Good observation

 

Man, all of MB's cars have terrible rear bumpers. I simply do not like the extreme rake, reminiscent of the Taurus, as a cheap way to add cargo room.

 

The front end does look almost exactly the same as the new E-Class, that's not a bad thing, because it looks good....much better than a 3 series

The rear end isn't that great.

But that interior is where they just jumped leaps and bounds over the competition!

 

The Lexusification of Mercedes continues, not just in the softer more Lexus like body styling but also:


vs

 

Lol. Were you asleep during the 1999-2006 time period? Mercedes has done soft body styling before.

 

Give it a pass!!

 

It looks very meh!

Where is the design coherence?

 

One thing the Germans still have not gotten right is panel gap management. All their cars still have gaps the size equivalent to 80's Fords

 

Perception of beauty and desirability beyond car's weak design is something only MB, Porsche and Ferrari can pull off.

 

Sharpest entry level car, by far. If I were looking for that size car in that price range this is what I would buy without question.

 

This post order is just fantastic.

Also this is no longer the entry-level car.

 

It is for their RWD offerings which is their core. CLA, A-Class, B-Class those are all niche vehicles

 

Styling is in the eye of the beholder. What does someone define as "weak design". To me, this is "strong design". Personally I love the new S-Class and I love how this is really a "mini S-Class". What I hated about previous C Classes is that proportionally they looked like economy cars with high rooflines. The outgoing model is better, but this is far sharper IMHO if looks as good in person as it does in pictures. I don't care for the half "smooth/half sharp" refreshed E but I'm sure when we have an all new E and it follows this styling trajectory I will like it.

The C Class is not the entry level car anymore only because they created a car below it that competes in a different category. This car still competes with the A4, 3 Series and IS. To me this is classy, luxurious, great looking inside with nice woods and metallic look trim, what appear to be nice materials (we'll see in person). This is what I personally would buy.

 

Can't argue "Style and Design" because that is subjective, everyone will have their own opinion. Now numbers, stats, competitive comparisons, real world experience, knock yourselves out

 

Exactly, The IS and 3 series are IMHO great looking cars, but this car is classy and luxurious while they are sporty...different strokes for different folks.