hate they take out the quad headlight from the E class,
if MB is doing the same sausage different length tactic, I might as well go for the best one,
given how the W213 would look, my next car will be a S class.
Old 12-05-2015, 11:09 PM
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Originally Posted by jaworks3d
Let me start by saying that this is my OPINION, I'm not the type of person who wants to force my thoughts upon any of you.

in 2009, I was thrilled by the new looks the E class was given upon its reveal. It had sharp styling for both the Luxury line & the Sport line. Another thing that I loved about the 2010-2013 W212 was how it was different from both the C & S class, with the double headlights and taillights that extended into the trunk.

Then comes the 2014 facelift. The Sport line to me looks like its trying to be something it really isn't, and that's a sports car.

Overall, the sport's changes I can deal with, the luxury however suffered the worst in my opinion, That strange looking grill with an oversized chrome outline tells me that when this look was under development it was rushed out.

The rear of the 2014 luxury is plain and boring to me. Its biggest offense is that it has no rear exhaust tips, something the 2010 had standard here in the U.S.


Another problem is the new headlights. They look very generic without the Full LED package



Well, thats my thoughts. I wonder what other opinions people have on this.
What it did was ruin your resale value
Your driving an old mans car dude
Old 12-05-2015, 11:22 PM
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Originally Posted by jaworks3d
Let me start by saying that this is my OPINION, I'm not the type of person who wants to force my thoughts upon any of you.

in 2009, I was thrilled by the new looks the E class was given upon its reveal. It had sharp styling for both the Luxury line & the Sport line. Another thing that I loved about the 2010-2013 W212 was how it was different from both the C & S class, with the double headlights and taillights that extended into the trunk.

Then comes the 2014 facelift. The Sport line to me looks like its trying to be something it really isn't, and that's a sports car.

Overall, the sport's changes I can deal with, the luxury however suffered the worst in my opinion, That strange looking grill with an oversized chrome outline tells me that when this look was under development it was rushed out.

The rear of the 2014 luxury is plain and boring to me. Its biggest offense is that it has no rear exhaust tips, something the 2010 had standard here in the U.S.


Another problem is the new headlights. They look very generic without the Full LED package



Well, thats my thoughts. I wonder what other opinions people have on this.
Gotta agree with you mayne, the refresh kinda threw me off, and not in a good way. All the MB models now have that same one peice headlight design going on, it's stupendously hard to tell one model from another. The E had its own identity with the quad headlight design, sadly no more.
Old 12-05-2015, 11:39 PM
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I think the post facelift cars look much nicer then pre facelift. I wasn't a fan of all the chrome in the old grill or the star ornament. The LED headlights are a great improvement IMO.
Old 12-06-2015, 04:28 AM
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Originally Posted by bob2011
The E had its own identity with the quad headlight design, sadly no more.
IMO, not so ! The facelift W212 with sport package and full LED lights is a very good looking car.

It is very easy for me, at least, to recognize from a block away an oncoming 2014+ E Class with LED package. To me that's a sign of a very distinctive front end, even more so than its predecessor. Where I live, the vast majority (over 95%) of 2014+ E Class are equipped with the full LED light package. I gather that this might not be the case in the US market.

These LED lights not only look fantastic, they function very well. At night, the turning function of the lights is especially effective in very dark situations. The front and rear LED turn signals and brake lights are notable for being so very bright and visible. They are a definite improvement over the pre-2014 lights.

Having previously owned a 2013 E350BT with bi-zenons, I can assure you that the 2015 LEDs offer a significant upgrade in overall lighting effectiveness.

Last edited by DerekACS; 12-06-2015 at 04:31 AM.
Old 12-06-2015, 09:14 AM
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The 2014 "refresh" front end alone will keep me from getting another "E" and just hanging on to my 2010 for longer. Never have liked the big Star grille on MB sedans and the new non-Star grille is too small.
Biggest complaint I have is the huge, non-functional, cheap plastic, dirt catching, fake intakes on lower ends of front end. Totally destroys the look of the car.
I think it was a mistake for MB to remove the "E" class distinctive quad headlight set-up. Now MB's look the same from CLA to "S" to AMG.
Old 12-06-2015, 10:30 AM
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My favorite look for any E is the cult classic 500E with AMG styling, It may be almost five years older than me but it sure takes the cake by far.

Last edited by jaworks3d; 12-06-2015 at 10:44 AM.
Old 12-06-2015, 10:55 AM
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Originally Posted by 2014e350
What it did was ruin your resale value
Your driving an old mans car dude
Basically a dick head thing to say. We all have opinions, likes and dislikes. The OP presented his like and clearly stated that it was his opinion in a very non belittling way. Man up or step out.

I dig my 2011 550 due to the angular lines, hockey stick DRL's and the edgy profile. I think the facelift models have a more refined design and have smoothed much of the edginess of the original design. That said, I really dig the 17 redesign and will be sitting tight until the new AMG models come out. IMO the biggest disappointment in the facelift was the loss of the V8. Huge mistake IMO and I won't own another MB without a V8 so forced to the AMG models or the S class model if I still want 4 doors with practical room.
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Old 12-06-2015, 11:03 AM
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Originally Posted by DerekACS
IMO, not so ! The facelift W212 with sport package and full LED lights is a very good looking car.

It is very easy for me, at least, to recognize from a block away an oncoming 2014+ E Class with LED package. To me that's a sign of a very distinctive front end, even more so than its predecessor. Where I live, the vast majority (over 95%) of 2014+ E Class are equipped with the full LED light package. I gather that this might not be the case in the US market.

These LED lights not only look fantastic, they function very well. At night, the turning function of the lights is especially effective in very dark situations. The front and rear LED turn signals and brake lights are notable for being so very bright and visible. They are a definite improvement over the pre-2014 lights.

Having previously owned a 2013 E350BT with bi-zenons, I can assure you that the 2015 LEDs offer a significant upgrade in overall lighting effectiveness.
I'll admit the Full LED lights look good on both the Sport & Luxury. Here in the U.S. many people buy the E class with the standard headlamps, it looks plain and generic to me.

I really like the quad headlamp look on many other cars than just Mercedes. Like my XJR, it's a unique design that's fading away unfortunately. but of course, styles come and go.

Last edited by jaworks3d; 12-06-2015 at 11:08 AM.
Old 12-06-2015, 11:36 AM
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Originally Posted by DerekACS
IMO, not so ! The facelift W212 with sport package and full LED lights is a very good looking car.

It is very easy for me, at least, to recognize from a block away an oncoming 2014+ E Class with LED package. To me that's a sign of a very distinctive front end, even more so than its predecessor. Where I live, the vast majority (over 95%) of 2014+ E Class are equipped with the full LED light package. I gather that this might not be the case in the US market.

These LED lights not only look fantastic, they function very well. At night, the turning function of the lights is especially effective in very dark situations. The front and rear LED turn signals and brake lights are notable for being so very bright and visible. They are a definite improvement over the pre-2014 lights.

Having previously owned a 2013 E350BT with bi-zenons, I can assure you that the 2015 LEDs offer a signifycant upgrade in overall lighting effectiveness.

The new E-class will probably look much like the S and C class now do. The new C-class looks so similar to the new S-class it is difficult to separate them from the distance. I bet the E-class will have exactly the same look so MB is going to the same direction as BMW, i.e. the cars look the same outside but are just different in size.


What comes to the lighting I doubt the new LED's are so significantly brighter than the lights in the Bi-xenon package...


The front end of the current E-class looks stupid. It is like a space ship with those "ion engine" intakes at the low corners. The glassy look is gone. I hope thy have a new front for the new E-class.
Old 12-06-2015, 06:08 PM
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Originally Posted by jaworks3d
I'll admit the Full LED lights look good on both the Sport & Luxury. Here in the U.S. many people buy the E class with the standard headlamps, it looks plain and generic to me.

I really like the quad headlamp look on many other cars than just Mercedes. Like my XJR, it's a unique design that's fading away unfortunately. but of course, styles come and go.
I agree with 100%. I was so disappointed when i saw they got rid of the quad set up. The facelift design is ok imo. The w212 '10-13 design was unique from the rest of the lineup and def made heads turn!
Old 12-06-2015, 06:12 PM
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Originally Posted by El Cid
The 2014 "refresh" front end alone will keep me from getting another "E" and just hanging on to my 2010 for longer. Never have liked the big Star grille on MB sedans and the new non-Star grille is too small.
Biggest complaint I have is the huge, non-functional, cheap plastic, dirt catching, fake intakes on lower ends of front end. Totally destroys the look of the car.
I think it was a mistake for MB to remove the "E" class distinctive quad headlight set-up. Now MB's look the same from CLA to "S" to AMG.
Same here. I don't like the fake front intakes ...waste of space. They could have put fog lights or something instead. And the back tiny plastic "vents" are just horrible. smh
Old 12-06-2015, 07:01 PM
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Originally Posted by MBSebas87
Same here. I don't like the fake front intakes ...waste of space. They could have put fog lights or something instead. And the back tiny plastic "vents" are just horrible. smh
Fake intakes seem to be getting more and more common in recent years, and Mercedes-Benz is not the only one. When I purchased my '05 Jaguar XJR a year ago there were those god awful new XJ's and XF's in the showroom, and they had fake intakes, it's a trend that many brands are recycling and it just looks stupid.
Old 12-06-2015, 11:12 PM
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Originally Posted by 2014e350
What it did was ruin your resale value
Your driving an old mans car dude
It's "You're", not "Your",
you ruined the image of MB owner.
Old 12-06-2015, 11:20 PM
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How about the modest updates to the face lift interior? I prefer it (and this coming from a pre-face lift driver).

On the facelift interior, I really like...
* Turn signal stalk and cruise are reversed with turn signal on top
* The horizontal row of silver buttons for the ventilated / heated front seats, rear head-rests, rear windshield sunscreen, etc.
* No more silly analog clock in the dash gauge cluster taking up precious real estate (and I won't even go into detail on how annoying I find the minute hand's movement, argh). It's been moved to the top of the center stack.
Old 12-07-2015, 08:29 AM
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While I do agree that the prefacelift 212 looks good, it wasn't good enough for me to purchase it. I love the facelifted version with all the interior and exterior upgrades.
Whatever floats your boat.
I do agree (and am upset) that the upcoming E class W213 will lose its unique styling.
Old 12-07-2015, 08:41 AM
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IMO, the post face-lift redesign doesn't offer "enough" stylistically to say "hey, I need to upgrade to this BECAUSE this car looks better than mine.."

Other than that, I don't dislike the new design either.

FWIW.
Old 12-07-2015, 09:11 AM
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Originally Posted by g4benz
IMO, the post face-lift redesign doesn't offer "enough" stylistically to say "hey, I need to upgrade to this BECAUSE this car looks better than mine.."

Other than that, I don't dislike the new design either.

FWIW.
Agree with this 100%. If I had already owned the prefacelift E class the chances of me upgrading are almost nil. But when I was buying new it was a no brainier for me.
Old 12-07-2015, 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by jaworks3d
My favorite look for any E is the cult classic 500E with AMG styling, It may be almost five years older than me but it sure takes the cake by far.

Yup, Great auto all around. Solid, fairly roomy inside, will go forever with proper maintenance. Have always wanted one to play with.... get a mint 6 cylinder with low miles which is very doable here in Florida and turn it in a sleeper

maybe when i retire and actually have time....

Mike
Old 12-07-2015, 09:23 AM
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with regards to the 2014 facelift.... frankly i really like it, again we are talking opinions here.... pre facelift was ok but the new style i thought really brought the styling into the modern era, once I saw it I couldn't go back to the pre-face lifted car...

which kinda sucked because i started with a 50k budget and finding 2012/2013 e550 cabs with low mileage for under 50k was very doable...

Once we settled on 2014+ it blew the budget and there are a lot less of these models to pick from used.... in the end I bought new to get the colors/options etc that we wanted...

so much for my budget!!!

But wow what a auto, we just love it, comfortable, stylish and a great exhaust rumble, not too loud, not too quiet....

Mike
Old 12-07-2015, 10:00 AM
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Probably not

Originally Posted by 2014e350
What it did was ruin your resale value
I was in a store the other day and a man approached me and asked if I owned the MB outside. I said I did and he said he was looking for one just like it. 2010-2013 "E" luxury sedan. Did not want the 2014 or later models because of the styling.
Resale value on every vehicle goes down as soon as you drive it off the lot. Model changes do affect resale value, but probably not that much. Sometimes, the value may be increased if people do not like the "new" version.
Old 12-07-2015, 10:42 AM
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OK so I own both a pre-FL E550 and a post-FL E63, so I'd like to think I'm unbiased. Both have their advantages stylistically.

The Pre-FL is a much classier look. I like the hood star and the 4 headlights. I like the deeper creases in the hood. It can look a bit dated these days.

The post-FL is sportier. I really liked it when it first came out, but now I find it a a bit bland, even on my 63. Now that the W205 C looks so similar it is harder to discriminate the two. The E hood is now nearly flat, (I like how C63 hoods had/has bulges and think all AMG hoods should have these). The grille star is a better way to integrate distronic, and definitely looks better on coupes and sporty models. I think the E is just better suited for a more stately look with a traditional grille and hood-star.

For some reason I don't like the post-FL luxury E styling. It is a distant third behind the post-FL sport and Pre-FL body.
Old 12-07-2015, 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by 2014e350
Lol...its true you tool...just accept it old man or grandma...
Easy there, Everybody has their own taste when it comes to styling, calling someone a tool over car styling is a bit immature.

Perfect example: when I bought my XJR my friends laughed at it and called it an "old man" car, today its been transformed into a 520 horsepower, 610 lb. ft. torque raging feline with many exterior and interior upgrades. Just shows how small to moderate changes can make a big difference on how a car is first interpreted.
Old 12-07-2015, 03:43 PM
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I have an idea! Lets get back on topic!


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