I own a fully equipped 2018 E300-4Matic, with only 63,000km, my best car ever, now at 7 years of age.
I’ve started looking at the new W214 E-Class, and would like to upgrade if it does enough things better than my W213.
I know I would appreciate its Touch Screen, wireless CarPlay and rear axle steering. What else?
Does the new model have a better, safer and more functional Driver Assistance package?
Any pluses and minuses compared with the W213 ?

I'm in a slightly different situation, as I have a 2022 GLE and am analyzing (and test drove) a new E-class. I can say the assistance tech is better in the W214 and will definitely be better than in your W213. The new steering wheel has capacitive sensors in it. This means that when using Driver Assistance on the highway, it knows you're touching the wheel. In my GLE I have to move it a bit every 10s, even when I'm holding it, otherwise it thinks I let go of the wheel.
From what I've read, the W214 is quieter and has a much smoother ride than the W213, but I don't have experience with it.

I thought about going from my '18 E300 fully loaded W213 to a similarly configured '25 E350 W214 until I saw that the price was $20k higher, a 30% increase excluding the delivery, prep and taxes addons. My E300 only has about 25k miles on it, but it will need tires soon (due to age not wear). I'm considering EVs and PHEVs for my next car sometime next year.

Thank you very much.
I’ll order the 2026 model when it becomes available.

One of the reviews I read suggested that the 214 doesn't drive as well as the 213.

go drive one and watch/read some reviews.

Every review I have seen says the opposite. That the W214 drives and rides much better than the W213 and that the W214 is much closer to the S-Class in ride comfort.

I’ve effectively read that the W214 in more comfortable than the W213.

I’ll try a 2025 E350 next Spring. Meanwhile, I’m reading reviews.

MB refers to the W214 as the "Baby S-Class." There is a reason they call it this: The ride quality, feel, and technology are much better than in previous generations and up to par with right below the S class, where an E class belongs. There is just enough tech and features to sway buyers away from an S if they need a smaller car while retaining the same luxurious features and having more technology upgrades.

They say that for the C-Class actually and so do journalist, it is marketing. I do agree the W214 is closer to an S-Class than the W213 though.

Can you give us the review?

I have never heard someone say or even suggest the C-Class is anything close to an S-Class. I've driven a few C-Class models over the years as loaners when my E was in for service. None have been close to my E. I could not wait to get back in my E.

They didn't say it is an S-Class or close to one, they say it is "a baby S-Class" sorry for the confusion.

Like I said, it was marketing, they were specifically talking about the interior design and there are some similarities, it is marketing so they can sell more after all. As for

Journalist:
https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/cars/rev...s-benz-c-class
https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2...-drive-review/
https://www.carandbike.com/reviews/m...indeed-2959615

but this started with the W205: https://www.torquenews.com/1084/4-cu...d-baby-s-class

Turns out I was replying to this quote, which I quoted again, guess there shouldn't had been any confusion but in case there was, I was replying to the part "baby S-Class".

To call it the "baby S-Class" without context was my confusion. Looking like an S-Class is not what I assumed it meant. The S-Class is known for superior ride comfort and the C-Class rides like a small car and not even close to an E let alone an S. I agree, it's marketing hype.

The new 214 is more comfortable than the 213. The S class is more comfortable than the 214. I have both. The 214 is more engaging to drive though. The 213 did have a little better road feel and the brakes definitely felt better. My main worries on the new 214 is that it’s over engineered. It’s like mb took a Tesla and said we have to make the car with more tech than the teslas. I would have been happy with the 214 as it is without the spongy brakes and with analog gauges and regular buttons for controls. I’d still take the large center screen though that is nice.

How many miles do you have on your W214? I have noticed the breaks spongy feeling goes away after a couple thousand miles. They feel much better to me at least. I don't recall exactly how many miles it took because it was a gradual change. I have just over 5900 miles and they have felt better for a while now. I do agree with the concerns of over engineering. Time will tell.

You are correct when they redesigned and released the new C then a year later in 2022 a bunch of journalists/articles called it the baby S class due to some small similarities and infotainment system but that was more of a play on words compared to the W214 which still is not the same superiority as an S class but has its own perks for the class that it's in. Going back to OP's topic however when compared to the previous W213 the W214 is definitely improved in a lot of aspects.

My main concern: Touch screen instead of buttons: Having to take your eyes of the road to change a radio station using a touch screen instead of a rotary button, imo, is a driving hazard.

Musk to save money in the Tesla put almost everything on a touch screen. He called it advancement: I call it the "Emperor's new clothes".

FWIW, I believe both Hyundai and Kia in their new models have gone back to buttons.

Hopefully others will follow

The loaners at my dealer are either GLC or C class. I would choose a Honda Accord or the CRV or the RAV4, at the same price over the C class or the GLC. At thousands more to me it is a no brainer.

But people like to say they are driving a Mercedes!

Check out Consumer Reports.

Have you ever read a bad car review in Car and Driver? That is the reason I canceled my subscription many years ago.

It is like a stock broker: Hold means sell.

In my W213 I use voice controls and rarely use a button. I disabled the console "mouse pad" and buttons because they were prone to an accidental touch.

When I took delivery of my E450 I tried the touch pad for a few days. I found it terrible. Like you I disabled it.
Unlike you, I find the voice controls terrible. I rely on buttons and the rotary knob.

I, too, did not use voice controls in my W213. It was hard to remember the exact phrase needed to perform a task (at least for me). The voice control in the W214 is light years ahead of the W213. "Hey Mercedes" uses natural language so you can ask it to do most any task without worrying about how to say it and it works wonderfully. Therefore, I use it all of the time now.