Overview & Reviews

"Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?" That's the opening line of "Mercedes-Benz," a song most famously recorded by singer Janis Joplin in the early 1970s. The tune gently poked fun at materialism and our desire for the finer things in life. It's fitting that the renowned German marque figures prominently in the lyric. Mercedes-Benz has long been known for crafting vehicles that emphasize luxury and refinement. For many, its vehicles are sleek symbols of status, success and good taste.

In January of 1886, Karl Benz unveiled the world's first automobile, a three-wheeled vehicle dubbed the Benz Patent Motor Car. A few months later, Gottlieb Daimler and his chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach rolled out a four-wheeled vehicle powered by his Daimler engine. The first Mercedes was crafted in 1901, shortly after Daimler's death. Built by Maybach, the car was commissioned by Emil Jellinek, one of Daimler's primary distributors, and was ultimately named after Jellinek's daughter, Mercedes.

In 1926, the companies founded by Daimler and Benz merged to form Daimler-Benz AG, and the Mercedes-Benz brand was born. The company's insignia was a three-pointed star wreathed in a laurel; the star was dreamed up by Daimler years earlier, and its three points signified the fact that his engines were used in vehicles that traveled land, air and sea.

Right from the start, the Mercedes-Benz name was synonymous with automotive excellence. One of the automaker's earliest vehicles, the 1931 Mercedes-Benz 170, distinguished itself as the world's first production car to offer a technology that was nothing short of extraordinary for the day: four-wheel independent suspension. The '30s and '40s saw Mercedes establishing itself as the brand of choice for car buyers seeking the ultimate in luxury, thanks to coveted cruisers like the 380 and 540K.

The 1950s witnessed the introduction of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing," a sports car that has been described as being the world's first supercar. With its dramatic styling and race-bred technology, the 300 SL reigns today as a classic coveted by collectors worldwide. The decade also saw Daimler-Benz making strides in the area of safety technology. The company's Mercedes-Benz 220 sedans were the first vehicles to incorporate its patented "crumple zone" body design, created to absorb impact in the event of a crash.

In 1963, the company cemented its reputation as the home of automotive luxury with the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 600. The elegant, luxurious sedan was also available as a limousine and featured an ahead-of-its-time air suspension system and a V8 engine that boasted 300 horsepower. The decade also saw the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. This full-size sedan went from zero to 60 in under seven seconds, distinguishing itself as the quickest luxury car is its day.

The 1970s saw the birth of the brand's storied S-Class line of vehicles, opulent sedans and coupes that coddled passengers with powerful engines and a long list of luxury features. The decade also saw Mercedes continuing on the cutting edge of safety technology, by being the first to offer antilock brakes in its vehicles.

Daimler-Benz's safety advancements continued in the 1980s. Its cars were the first to offer airbags and traction control. The manufacturer also raised the bar in terms of ride comfort and handling when it introduced multilink rear suspension. The technology debuted on the compact Mercedes-Benz 190 E, and it remains a vital component of the company's chassis engineering to this day.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles got an extra dose of power and performance in the 1990s, thanks to the manufacturer's partnership with AMG, a performance and tuning shop that was eventually purchased by the company to help produce ultra-high-performance versions of some of its vehicles. The first AMG model offered in the U.S. was the sporty C36 AMG in 1995; since then, Mercedes has gone on to offer an AMG-tuned version of almost all of its vehicles.

The company's current lineup is the most comprehensive in its history. With a variety of sedans, coupes, SUVs and roadsters filling Mercedes showrooms, it seems like the only thing missing is a pickup truck. Surely, the fact that Janis Joplin's song holds as much relevance today as it did four decades ago is a strong indicator that the brand's premier status is still very much intact.

User Reviews:

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  Sprinter View motor home power loss concern - 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cab Chassis
  By Charles H - February 19 - 12:19 pm

  Loss of power issue has not been diagnosed and solved despite 12 days (so far) in Sprinter shop over two year period. Mercedes “customer care” will not help us with out of pocket expenses due to trip interruption in spite of their inability to fix what they build. This is a serious safety issue, but that makes no difference to them. These vehicles are over-engineered, with 40 computers (they said), providing abundant opportunities for failure. My biggest complaint is the total lack of empathy by MB. My advice is to avoid Benz products altogether unless you are willing to work on them yourself, and if so, good luck!

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  Dont buy any sprinter - 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By Brian Parks - December 29 - 2:48 pm

  I bought a sprinter powered vehicle only to find that most Mercedes dealers wont service them. I had no service within 300 miles of my home even Thursday there was 10 dealers closer.

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  why not to buy a sprinter - 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By Brian Parks - April 1 - 2:59 pm

  I bought a Mercedes RV and no one ever mentioned the word sprinter. Now I am told that most Mercedes dealers do not service sprinters. I live near El Paso and have to go 250 miles for warranty or recall service. This is the worst decision of anything I have ever bought

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  Too bad if you buy from mb - 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By John - January 3 - 5:56 pm

  Very very noisy inside. Brakes make a big noise. spring is too soft. Repair is way too expensive

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  Highly Disappointed - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Claudia Valle - November 30 - 2:16 am

  I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for a reliable automobile. This car has lost more interior pieces than I have been able to keep up with. The electrical components of this car leaves a lot to be desired. I had to replace the alternator at 52,000 miles - the first time in my lifetime as a car owner that I have had to change an alternator this soon. This vehicle has really tarnished my image of the Mercedes Benz brand. When you pay this much for a small sedan, you expect reliability, quality, and decent peace of mind. Wish I would have opted for the Lexus instead.

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  Possibly the worst SUV on the planet? - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jodaor - November 22 - 2:00 am

  At 40K miles, 3 sets of complete brake pads and rotors, 2 navigation systems, complete fuel system replaced, 1 set of exterior mirrors, headlamps with so much condensation they look like fish tanks (but the dealership says its normal??), antitheft is so good that it even locks me out and the transmitters wont unlock the vehicle (the key will, but then the alarm sounds and wont stop until you disconnect the battery---no wonder my neighbors wont speak to me anymore). I can go on for days, but if I can give anyone advice if they are even CONSIDERING buying this vehicle......turn and run and dont look back!

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  lemon of all lemons - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Dustin F - November 14 - 7:08 am

  results may vary, 2nd owner of a 2004 c230k built in Bremen, Germany. Make sure you have a fat wallet if you plan on owning a used c230k. I have had nothing but problems with this car, with only 96k on it I have had to get the transmission serviced twice once at 50k and now at 96k due to it going into safe mode, bad sensors, leaking orings for transmission harness. Also have had an intermittent misfire in cylinder 1, had to replace fuel pump, coils, plugs, fuel lines, throttle body cleaning, still does it from time to time, rough idle randomly. Had it at an independent shop for 2 months and they were even stumped by it. Seriously if you are not making 65k+ a year or live at home with your parents forget the image of the Mercedes and go with the toyota or honda.

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  Not really worth the $ - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Hutch - November 14 - 1:50 am

  Was my first and last Mercedes. thought this manufacture stood for quality, comfort and performance boy was I in for a shock. Required preventative maintenance on this car is expensive! First year about the same as others $400 - $600 its the subsequent years that get you doubling and tripling that. Couple that with numerous annoyance problems that were under warranty and corrected but still shouldnt happen. Items such as; squeaky pullies, engine maintenance light and etc. Decent layout inside but not comfortable; seats thin, low to the ground and small interior space dont accommodate us folks of 6 feet tall or greater. Do what I should have done pass this dog on by save some money.

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  Comfortable but not reliable - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By disappointedMBZowner - November 7 - 10:43 pm

  I loved that GLK350 was so smooth, it is my first Mercedes. My SUV was purchase on 5/21/2009, and at 90 miles the radio/command center would not power on. So I brought the SUV to the dealer they checked it out for a day and said there was nothing wrong. A week later at 110 miles the Tire Pressure Monitoring system malfunctioned. And would report tire pressure issues. Now it just says Tire Pressure Monitoring system is inoperable. And the radio still dies. I have brought the car back to dealership and they are looking into these issues. Its been a day and still they dont know whats wrong :( If you are considering buying GLK350 you should think twice. As the build quality is sub par.

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  THE BIG LET DOWN - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By james - November 7 - 10:36 am

  This car is a big let down we are so done with this car, the transmission makes so much noise the shifter is in a bad position, the loud noise from the engine, we have had the car serviced so many times trying to find out about the engine problem, slipping of the transmission. Our 98 ml320 gave us no problems, we should have kept it with 135k miles, sadly disappointed