E-Class Canadian Driver - First Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

[far2000]

Don't let the reviews get to you Chris!

We all know dam well the E-class head lights look nothign like the GS. People just want to pick at somehting in the new E-class because it's...perfect!

and the only reason it's the head lights is because they are both separate.

But that is honestly like saying (please take no offense at all) Germans are all Nazis becaause they are German, and all Chines men are Jackie Chan because they are chines.

People just want to relate because they can

I agree that the E class is almost perfect, and u are thinking that when a person says the resemblance is identical 2 a GS is an insult, i as a matter of fact think merc pulled of the design better than the lexus, but the fact is , front of the E is carbon the GS, Why would so many journalists, who know much more than most of us about cars say that? could all the professionals be wrong just cause you feel Lexus is beneath Merc...?

Come on ppl, dont use your hatred for lexus 2 sway the truth...

Farouk....

 

[Tarek]

Carbon copy? come on man!

Yes i agree that both have boxy fronts but the looks and details are totally different!

 

[coolraoul]

Oh my God! The resemblance of the E-Class headlights to those of the Lexus GS are uncanny!

SERIOUSLY: Where is the friggin resemblance?

They look nothing alike. They are completely designed differently. Is it the fault of Mercedes that Lexus decided to imitate their traditional grille as well in the first place? The W212 front reminds me of the W211, not a Toyota GS...excuse me, Lexus GS.

Yeah...see the proof is right there. OMG Benz copied teh Lexus...oh noes!!! /sarcasm

On a more serious note. Look at this picture and ask yourself: Does a square have rounded edges? If you answer no, than you have a brain. If you answered Yes, then please smash your head with a hammer.

Now I ask you this. Where the F__k are the GS lights SQUARED?!

Take a square and round-up the edges a bit, you won't make a cirlcle out of it.

The Lexus light has slighly rounded edges, yes, motsly because of the tacky chrome surrounding they felt necessary to add. So what?

Don't you see it's the same basic shape, only Merc has the indicator bit at the top so it looks a lil' less elongated. But the same spirit is there.

The shape is undeniably quite similar. The same squared area, the same way of embedding them in the bumper in an inclined way to suggest sportiness, the same unique lens in it, same position at the very top of the front quite over the grille and on the edge, the side of the car...

Squash Merc's unit a bit, you end up with the Lexus'one, lower and more elongated.

I don't mean it's a copy, I only use my eyes and see a resemblance. Period. If you hate Lexus so much that you can't see that, or the use of the squared tailpipes of the LS on some German competitors, then it's on you.

But I do see a very obvious resemblance, and seem not to be alone.

 

[PHYBENZ]

^^^^ Agreed. A copy? No. Resemblance. Yes. That doesn't even mean that MB was inspired by the Lexus, but there are similarities. The E design is obviously a quad headlight design of the C class headlights, but there are similarities with the Lexus headlights unfort. Yes Lexus was the first to copy the 4 light design from MB when MB came out with the w210, but these shapes are similar.

 

[tennmb]

There are similarities. So what?

Lexus was integrating the tailpipes into the bumper before MB did.

 

[VroomVroom]

May I suggest we start a new thread for this topic because it's obviously going to be a main subject of lots of E-class threads.

I shall leave it for Chris to start...with a poll

 

[cawimmer430]

I respect each and everyones opinion and thank you for taking the time to have explained your opinion, but I still don't see it.

What I see are four individual headlights that have evolved out of the W211 E-Class and have also been given a styling infusion from the W204 / X204. The Lexus GS just happens to be a competitor to the E-Class that also makes use of four individual headlights. Nowhere between these two cars do I see any resemblance of any sort, aside from the fact that they both just have four non-connected headlights upfront.

I shall leave it for Chris to start...with a poll

I don't think a poll is needed for this argument here. It would be a pointless poll in my opinion.

 

[VroomVroom]

The thing is tho, we are all massive car enthusiasts and we all know these car back to front, front to back.

What we really need is peoples opinion who have never seen both these cars in there life!

So thats what I did and all of them said that there is no similarity apart from he fact they are both separated into four

 

[Yaz]

Why would so many journalists, who know much more than most of us about cars say that?

That's not necessarily true. I think a lot of us here know more about cars more than any car journalists and car salesmen combined. Well, except for tennmb .

Lexus was integrating the tailpipes into the bumper before MB did.

That's another story. I remember people on this board trashing the LS for having those fake exhaust and for having too many gears with the 8-speed tranny. But I don't see anyone complaining now that the new German cars have fake exhaust and too many gears .

 

[NarutoRamen]

That's not necessarily true. I think a lot of us here know more about cars more than any car journalists and car salesmen combined. Well, except for tennmb .

Ain't that the truth. It's not even funny how much I and most others on here know about cars. When I took my A4 to the Dealer, he was confused when I was asking him about 99 A4 and the car dubbed as 99.5 A4. I learned a lot from here and on the Audi forums, but the dealer had no clue wt-f I was talking about.

 

[K-A]

The front is a carbon copy of the Lexus GS...thats why every magazine and tester is saying it...Christian, i think in your heart you dont wnt it 2 look like a lexus, but the fact is, every1 who says it looks like a lexus cant b wrong..i cant belive you cant see the gs knock off in the front...

Cheers..



Farouk...

^^ Well Chris, you can tell whatever you want, and throw the W210 in the game, thing is Lexus squared his lights before MB

Those lights do resemble those of the Lexus, it is for me (as an MB fan as you know) not to be denied. Not a copy, but the common stylistic influence is there. Wether it has more history in one case or another, they look alike.

Does anyone else notice the W212's headlights are disproportionate from each other? They just don't make much sense, the inner one is angled toward the grill so heavily toward the bottom, it just takes away from a cohesive look. Some elements of this car seem slightly disproportionate from each other.

 

[cawimmer430]

Does anyone else notice the W212's headlights are disproportionate from each other? They just don't make much sense, the inner one is angled toward the grill so heavily toward the bottom, it just takes away from a cohesive look. Some elements of this car seem slightly disproportionate from each other.

I see what you mean but having seen the car in real life I can tell you that this design aspect creates a nice contrast - it's eye-catching as our eyes/brains always go for visible contrasts first. I don't have a problem with it because it doesn't harm the flow of the cars design IMO.

 

[K-A]

I see what you mean but having seen the car in real life I can tell you that this design aspect creates a nice contrast - it's eye-catching as our eyes/brains always go for visible contrasts first. I don't have a problem with it because it doesn't harm the flow of the cars design IMO.

Cool cool, yeah I hope I feel the same when I see it. I've always been more turned on (automotively speaking ) by clean, cohesive, and organically flowing designs like the 211, and all the lines, etc. made the 212 seem cluttered to me and questionable in its pure design precision. But yeah, the day they come out I'm heading to the showroom to see how the look translates in real life to me.

 

[fortuner]

I see what you mean but having seen the car in real life I can tell you that this design aspect creates a nice contrast - it's eye-catching as our eyes/brains always go for visible contrasts first. I don't have a problem with it because it doesn't harm the flow of the cars design IMO.

Yeah i think once we see the car in real it will make things better when i first saw pics off the c class rear and interior i wasnt to happy but after i saw the first car and sat in it things changed and i even bought one.

Wimmer now that u have seen many off them what is your view on the looks and design overall both exterior and interior and build quality..

 

[Zafiro]

I saw another new E-class today and Im still not sold on the exterior. But I like the interior and the leather seats looked and felt good.

 

[cawimmer430]

Wimmer now that u have seen many off them what is your view on the looks and design overall both exterior and interior and build quality..

Read all about my impressions here.

The design is awesome. Conservative, yet sporty and elegant just like the E-Class should be. And I can only praise the interior. The combined materials make a solid and high quality impression.

Part 1: http://www.germancarforum.com/e-cla...w212-e-class-launched-munich***-part-1-a.html

Part 2: http://www.germancarforum.com/e-cla...w212-e-class-launched-munich***-part-2-a.html

Part 3: http://www.germancarforum.com/e-cla...w212-e-class-launched-munich***-part-3-a.html