W212 's predecessor W211 had a rocky start marred by quality issues .
W212 's predecessor W211 was perceived by the Mercedes - Benz faithful as a poor product resulting from the controversial DaimlerChrysler merger .
W212 's predecessor W211 had a rocky start marred by quality issues and was perceived by the Mercedes - Benz faithful as a poor product resulting from the controversial DaimlerChrysler merger .