E Class Interiors - Then And Now

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Which floats your boat?

[YOUTUBE]r81YsbXS-P0#t=211[/YOUTUBE]
 
As time went on they just became more cluttered and messy , more distracting for the driver and less elegant .

The W123 wasn't an 'E Class' , and if they're going to start referencing 'precursors' then why not include the W114/115 , the W111 or even the W180 ?
 
Newer obviously. We don't regress, things get better. Those who think the old is better are just indulging in nostalgia.


EDIT: It's clear me and Pontoneer don't see eye to eye on this. :D :thumb:
 
To sit in, the facelift 124 in a nice zebrano or burl hands down for me - why, because the newer ones make me feel claustrophobic and the 123 although is very nice just doesn't quite have the bling of the 124... :)
 
the cleanest dash design by FAR was the w124.. obviously i am going to say that.

the 210 is my second choice interior ofcourse.
 
Every new model see's an improvement for me. To look at a W210 dash makes them look so ancient now. As long as the quality of the accessories remains high, its progress as far as I'm concerned.
 
Each time I've sat in the "latest" E Class I felt it made my current one seem dated - pre-facelift 211 to facelift 211, 211 to 212.

I expect the 213 will do exactly the same.
 
Of the three early ones, the W124 for me as it is clean, uncluttered and elegant with excellent ability to work on it without the whole dash needing to be removed.

Of the later ones, obviously the most up to date as it clearly has much more functionality built in.

None however come close to this beauty that I would happily sit in front of all day any day. Elegant, functional and really very beautiful.

ff1826_ee8741b01bed49e7a0f4252af7b5cb7d.jpg
 
^^^That is a fine place to sit. However, for charm, ambience and sheer craftsmanship I'd choose this every time:

1964-Jaguar-MkII-Interior_zpskgpog2qx.jpg
 
I have to say the 211 is a nicer place to be than the 212.it feels much more luxurious. I go between them all the time and say the same thing all the time. Until you start the beast then it's another story ...
 
Not only in context of E-Class interiors but old is gold I believe. The passion in the older generation MBs is unmatchable and given their over - engineered vehicles (W123 W124 etc), the newer models do not come close to that level IMHO.
 
A 211 interior is lovely and feels quite well put together. Personally a w126 interior takes alot to beat even the feel of the air vents have a quality feel. I relise its a s class tho.
 
Of the three early ones, the W124 for me as it is clean, uncluttered and elegant with excellent ability to work on it without the whole dash needing to be removed.

Of the later ones, obviously the most up to date as it clearly has much more functionality built in.

None however come close to this beauty that I would happily sit in front of all day any day. Elegant, functional and really very beautiful.

ff1826_ee8741b01bed49e7a0f4252af7b5cb7d.jpg

The W113 dashboard is a perfect example of functional design - all the controls fall easily to hand , all the information a driver needs is clearly presented , without information overload , and all instruments are clearly visible , with everything well made out of quality materials which impart tactile pleasure - those who've never driven one won't appreciate how much nicer these cars are than newer offerings .

Contrast that with later cars where there are far too many buttons and switches , some basic functions are buried in menu systems which make them difficult to access , steering wheels which at the same time are too small and too thick rimmed obscure the view of the instruments , and excessively thick A pillars obscure outward visibility as well as adding to a feeling of claustrophobia . Large display screens distract from the view outside and can provide too much information which leads to overload when there is already enough to look at outside the car - sometimes less is more . Use of tacky plastics just makes the whole thing look messy . Controls which feel like they are made of rubber and completely isolate the driver from the road do not make for a good experience .
 
A 211 interior is lovely and feels quite well put together. Personally a w126 interior takes alot to beat even the feel of the air vents have a quality feel. I relise its a s class tho.

W126 air vents are quality items made of metal , unlike the inferior plastic things in lesser cars .

I agree the W126 interior is one of the best .
 
For me... the removal of the oil pressure gauge from the instrument cluster was the beginning of the end.
 
W211 is perfect to me, modern but beautiful design, the W212 that followed was such a disappointment.
 
I should have said above that all the controls in a W113 fall easily to hand - except the handbrake in a RHD example , which remains resolutely on the left hand side of the tunnel .

It is perfectly placed for the driver of a LHD example , but an awkward long stretch for a RHD driver .
 
For me... the removal of the oil pressure gauge from the instrument cluster was the beginning of the end.

Not only that , but when the Sprinter vans were first introduced , the instrument cluster was more or less carried over from the W123 - except that the position occupied by the oil pressure gauge in every Mercedes Combi instrument for the previous 30 years was now taken by the fuel gauge - glancing at this the first time I drove one , and seeing an indication near the bottom as I drove along , resulted in momentary heart failure until I realised what I was looking at !

If something isn't broken , why change it ?
 
From a completely biased perspective ... I love the overall layout of my w210, everything seems to be accessible and all switches etc: have that 'quality' feel to them and fall easily to hand, the general fit 'n' finish of the interior is typical of German manufacture / design of that era (function over form). Although very nicely designed ... i'm not a fan of the more 'swoopy' curved later MB style interiors, i think the equation has altered in favour of (form over function) but that's just me ....old school. :D
 

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