will_atl

I showed your pics to my wife and she got it right, the headlights were what gave it away to her!

MBNUT1

I think the W223 headlights look better than the refreshed W222 but I prefer the prerefreshed W222

SW20S

Don't get me wrong, I like mine but I don't see anything about the redesign from the outside that would make someone who loves the 222 HATE the 223...

Inside, they are very different...

emilner

See, I look at these and say the 222 is the updated version of the more pedestrian 223. It has more presence up front, the headlights are larger and dynamic and the body has that nice crease breaking up the solid slab of the 223. The 222 is a nice evolutionary step up from the 223.

kafklatsch

Wow...agreed.... 👍

SW20S

Even if all of that were true, to say that you hate the exterior of the 223 when you love the 222 just doesn't make any sense to me at all...I can see preferring the 222...like I prefer the refresh 222, but I don't hate the pre-refresh 222...its basically the same car...

To me what feels dated about the 222 is the character lines in the sides, when everything being made right now is totally smooth sided.

emilner

It is not that I hate it. It is that it has become a great appliance...

SW20S

I just think thats a huge stretch...if its an appliance the 222 is an appliance too...

W205C43PFL

I guess they are both as people like to call it, computer on wheels. That is the point I guess, S-Class is a technological engineering marvel.

kafklatsch

Show me a large sedan with totally smooth sides, and ill likely show you a less nice car body than the 222

bishop64

Which one is better? Always a subjective question.

Bart-N3GQ

Just my opinion. The W222 Looks like an upgrade to the W223 to me.

Quenthel

I think the difference is way more pronounced in the lights. When looking at a W222 I can immediately tell that's an S-class from the front lights (especially the facelift models with the 3 stripes) or the rear ones (3 stripes on both pre and post-facelift).

In the new models, I cannot immediately tell that that's a C class or an S-class when looking at it from the rear (and the side for that matter). It's a small thing, but I feel this was what made the W222 stand out whilst W223 tends to look a bit more generic, at least in the photos.

Having said that though... at some point I'll jump to either the W223 or the R232 and whatever the car looks like outside will be of much less importance compared to the interior and the driving feel.

W205C43PFL

The W223 headlight still has three dots but then now Mercedes decides to put two dots on the SL and later two dots on the GLC and most recently two dots on the facelift A-Class, so that certainly doesn't help does it?

W205C43PFL

That "wrinkle" you called it, it is back, in the form of a broken shoulder line on the next gen E-Class, the W214 basically. https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ml#post8678258
Well, half a wrinkle, it reminds me of the SLS Gullwing.

SW20S

Honestly? I see C and E Classes and mistake them for W222 S Classes all the time.

Look at all of them, its the style now whether you like it or not. The character lines in the side of the 222 date it.

I think it comes down to liking what you have more than there being any real significant objective difference with the 223.

Quenthel

For me the C is relatively easy to tell apart from the S, but the E is similar to it; I rely on the 2 light strips (front or rear) to (quickly) identify it as an E.

Hey, you are right. Still, the W222 facelift's 3 stripes headlights are way easier to distinguish it compared to the W223's three dots. I also checked the taillights and I couldn't see any difference, at least nothing of the kind that you can immediately tell what car that is just by throwing a passive glance at them.

kafklatsch

thank you..... can you SHOW me a few large sedans with quote "totally smooth sides".... since this where apparently all new designs have headed.... with the www it should be easy.... but im failing and need your help with finding them... thanks in advance....

SW20S

Actually I find I mistake the C for the S more from the rear, from a farther distance than where you can make out how many lines there are, or during the day.

You can look up pictures of cars. Look at the new 7 Series. Look at the G90, look at all the Audis, look at the new Range Rovers, smooth sides are in, minimalism is in.

If you need me to spoon feed you, fine:

W205C43PFL

For sure, I mean I think that design was disappointingly inspired by the A-Class hence why it is hard to tell (it used to be the other way around as in S-Class design trickle down). For the taillight graphics, sky scrapper design I would like to call it is nice though up close that is, and it has three rows I guess that also represents it is an S.

kafklatsch

500k bentley is lavishly disqualified...phantom is really smoothly sided...and disqualified

SUVs...ummmm No!!!... cars please

And creases in all but the G90...which actually is liked by many ... grill is terrible to me

The rest have wrinkles....and also as stated do not look better than w222

Im done with the topic..... dont care to do back and forth so i will withdraw as i pushed it to start

SW20S

The W223 has a character line at the bottom of the door too. If you don't see the trend I am talking about to smoother shapes with less character lines I really don't know what to tell you...

Our cars are not the only attractive cars on the road, sorry. Thats just fanboi nonsense.

bishop64

I reckon the design trend of having smoother sides (and overall body shape as well) is mainly due to the fact that automobiles are moving from ICE to EVs, where Cd and range are important. And, EVs are generally so quiet that any wind noise/resistance needs to be minimized to maintain the quiet cabin.

SW20S

Its just shifts in design philosophy and fashion, thats all.

Donnymac

You want smooth sides?… I’ll show you smooth sides!!!

Today on a friends ranch.