Turn activated seat bolsters?

That's fancy but doesn't surprise me for Mercedes.

They always tend to over do it but in a good way

 

Its nice, my A8s have it and it freaks people out

 

well yea they do now lol, but back in late 2002 things were much more primitive in that area

 

It is really funny when people experience it for the first time lol

 

i'm biased of course but i generally agree... the W211 was like the last grasp of 'old school benz' in terms of how it feels and rides, as well as the soft plushness of the interior materials... even on my AMG model the emphasis is clearly first and foremost make this a comfy classy car, and the W212 AMG became much more focused on being balanced sports car which i always thought was dumb since that's what the M5 is for

 

I really like the W212 E Class, I think they are timeless looking, the pre refresh. I parked next to one today and I almost snapped a picture of it parked next to my car. W212s are incredibly solid and great riding, have that real Mercedes feel.



I think the refresh kind of spoiled the look:

 

W212 is great i just think the ride and seats suffered too much in the E63, haven't driven an E550 though so i'd be curious to see the comparison

agreed on the pre facelift looks as well, i like my E-classes to have 4 headlights haha... although i think the E63 still looks pretty cool up front




technically i'm supposed to have the front plate too lol but it was a florida car that never got the holes drilled into the bumper and i think the side mounted tow hook plate looks ricer

 

I've never driven either gen E63 so I can't comment there, but the regular W212 E Classes rode great. I have a buddy with one I ride in all the time.

Neither of my cars have a front plate even though they are required lol

 

W212 was well known as a return to form for the E-Class. Legit, solid *** Mercedes. Definitely the last one I care about.

I also think the pre-refresh is beautiful, and the facelift doesn't interest me at all.

People made a a big deal about the "Ponton" fender thing behind the rear wheels, I never saw what the problem was.

 

Back in late 1990's, I almost purchased 1995-02 W210.

Despite EPA claim of only 95 cu ft, if I'm not wrong, W210 has most upright and spacious interior cabin; roomier than successive E Classes.
W210's 95 cu ft perhaps only because of upright front & upright rear windscreens?
If I'm not wrong, W210 had the most long legged suspension travel travel too?

However, the 90 degree V6 was rough, and when sitting in the rear, we could feel rough vibrations in the propeller shaft under heavy acceleration, so my Indian friend persuaded me not to buy.
Also, back in late 1990's, I was only 30, and I thought W210 styling was much too mature for me, hence I ended up in 3ES300; if I'm not wrong, 2016-23 W213, and especially 2023-30 W214 targeted younger owners.






PS
I was telling bitkahuna that the new Benz "pinched-tail" styling was making the trunks smaller and smaller...

 

W210 was definitely a spacious car. Not like an S-Class, but plenty roomy.

 

Wasn't the W210 known for some pretty serious issues like the biodegradable wiring looms and lack of rustproofing? We had a 2008 W211 that we kept for 10 years, that worked great for my parents. I just sold it recently, and it ran fine.

 

No, the 210 was after the wiring loom problems, it’s also very solid.

 

The W210s can have rust issues, particularly the spring perches.

 

Was it the W124 then that had the wire loom issues? I guess I always associated the W210 as the worst E-Class because it was during the period where they had lost their way and stopped overengineering stuff. Kind of the same as I view the W220 S Class as being the poorest version of those as well.

I remember this, something about using water solvent based paints or something along those lines.