Test drive Mercedes Benz E-class w210 1995-1999 sedan

Battle of styles

Can we talk about the design of the 9th Lada model? For some time you can still speculate on how to control or repair this machine, but about design ... However, in order to discuss the appearance of any car, experience is required and, no matter how strange it seems, courage. The fact is that usually discussions about the appearance of something are broken about granite and I like it or do not argue about tastes. In fact, they argue, and even how they argue! And if they had not argued, then we would not have seen any avant -garde paintings, nor underground films and concepts on automobile salons would hardly have attracted so much attention. So, having gathered the courage, we decided to talk about cars from the point of view of design and swung more than the latest Mercedes and BMW models.
 

Why we chose these cars, it is quite simple to understand. Mercedes is almost a revolution within the framework of one company, BMW is a worthy example of following traditions.
 

To begin with, so as not to drive ourselves to a dead end, we will make a reservation of the rules of the game.

The first rule. We will not use the concepts badly, but simply differently. The second rule. No matter how you like the engine, controllability or comfort of a particular car, remember that this is only about design.
 

The third rule. Everything that you read below is the author’s personal opinion.

Why, in fact, do cars make beautiful ones? With planes, especially with the military, everything is clear. Ugly, they say, do not fly. And if they fly, then frankly bad. But they have aerodynamics, lifting force and other matters incomprehensible to the proofan. The speed of the speed is not the same, aerodynamics are more important for fuel saving, and military vehicles are usually ugly. Hence the conclusion: the only reason to make the car beautiful is the need to sell it. And not even so much to sell as to make sure that they do not buy from competitors. And companies producing cars are just climbing out of the skin.
 

The debuts of the Mercedes E-Class and the BMW of the 5th series separates such a short time from each other that we can say that the cars appeared at the same time. But we should not forget that cars do not appear suddenly. For several years, there is a study of the idea, then its embodiment in the layout - etc., etc.
 

The first drafts of the Mercedes eyes appeared three years ago. But even a few months before the official premiere, no one could guarantee that the new model will be a four -eyed. And this is despite the abundance of spy pictures and a clear leakage of information. It seemed strange to such a decision of the leaders of Mercedes. And not because almost no one does a similar design. But because Mercedes cars cannot be called a landfill for experiments.
 

And the design of the new E-class at first was very similar to something experimental. Mercedes tried in every possible way to prove the opposite, saying that he was a natural result of evolution. But then the company's allegations about the design of the new S-class look quite strange (its appearance is expected in 1997). You see, we are not yet sure that the new S-class will be a continuation of the chosen style! Why did Mercedes take such a step? Wanted to change the image? Become a fashion legislator? Was it necessary to bring the designer platform to the new image of Driver's Car? (Ah, yes, we are not talking about technology.) Or is it just the fruit of the backstage struggle of the new and old, advanced and conservative. And in general - is he beautiful, a new e -class? And the devil knows him! While we were taking photos for this article, I once once again looked at a new car. Last year, it seemed very beautiful. But the first impression is most often based on emotions.
 

You probably noticed that at a fleeting meeting with an unfamiliar pretty person, it seems that you have not seen anyone better for a long time. You are looking for a new meeting. And then, finally ... here is disappointment. Does the E-class withstand a second meeting? It becomes noticeable that the car seems to break up into two parts. No matter how the designers tried to knit the front and back, this failed. The front is new, and the back resembles a well-known C-class. By the way, from the C-class in the new E-class there is generally a lot of things. This is also alarming. Is it possible to hang up such an extreme solution on a serial, easily recognizable model? There are clearly more questions than answers.
 

And what about the competitor? There are no questions to the new five. Everything is absolutely clear. She continued the traditions, completed the transition from separate headlights to block facts, became a little more rounded, the beak more than, the tail was faded, but by the BMW like BMW. Hello, new car! But new. And you won’t confuse with a three -year -old or the seven. Something has been elusively changed. But who will notice, appreciate? Journalists have time to refilosi. Give the buyer (not to everyone, of course) a bright personality, a flight of fantasy - and so that it is not very expensive. Perhaps Mercedes achieved that half a year about a controversial solution with 4 headlights, and about BMW three words, even if this is a triple cheerful to traditions. If so, then he achieved his own.
 

But this would not make sense to end this. More precisely, it would not make sense and start. Let's try to compare these two cars. How can you ask? How can you compare a cat with a dog or a symphony concert with a rave-lobby? Of course, it is impossible, but it is very interesting to understand what Mercedes Mercedes is doing, and the five - five, is very interesting.
 

There is almost no difference in size. Mercedes is only a little longer, three centimeters. Do they, by the way, allow you to shove an extra 6 liters into his trunk? The rest of the numbers coincide almost magically. The height is the same, the width is the same. Even the wheelbase coincides. Nevertheless, Mercedes can be attributed more to the representative class, and BMW is a solid car with a claim to sports. What is the matter? Mercedes looks more solid and longer: the front overhang seems more massive, the same can be said about the back. The perception and angles of the front and rear window, the lower spoiler are greatly changed. Once we talked about the corners, look: Mercedes has a rather sharp angle of the headlights, the BMW has almost straight. This makes the appearance of the five aggressive, as befits a sports car. A similar picture in the stylistic solution of the back parts. At Mercedes, she is round, calm. At the BMW, the trunk lid resembles an anti-wing, which is again more suitable for a sports car. Other elements are also talked about sports and BMW. The central stand of the five is tilted to the back, and in Mercedes it is almost straight. A wide protruding lateral molding also gives the Bavarian car a rapid look. The stamping lines on the BMW hood, diverging to the front stands, make the car visually wider, and therefore stable, and therefore reliable. Although he may well not be such. In different ways, the internal space is designed. If there is no much difference in the design of the seats, then the front panel, torpedo and the central console are solved differently.
 

Mercedes has a very sloping front panel and looks somewhat chick. At BMW it is too massive. There is a lot of wood on the central console, and it is at such an angle that it seems to invite you to twist the pens and attach the buttons.
 

At the BMW, the central console leaves no doubt that there is nothing to be distracted by any nonsense, although there are plenty of keys and buttons. The rudders of both cars are almost the same. Such a steering wheel is quite suitable for Mercedes and not very - for BMW: with such a powerful amplifier, and even with varying effort, it could be done less. This would not affect either driving or on manipulations during parking.
 

The construction of a modern car is a complex and very expensive matter. A considerable share of the budget is eaten by the development of design. Often designers cannot shove a particular unit into the body proposed by designers. We have to compromise. You can make any car in one copy, but in order to put it on the conveyor, you have to abandon many frills. That is why beautiful concepts are often almost unrecognizable in serial models. In addition, designers have to take into account how objects perceive many completely different people. And this is very difficult, too many factors are important. The car can look very unprofitable in one or another color, with one or another light. And this will affect the decision of the buyer. We often faced this effect. Taking pictures of a very beautiful car, we could not take a beautiful picture. And vice versa, not very nice in the photo looked excellent. This, by the way, often happens with American cars. It is not surprising that in a country where the most aggressive advertising is being developed by photogenic cars. Our wards, however, are also very photogenic. It is easy to shoot them is also a merit of designers.
 

In general, each company has achieved its own. Pedestrians and other participants in the movement pay attention to the new Mercedes, and BMW owners can be proud that they go to BMW and everyone knows about it. And we will only take the courage to give potential customers advice. Take a closer look at the car you like properly, think about whether its appearance corresponds to your character, temperament. Do not try first of all to find out the seller’s power or suspension features. After all, the owner refers to the car as a close, even a native creature. Remember, because if you want to give someone pleasure, you will probably say: what a beautiful car you have!. It is beautiful, not powerful.
 

 

Source: Motor magazine [No. 8/1996]