E-Class (W212/C207/A207) [Official] Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W212) Facelift

[Zafiro]

Completely, totally agreed. Put the money where it matters: over enginereed chasis, engine; military specs materials, real aluminum instead of plastics, etc. Make them the most reliable cars in the world. then put all the amenities on the option list, for the people who'll like them.

and how much more do you think it would cost Mercedes to offer free Keyless? thats just a pee in the lake for Benz

 

[Merc1]

Mostly issues with build quality. The RX, as you know is just a modified Camry platform and drive train. It looks like a team of trained monkeys designed the undercarriage. Placement of the front strut towers indicated the car had no off road performance given in the design. Although car sat on a higher suspension, the breaks and suspension were not designed to deal with the loads, and extra weight. Individual components were better quality in the MB by a long shot. For Lexus it was out of sight out of mind. We also got to take both through performance and traction test. The RX was a joke. The AWD system is anything but, and the traction system, at the time, was little more than a limited slip.

The option list on the GL is costing us sales. As great as the GL is doing, the market will slow down. I've lost multiple sales because of supply issues and the long option list.

Its just too bad most buyers don't appreciate those details, I do which is what has always attracted me to them. They used to be full of sheer engineering driven details, now not as much. When I first saw a Benz's double jointed hood I was amazed.


I can see that, I'm sure Mercedes will regroup the options for 2014, once they figure out what people most want. I've see that before.

M

 

[Gianclaudio]

and how much more do you think it would cost Mercedes to offer free Keyless? thats just a pee in the lake for Benz

I rather preffer that money to be in real aluminum instead of painted plastic, like I say before.

Its just too bad most buyers don't appreciate those details, I do which is what has always attracted me to them. They used to be full of sheer engineering driven details, now not as much. When I first saw a Benz's double jointed hood I was amazed.


I can see that, I'm sure Mercedes will regroup the options for 2014, once they figure out what people most want. I've see that before.

M

Another detail that has been lost is the door lock mechanism. Nowadays they use the same hook as every other car, but I still remember when they used a complex system which had that hook plus a pin and hole for extra strengh:

 

[Yaz]

And I can't believe I even am saying this, but did they make the screen SMALLER? The current one at least goes almost to the very edges, the new one has these huge borders (why?) which go a long distance.

Doesn't the E come with a standard COMAND unit now? Navigation and all, right? It looks like they're going the C route with two versions of COMAND, one with the smaller screen with no Nav, etc. The other with everything. Or this could be a Euro spec. only. I was hoping they'd eliminate those plastic covers that fill in the gap around the screen, but they only changed the material (used to be honeycomb style). Why couldn't they design the cover around the screen?

I have a gut feeling that MB will produce the E a little longer than the seven year cycle since they've invested that much money into it (FL C & GLK included). The S-Class already went a year longer than usual, without a major facelift. If the FL C & GLK are not replaced when they're seven year cycle is over, then the E is next.

Why not? I don't want it on my car. Why should i pay more just for your convenience?

MB has the best solution for it. Yank the ignition button and toss it in the glove box.
Bottom line, if it's already standard in a $25k car, it should be standard in a $100k.

And xenons should be standard by now. The non LED headlights won't have xenons (it looks photoshopped to look like it). Just a normal halogen bulb like the C & GLK:

 

[PHYBENZ]

What a beautiful grille

View attachment 14506

I love how the horizontal bars now don't reach all the way to the end. They sort of curve in on the edges adding a 3D perspective to them. Same thing on the new S.

 

[W124]

on pg 1 & looking @ post#1.

on my first time seeing this. ... looks like a nissan wtf MB?

 

[W124]

Appalling, absolutely appalling. An embarrassment that an E-Class has come to this, especially during a facelift (desperation factor).

this. it looks terrible.

 

[W124]

read the whole thread. still not sold. Not a fan of the front end. The shitty sports grill, the headlights and the absurd bumper.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

..but still more keyless than Benz. I mean its E-class vs sneak version from BMW we're comparing. Let's admit it, Benz are being cheap.

Calling MB cheap, just because they still have a standard conventional key set up as standard doesn't really stick Just_me. I think who's ripping consumers off is very market dependent. For example, I understand that in quite a few Scandanavian countries MB's are very expensive. Conversely here in OZ BMW and MB are priced very similarly. However, whereas MB packages desirable options such as Xenon's and keyless go etc. in affordable 'packs' BMW continue to charge higher prices for each individual option. For example the recommended retail price on an A250 fitted with absolutely everything (distronic, navigation, xenons, panoramic sunroof, Engineered by AMG pack etc.) prices up to $64,000. A similarly specced BMW (with distronic missing) will price up to around $78,000 because you have to pay for each option individually. They both have base model prices of $50,000.

So in short, such a broad statement doesn't really hold true, as it really varies from one country to another.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

I rather preffer that money to be in real aluminum instead of painted plastic, like I say before.



Another detail that has been lost is the door lock mechanism. Nowadays they use the same hook as every other car, but I still remember when they used a complex system which had that hook plus a pin and hole for extra strengh:

MB used to get called up in many magazines for their 'deadlock' mechanism which those publications insisted would be an issue for recovery of passengers in the event of an accident, though I'm certain MB would have thought about those scenarios. Nevertheless, that may have something to do with the change in the locking mechanism. Or maybe it is just cost cutting where you can't see it.

 

[Merc1]

I rather preffer that money to be in real aluminum instead of painted plastic, like I say before.



Another detail that has been lost is the door lock mechanism. Nowadays they use the same hook as every other car, but I still remember when they used a complex system which had that hook plus a pin and hole for extra strengh:

Oh I'm sure. There are probably hundreds of little engineering details that have had to be abandoned due to cost and the average brain-dead consumer not being able to appreciate them. If Mercedes still did cars like the W140 or W124 the E-Class would likely be a 75K for a E350 now. Wouldn't work.

M

 

[Zafiro]

Calling MB cheap, just because they still have a standard conventional key set up as standard doesn't really stick Just_me.

LOL in my world its cheap but MB isnt alone. There are things that both Audi and BMW arent good at either.
If you want all the extra goodies for free get japanese car or low priced KIA. In my world BMW/Audi/MB are overpriced cars, you pay mostly for the brand/image.

 

[Nicks]

Its for free when you buy a new bmw 1-series. .

It's not free. It's already included in price. The only difference is that you don't get to choose whether you want it or not.

 

[Gianclaudio]

Oh I'm sure. There are probably hundreds of little engineering details that have had to be abandoned due to cost and the average brain-dead consumer not being able to appreciate them. If Mercedes still did cars like the W140 or W124 the E-Class would likely be a 75K for a E350 now. Wouldn't work.

M

Good point Marcus, as I remember those Merc were MUCH more expensive than their rivals.... but I'm not sure if it wouldn't work.... it owrke for them for more than a century, but it's imposible to tell, as times changes.

MB used to get called up in many magazines for their 'deadlock' mechanism which those publications insisted would be an issue for recovery of passengers in the event of an accident, though I'm certain MB would have thought about those scenarios. Nevertheless, that may have something to do with the change in the locking mechanism. Or maybe it is just cost cutting where you can't see it.

Yes budy, after posting it I keep thinking if perhaps the reason was a safety reason....

Best regards

 

[Wolfgang]

Daimler dug out some info on those wedge pin door locks for us.

Béla Barényi and the discovery of passive safety
The wedge-pin door lock

Another passive safety element is the wedge-pin door lock which was patented in 1958 and introduced one year later. This new type of lock featured two safety catches and prevented the vehicle doors from bursting open or jamming in an accident. Older locks often allowed the doors to burst open, even in relatively harmless collisions.

This frequently resulted in driver and passengers being thrown from the vehicle. The introduction of the first safety door lock by Mercedes-Benz reduced this risk. Numerous tests resulted in the award of a patent for a "Locking device, especially for motor vehicle doors” in 1949. However, in the event of a serious accident, particularly a rollover, the doors would still burst open.

The wedge-pin door lock solved the problem. Since this new lock held the doors closed in all circumstances, it ensured the stability of the passenger cell and protected the survival space for driver and passengers. After several drafts, the wedge-pin door lock was patented in July 1958 as a "Pin door lock, especially for motor vehicles”. It was first incorporated in a production car in the Mercedes-Benz W 111 series in 1959.

The fintail model represented a milestone in passive safety because of the interaction of numerous innovations within the vehicle. In addition to a rigid passenger cell, crumple zones at front and rear and the wedge-pin door lock, these included an interior design without any dangerous edges. The W 111 series was thus the world’s first passenger car with integrated safety bodywork.

http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-1301673-1-1281372-1-0-0-1301966-0-0-135-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html

 

[Nicks]

Good point Marcus, as I remember those Merc were MUCH more expensive than their rivals.... but I'm not sure if it wouldn't work.... it owrke for them for more than a century, but it's imposible to tell, as times changes.

MB is still substantially more expensive than audi in my country. BMW is on par, give or take

 

[Monster]

Guys please keep this on topic.

 

[Gianclaudio]

Wolf, you're out of this planet.

Nicks, same here buddy

 

[deity]

BMW isn't giving Keyless Go to you for free at all...they are essentially forcing you to tick an option box which you may or may not want. Nothing in the world is free...this 'option' is just part of the price you pay for the vehicle. This is especially true since the hundreds place of the price of a vehicle is generally skimmed over and not paid attention to.

 

[Smithee]

There has been a lot of discussion about the E facelift and the Star moving to the grill. Only the C,E and the S had the Star on the hood. The majority of the C class cars now have it on the grill. If you select the Elegance package on the C, the Star stays on the hood on all other Cs it is on the grill.

This is likely to be the case with the E facelift a well, unless you specify the Elegance package the star will come on the grill.

Moving forward it is not unlikely that for the next generation C Class due in about 15-18 months that Mercedes moves the star permanently to the grill. The same possibly for the next generation E class. That would leave only the S Class with the Star on the hood.

The traditional Star on the hood is probably seen as old school and the star the grill does give Mercedes a more sporty look and as we keep hearing constantly that Mercedes is forever chasing a younger buyer. The Star on the hood is soon likely to disappear altogether. (Interestingly Jaguar too got rid of the leaping cat from its hoods.)