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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  Transmission sucks - 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By Stan - May 12 - 9:54 pm

  The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has an excellent feel especially power-wise with the torque of the engine being that its a diesel. Thats where the fun stops. The stinky little button that you press for Park makes you feel as if youre not sure if you really put in park or not because these Vans rollback of foot and sometimes almost two feet while youre trying to deliver packages. Anytime you put it in park even on a level ground it has so much rollback that you feel like youre going to lose your van and its going to roll down a hill. If Mercedes could get rid of all the gimmicky button pushing Park on the end of their flimsy little shifter and they didnt rust out like they were sitting on a Shore for the last 2 years they would be good

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  Merging Chrysler Showing in MEBE - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Hank B - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Dangerous Aspect: Unpredictable total hesitation (as if engine stall) when accelerating from stop. Life threatening situation if crossing lanes of oncoming traffic. Uncomfortable Aspects: Smoothness of Ride: Better than a lumber truck. Not as good as a 1981 rear wheel drive MEBE Model 300D Drivers Compartment: Very cramped. Lumbar positioner is essential. Height: Needs more clearance. Head- rattling if not careful entering. Rear Seating: If passenger dont have rheumatism when getting in they will after sitting in rear compartment. Glove compartments: Thats about all they are sized for: Cup holder is useless space clogger.

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  Pathetic - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Fed up - December 6 - 12:03 pm

  The infotainment system is the worst I have seen in a luxury car. The controls are poorly designed and hard to use. The integration of the system is one of the worst I have seen. Tire pressure sensor is the dumbest I have seen. It tells you that pressure is low but you have to figure out in which tire and by how much. Many of the components failed in the first year of ownership requiring several visits to the dealer. Oil level sensor was replaced twice within the first 2 months. Tires and brakes wore out before 20k miles. Blue tooth adapter is a $500 option, but is not well integrated. Mine failed after 12 months and 6 days. I will never again purchase a Mercedes.

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  Not bad for a 10 year old - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Michael - December 5 - 12:36 pm

  Our car now has 74k on it, we purchased with 54k 2 years ago. It had some issues with some of the seals, but weve turned it into our family car and a daily driver. Heck, before we bought it the car averaged 5.4k a year. We replaced a 1996 Maxima (250k miles), with this car, and honestly the older Maxima had more advanced features. However, having said that you cant image the status upgrade this car will give you, if thats indeed important to you. But seriously, this was not our first European auto, but we were a bit suprised by the price of maintenance and the lack of performance upgrades on the market.

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  Unreliable S - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By mrsgrace - November 24 - 3:01 am

  Purchased this car 2.5 years ago. The car was a 2006 with 45K miles. After only 2.5 years of driving this used car the Transmission tanked, just shut down. I was told by the mechanic at the dealer that a part inside was broken and it would cost $6,000 to fix - I thought i was getting a bargain purchasing this car for $19000 with only 40k miles, what a mistake. Prior to the transmission going the car randomly drops the left side suspension. Apparently the air shocks deflate overnight or while parked for a long time and it tilts to one side. Gas guzzler too, costs me $100 a week to fill it up!

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  More Chrysler than Mercedes - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By sabag - November 22 - 2:00 am

  Poor reliability especially electrical, small seat and bad seating position, num steering, so so handling in high speed, transition hesitate in lower speed, center consul is getting wider causing less leg room, too much computer, car feels heavy even with the big eight, sport package dosent make any different, brake system, noisy windshield wipers .

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  Beware of Starmark - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By yvonne963 - November 20 - 2:40 am

  Bought my 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class with a Certified Pre-Owned Starmark warranty. After three weeks it would "miss" or hesitate at 45 - 55 MPH. My dealer said that the fuel return hoses clogged. They would not fix this problem under warranty and said it was not part of the Starmark pre-sale inspection. I had it fixed by my independent mechanic at cost of $800. the entire mainfold was fouled with carbon buildup at only 45,000 miles. My mechanic says that this is a common problem on this non-turbo engine. Its a poor design, in his words. The glow plugs were "frozen" in place by this carbon build up. I have corresponded with my selling dealer and Mercedes-Benz USA, both wished me a happy holidays. This is my sixth and last Benz.

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  Be aware - 1995 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By nick - November 14 - 11:46 am

  Ive sold my 95 BMW 740i (V8) to save a money on fuel. The real mileage in town just 20 mpg, only 24 mpg on freeway. Dont fall for the 40 mpg lies! Car lacks stop and go power in the city. Auxiliary fan low speed was the reason it ran hot. No cup holders, parts cost fortune, not even close to Bimmers Ive had. Car from the 90s, outdated, slow. I lost money on repairs Ill never get back. Hard to re-sell because its unknown and rare model in US.

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  Not the best car available - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By nickpatel - October 28 - 2:00 am

  many mechanical and transmission problems

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  Poorly built - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By SKhorana - October 10 - 2:00 am

  Very poorly built, have been to the dealership for repair twice in the first 45 days. High wind noice, 4 days of repair done by the dealer. Cup holder gets stuck. Cannot believe I bought a new MB. I have another 12 years old MB which drives and feel better than the new one. What a shame.