You've seen the high resolution glossy press photos of the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but if you're anything like me, you'd much rather judge a new model's design based on how it looks in the real world.  No professional photographers packing Canon EOS 1DS Mark III's; no studio lighting; but rather ordinary, run-of-the-mill photos of a model that's covered with a healthy dose of dirt.  And today, that's exactly the look at the 2010 Mercedes E-Class we're bringing you.

From a design standpoint, I personally like the model.  It's growing on me, at least for the most part.  The portions of the new E-Class that I could do without are two elements of the rear.  I can't say I hate them, but I certainly don't favor the bland taillights. Compare them to whatever Japanese model you like, but I feel like the designers could have done significantly better here.  The second portion of the rear end that's bothered me since it was first evident in the spy shots is the arch above the rear wheel, and the fact it flows straight back to the rear taillight.  Yes, I understand the contour was modeled after the "Ponton Mercedes," but from my vantage point it just doesn't work in this application.  It's not terrible, but it's not great either.

Will either of these be enough to dissuade potential E-Class customers to purchase the model?  I doubt it.  Overall I think most would agree the new-generation E-Class is an improvement over the old.  I will say, however, that for those that weren't already considering the purchase of an E-Class, I don't think the new design is remarkable enough to draw customers into the Mercedes fold either, which I think was the case with the new C-Class.

Time will tell, but in the meantime, you can check out the photos and draw your own 2010 Mercedes E-Class design opinions for yourself (click any photo to enlarge).  And to André of CWWCarDesign.com, many thanks for the tip my good sir; we sincerely appreciate it.