German Car Zone

I agree, there are differences, but the overall theme of the front is verry GS..Im not saying the car looks bad, i think the E class luks perfect, and that merc pulld off the front much better than the GS...



Farouk

I honestly do not see the Lexus factor here. The front design to me is a clear and simple evolution of the W210 and W211 E-Class infused with the boxier styling cues of the W204 C-Class and X204 GLK-Class. It's that simple to me. This type of design we're seeing here was bound to happen.

Ask yourself this question: Why would Mercedes want to copy the Lexus GS?

The Lexus GS is a car looking for a purpose. Lexus created this failure (yes, failure) of a luxury car to simply steal market share from the Europeans and other Japanese rivals. This Lexus GS, this car which the company claims is part of the ongoing process of "perfection" is a poorly executed luxury car when it comes to details. The GS is not even a threat to the E-Class in any single way. It doesn't even sell as well as the E-Class or 5-Series in the United States. So why would Mercedes want to copy the GS from a design perspective when the GS is not successful, from a sales or a design point of view. Why is the GS a failure to me? Most reviews have said that it lacks the sportiness of its rivals and isn't even that comfortable compared to cars like the E-Class. Furthermore the GS is very cramped inside (I also speak from personal experience). The attention to detail in the GS is not good. I can tell you that the W211 E-Class totally owned the GS in all departments except value, reliability (naturally a current Lexus strength and one of their key playing cards) and performance (E350 that is, the E550 is quicker than the GS460). What the GS does well is being quiet and reliable and some people like that. The E-Class may not be as quiet but it is refined and is more capable than the Lexus GS will ever be. The E-Class is well-balanced car that can act as a sports sedan, luxury car and even family car. Try doing any of these things with a Lexus GS, which only plays the luxury car card well.

The four-eyed look has become a symbol / trademark of the E-Class. Mercedes would be foolish to abandon this type of styling on this car. They kept the four-eyed look because their buyers expected it and because it is one of the first things that now comes to mind when you think of the E-Class.

Lexus in my honest opinion had nothing to do with it. Let's not forget that the W210 E-Class came out in 1996 with the four-eyed design and Lexus released their GS in 1997 - with four headlights. If anything, Lexus copied the four-eyed headlight design from the W210. Now a decade later, the W212 has evolved out of the W210 and W211 E-Class and that four-eyed headlight design is here to stay.

Lexus had nothing to do with it. Lexus still has trouble finding their own styling direction. Their sedans are beginning to look alike but their SUVs have "Toyota styling" written all over them.

^^ 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.

So, squares belong to Lexus now? What were MB to do? start designing with Triangles, Octagons and other shapes? No offense man, but that is one of the dumbest things I've heard.

It's only that the lights (the outter one) have a similar shape so many compare them, and this time Lexus did it before.

Not that square belongs to Lexus, but looking at the E the Lexus GS immediately came to my mind, and so it did for many.

Kinda funny as it usually was the contrary...

It is what it is, and raoul is correct.

The squaring off of the front lights is what the writers are talking about, not the entire front end. There is really no way around it, the headlight and that inboard light look like the Lexus GS. If I can admit that, anyone should be able to do the same.

Did Mercedes intend to do this? I'd say no, but thats how it came out.

Its the same thing with the rear end of the 7-Series compared to the rear of the Lexus LS.

With the new E-Class though, the front isn't my problem. The rear lights are the most common, undistinctive part of the design. They look like too many other cars on the road.

We car argue all day long about who had what first and who intended to do this and who evolved what, but at the end of the day all people care about is how the thing looks on the showroom floor and in their driveway.

Hopefully when I see the E in person the rear arch will offset some of the new design's more common design elements. If not the new E had better drive and exude quality like no other E since the W124.


M

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.

I am with you Wimmer and I am a Toyota/Lexus fan. I can't believe what some of your are saying.

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

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?!