Windshield Time

Compared to the W222' what things do you like better about the W221?

Mike5215

That I can afford one.

MBZSW221

Styling, panoroof, choice of wheels, styling of interior seemed much simplier.

Streamliner

1. The exterior styling of the late 221 is stunning. The 222 rear is boring and is a body double for the Hyundai Eqqus--which, by the way, came out first! The gigantic Jack-O-Lantern grill in front is overkill and gaudy. How loudly can you scream "LOOK AT ME!!!!"
2. The standard Panorama Roof on the 222 is a cost cutting measure. On the 221, if you didn't want it, you didn't have to take it. Now, they shove it down your throat. Less choices=less luxury. Those guys who love the Pano Roof on their 221 and felt their car was special with it, have no place to go with the 222 as they all look the same.
3. Run Flat Tires and no other option. AND, no jack & spare in the trunk AND, not even the frigging SPACE for a spare, should an owner want to carry one.

I miss my 2013. My 2015 is nice and I like it, but I'll never love it like I loved my 221.

Windshield Time

Interesting perspective from someone who has owned both. Thanks Streamliner.

DaveW68

I got my first poke around in a 2015 S550 today. MSRP on the car was a little over $115k. I thought I'd be super impressed by the interior....but sadly, no. The W221 definitely feels quite a bit larger on the inside. Wider front seats and more leg room in the back. Back seats are also roomier in the W221. The W222 almost felt like a short wheel base car and narrower.


I couldn't tell if the 2015 had leather dash and doors. There was stitching in the dash, but it didn't feel like leather....at least not like the high quality leather that swathes my entire S600.


The gauges imaging seemed a little bit odd. They look like something from a video game, not a high end German sedan. The layout of the knobs and switches are similar to the W221, but the quality of switchgear somehow feels better in the W221. The only thing I liked better in the 222 were the window switches that don't require you to look down to figure out which window you're operating. The trunk switch in the W222 is too low and out of sight. It almost requires you to open the door to operate it.


The tail lights look very feminine in the W222 and look like a down grade from the 2010-'13 cars. The rest of the body lines look ok to me, but it is definitely lacking the muscular stance of the W221. There was an S coupe next to it which definitely was a much more attractive car on the outside. They should have used those same tail lights on the sedan....which would have greatly improved the looks. The coupe looks like it should only carry small children in the back...as a comfortable seating position for the front passengers yields almost no leg room in the back.


They also had an S63 on the floor. My gawd!!....I've never seen brake discs and calipers that large on any vehicle in my life....not even on a Bugatti. It takes at least 20" wheels just to clear them. I don't think 19's would make it.


I know that the W222 has more features than my 2007 S600 due to being 8 years newer....but none of those minor items would be a reason to pull my out of my current ride. The rest of the car was MUCH less than I expected.

Streamliner

I currently own a 2015 S550 Sedan, I had a 2013 S550, and I would agree with most everything you have said here. IMO the 221, especially in the updated version, was a much more distinctive and luxurious looking car. The interior of the 222 does feel smaller than the 221, but the luxuriousness of the Exclusive Nappa interior is quite pleasing.

The brakes on the new S63 are required, because virtually everyone who buys one of them, routinely drives them 200mph--yeah, right. Again, just my opinion, but the AMG cars are for the "mine's bigger than yours" crowd and make absolutely no sense, at least not to me.

As for the new S Coupe, I really don't care for that car at all and much prefer my sedan.

DaveW68

From a practicality stand point, I agree 100%. But you can't deny that the body lines look much better on the coupe, especially from the rear.

Windshield Time

The S63, without a doubt is a heck of a ride, and if I somehow found one at the same price of the my '13 S550, yeah I'd be a fool not to take it. However when I open the throttle on the S550 WFO I never think that what the car needs is more power.

I think the dash on the W222 looks terrific. The round bezels on the AC outlets look great and the design is very functional. I first saw this round, multidirectional design in a 2008 Ford truck. I find the comments about the interior interesting because the stats on paper look nearly identical. Dave I have to concur on the taillights, the W221's larger lights look more in balance with the rest of the vehicle than on it's successor.

Streamliner

I like the rear of the 221. I think it is very handsome and distinctive, especially the updated model. I feel that the rear of the 222 was just "phoned in" by the MB designers and it looks very much like a Hyundai Equus, see the attached photo.

However, I have very strong feelings about the look of the new S Coupe, I don't care for it and I think it is very uninspired, please see this thread in the W222 forum:
https://mbworld.org/forums/new-s-cla...ght-acura.html

All that said, we all have our own taste and I'm sure there are lovers of the 222, the new S Coupe and even the Equus. To each, their own.

MBNUT1

I went to the car show last night and had the same impression that the W222 rear leg room was less than the w221 which I consider excessive. the W222 doesn't really have less leg room in the back does it? Like the W221 it is a BFC.

RHJR

right here lol

Windshield Time

The more I see the W222s the more I agree with you about the rear end. The back glass looks considerably smaller, which make the car look smaller from that angle. I don't really care for that. However I do like that the trunk lid on the W222 doesn't look like it is stacked on top of the rear quarters.

Streamliner

Having had a 221 and now the 222, regardless of what the official specs say about trunk volume, the space in the 221 was much more usable. The 222 space seems odd and not nearly as practical. Add to this the fact that the 221 has space below the trunk floor for a jack & spare, while the 222 does not and the difference is truly substantial. I always thought that the master engineers at MB would strive to make each model reasonably BETTER than the previous one, but there are many things, IMO that were virtually ruined in the 222, when compared to the magnificent W221.

As a side note, the vast majority of S Class drivers, rarely have adult passengers in the rear seats, so very few of us have the need for power or reclining rear seats. With this in mind, I don't understand why MB doesn't offer the truly fabulous Split Folding Rear Seat option on the S, that they offer on the E Class sedans. For many folks, their S is their only car. Sometimes, we have the need to haul things that won't easily fit into the trunk or rear seat and the fold down seats would come in very handy.

Quadcammer

The gas tank has historically sat between the trunk and the rear seats. Whether thats the case on the 222, i'm not sure.

Streamliner

I wonder where the gas tank is located on a W212?

Jason B

Since it's been argued that the w222 chassis is basically the same as the w221, I bet it's in the same place:



The other question is, why does the w222 only have an 18 gallon tank, whereas the w221 has a 24 gallon tank!