MB Icon E

[12,000 RPM]

Context is everything

MBs are still very good looking but they went through a dark period. The W204 and pre-facelift W212 (sorry Vin dude) were MB's design lows. Much too busy and angular in and out. By comparison the W124 has a simple elegance in and out, and it exudes quality. Look at those panel gaps!

[BimmerM3]

Context is everything

MBs are still very good looking but they went through a dark period. The W204 and pre-facelift W212 (sorry Vin dude) were MB's design lows. Much too busy and angular in and out. By comparison the W124 has a simple elegance in and out, and it exudes quality. Look at those panel gaps!

I really like the W204. The W203 is DEFINITELY the low point of the C-Class, IMO. Not even close.

Agree on the pre-facelift W212 though.

[12,000 RPM]

I think you could argue for the W203 or W204. IMO things went downhill from the W201, and have been rectified several times over with the W205

Or more specifically, the S205. Mercedes is on a fucking roll, JFC just look at this thing.

[CALL_911]

For some reason the W124 (or the W201) never felt right to me. Probably because it looked dull compared to the glitzy W123. It didn't help that most of the W124s I grew up with looked like this...

Hell naw, MB didn't make as good looking a car as the W124 until the facelifted W211 imo (212 was great but aesthetically a step backwards imo. Same with the 213)

[cawimmer430]

The W203 is DEFINITELY the low point of the C-Class, IMO. Not even close.

The original W203 was an abomination. I had a summer job at a Benz dealer back in the day and these were awful in every regard; crap interior, unrefined engines (4-cylinder Kompressors) and horrible to drive (not sporty or comfortable). Terrible.

But the facelift did correct those flaws and the W203 actually became a very good car IMHO. The difference between a facelifted W203 and the original is like night and day. Everything was improved; interior, driving dynamics, comfort, engines - everything. Pick of the bunch, the agile C230/C350 V6 and the brutal and efficient C320 CDI.

[cawimmer430]

Hell naw, MB didn't make as good looking a car as the W124 until the facelifted W211 imo (212 was great but aesthetically a step backwards imo. Same with the 213)

I always thought MB screwed up on the facelifts.


Original W211? Very nice. Facelifted W211? So-so, nice but not as elegant as the original W211.






Original W212? Nice. Facelifted W212? Terrible.

[BimmerM3]

Original W212? Nice. Facelifted W212? Terrible.

Ew, no. The split headlights on the original are awful. Probably my least favorite front facia that MB has ever made.

[cawimmer430]

Ew, no. The split headlights on the original are awful. Probably my least favorite front facia that MB has ever made.

It's really interesting how different people perceive different designs. 

The facelifted W212 looks awful IMHO. Yesterday I saw this original W212 with some nice wheels and it caught my eye. It really stopped me dead in my tracks. 

[FoMoJo]

Looks good from the side shot.

[giant_mtb]

Yeah.  Those split headlights looked fine when they were round.  But then they went all shapely and modern and they look like shiiiiit.

[FoMoJo]

Yeah.  Those split headlights looked fine when they were round.  But then they went all shapely and modern and they look like shiiiiit.

Yes, I do like the fish eye headlights.

[cawimmer430]

W212 (pre-facelift) still looks good. 





W213 E-Class needs the AMG Line trim and some nice wheels. This one looks great.

[Xer0]

I'm pretty decent about keeping track of BMW chassis codes but can never get the MB ones down.  It always goes into a jumble of W2 blah blah blah.  Anyway, imo, MBs design language works better on rounder, softer shapes than on sharp, hard edges.

[12,000 RPM]

W20x = C Class, first one was the 190
W21x = E Class, first one in this name was the frog eye in 96
W22x = S Class, first one in this name was the soap bar that followed the monster W140 from the early 90s

I still have to count up on my fingers to remember what's what but that's the starting point

[BimmerM3]

I just look them up on Wikipedia.

[93JC]

Same with the BMW codes, I don't know any of them.

[MrH]

I worked on almost exclusively Mercedes vehicles at two different suppliers and still could never get the platform codes right.

Toyota was the craziest though. They'd totally change when they went from development to commercial.

[giant_mtb]

I don't pay much attention to chassis codes, so I end up Googling them relatively often.  I know a handful of the big ones just from repetition, but that's about it.

[12,000 RPM]

Sucks for you guys. Knowing chassis codes is really useful.

[cawimmer430]

I'm fairly fluent with all the chassis codes from 1945 to now, except for the new generation of SUVs which have an X_ _ _ designation and which don't interest me at all. 

Audi, BMW, Toyota etc. chassis codes I gotta google... 

[BimmerM3]

Same with the BMW codes, I don't know any of them.

I'm pretty good with BMWs up til the E90 series.

[93JC]

The E-whatty series?

[BimmerM3]

The E-whatty series?

2006 3 series

[cawimmer430]

This is cute; the taxi version. 














And here the original. 

[FoMoJo]

Why does the 'original' always look sooo much more pleasing?.

[cawimmer430]

Why does the 'original' always look sooo much more pleasing?.

Nostalgia perhaps? We're reminded of a time when there was more automotive freedom for both designers and engineers.