We have 2013 Audi A8 (wife's) which has been great however having had E550's and S500s in the past. The MB dealer is in our town and Audi is 80 miles away (They do free service pickup and delivery). I am intrigued by the new MBs. So question go for 2016 S or wait for the new E?. It is my wife who used it as a daily driver. We do take friends in back on weekends. My car is a 2014 991 C4s so I already have a fun machine.

 

without doubt the S-Class is better than the new E since it's the flagship of the brand but keep in mind that the S-class drives like a large car while the Audi A8 is a bit like a small car in term of the driving although the S-class and the Audi A8 are in the same segment. I suggest for your wife to test drive the S-class and if she find it nice never hesitate to buy that amazing car.

 

E is always smaller than S, especially rear legroom...
if ur wifey is comfortable driving S everyday, then go for it...
if not, then E...

 

I went from 3 A8's in a row the the W222 S-Class. I think it is well worth the switch and I would not consider the E Class. I used to have one, but it is not in the same space. The new S is the best car in the segment.

 

Have the wifey give the S-class a test drive and let her make the choice.

 

the new e chassis will look very similar outside to the s and the c as benzo homogenizes the exteriour look to a "one look fits all" mentality of its traditional sedan offerings with just a small, medium or large car offer. and the inside will look more like the c and less like the s. that is where the similarities end. the s will always drive the softest with all the of the latest safety and technology. to a lesser extent, the new e will follow suit. and the c will still retain its "value" feel. so if your trouble-and-strife prefers the look of the s and the ride of the e - the e is a better value play as it costs about 1/2 that of the s whilst retaining the exteriour look of the s but the innards of the traditional e and c. hope that makes sense. ugh.

 

Since the first day that I saw the W222, I fell in love with it! I just love how the S is such a spacious car as opposed to the E class. Good luck with your decision.

 

I had a '12 E350, '13 E350 and a '12 CLS63 before getting a '15 S550

To me, the S class is far superior in comfort, ride, quietness and overall feel. Its also very fast and handles surprisingly well. It's a dream to drive.

 

I was surprised how much the next E looks like the current S, but for me the E is too small. The ride, comfort, style and presence of the S is really amazing, I love mine and so does everyone that's been in it.

 

For years now, I have driven an S and my wife an E. She says the S is too big for her and she loves her 2016 E350 sedan. The S rides MUCH better than the E and is a much more comfortable car, especially on any kind of a longer trip.

I am hoping that MB will offer the W213 in Luxury trim with the air suspension this time around, as that will go a long way in giving the new E a much better ride.

 

Personally, I would never buy the 1st year of a new MB model - E or S - too many bugs have to be worked out. That being said, I agree with the others with having your wife do a test drive.

Side note: I've seen the new 2017 E class at the NY Auto show, and it's really impressive. Dealers in my area will start showing them next month. It's list of safety features is larger than my 2015 S-class for now...

 

It is best to wait for the face-lifted version of any Benz model. By that point in the model production, the bugs have been pretty well worked out and therefore the reliability and satisfaction go way up.

 

I have been surprised of how well the W222 has performed quality-wise. I have only seen a significant software issue on the S63; the S550 overall only had some small nuisance issues.

 

If you're used to drive or to be passenger in an S class, you will never feel comfortable in an E class...

 

The S will always be better than the E, just as the E will be better than the C. Of course, you will also spend a lot more money for the S than the E. Do you need the extra size, is the ride comfort important, is the extra power important, etc.?
The E is newer than the S so some of the features and mechanics on the E are not on the S - yet. Even MB admits that.
I would definitely avoid the 2017 E Class. The C, S and CLA have had terrible reliability in their debut years; maybe even first two.
As for comfort, both are MB's and German. My Nissan Rogue SUV is quieter and more comfortable than my E350 with comfort suspension.
Your wife needs to drive both of them for about two hours minimum and stick the salesperson in the back seat. Then whichever one of you does finances needs to look at the costs to own, if that matters. Initial price, insurance, taxes, fuel economy, maintenance, etc.
You could ask your question in the W212 and W213 sections as well.
Good luck.

 

I agree with you to some extend but the W222 S-Class did not have terrible reliability in its debut year or any year.

 

The organizations that rate reliability say differently.