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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  Back to BMW - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By HB - February 27 - 2:30 pm

  How about 6 flat tires in 14 months!?! Have not had 6 flats in 30 years of driving. Low profile tires cant handle any kind of pothole. Major reliability problem. Also - quirkiness of accelration and braking makes driving experience less enjoyable. Strange buzzing and vibration from various motors also hurts the experience. Too many weird characteristics for a $60k+ dream car. Im selling and buying a Bimmer.

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  WORST PURCHASE EVER - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By GAdiva2k - February 16 - 12:43 am

  The car LOOKS great on the inside & outside, but other than that its the worst purchase ever. Ive never had so many issues from a car than this one. This was my first & last MB purchase. The issues Ive had: taillights constantly go out, seats dont move anymore, ac/heather no longer work, belts broke, catalytic converter, the list goes on.

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  Ill stick to Lincolns - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jskeens - February 14 - 10:00 am

  The car is fine but nothing sets it apart from other luxury SUVs. My exp w/ the sales process was the only piece that went smoothly. Due to Linc, I am accustomed to receiving the model of loaner veh that I am having serviced. Mercs loaner car program consists of using the co-resident Enterprise office. That blows. The warranty has a couple nice perks but nothing worth dealing w/ their Service dept. After purchase, I received a letter for a recall that went out six months prior. Shouldve been fixed prior to sell of vehicle. Mercs Customer Service and Service depts could learn a lesson from Linc.

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  Stay away from the airmatic suspension - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By robert davis - February 10 - 8:26 am

  With 1500 miles on my new E class a red message came on the dash, "do not drive-stop the car now" The airmatic suspension failed and the car looked like a "low rider" I had the car towed and four days later it was repaired. The control module failed along with a few other things. This module is approx. $3000 , what a nice thought down the road. The brake pedal squeaked, the door trim is a light color with no door sill so it is always dirty, (replaced once), the wipers were noisy and chatter and Mercedes doesnt seem to know what to do. I had to put white lithium grease on them to stop the squeak. Noticed this when I went to pick up the car after four days in the shop. Stay away from MB .

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  Ho Hum - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Brad - February 6 - 5:26 pm

  Its a performance car only for people who have never owned a performance car. Everything is an option and you feel like youre getting nickled and dimed. Mercedes quality has been below average for a long time (hence no purchase) but maybe now its getting better. Got this car at a good price so I bought it. Hope I dont regret it.

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  Not impressed after just 5 months - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Steven Miller MD - February 3 - 9:20 pm

  My wife and I purchased a 2009 C300 this past May at a local dealership. We got employee pricing via a friend who works there. We read a lot of great reviews and some bad reviews and found both sides to be true. The car drives smooth and quietly on highways and backroads but is boring to drive. The suspension is soft but contolled. The engine is smooth but drinks gas like an SUV. It is also not that powerful for a $46k luxury car. The exterior look is what got us to consider it but the interior plastics are very low quality. Steering is a bit disconnected. The brakes feel squishy after long high speed stops.

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  Over Priced Neon - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Dave Proia - January 19 - 2:00 am

  Noisey! Sunroof constantly squeaks dealer unable to eliminate. Drivers seat squeaks. This is the noisest car Ive owned since my 1980 Citation. Stereo system sub-par. Cant hear rear speakers (mounted in lower door trim) Way over priced

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  SL500 is a dog - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By sally - January 12 - 8:43 am

  3 years and 20K miles of nothing but trouble. brakes and battery/electrical problems constantly. Been towed in 4X. Gave up on it so it now looks great sitting in the garage!

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  My over priced mini van - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Peter E Gibson - January 10 - 10:56 pm

  In twice for transmission, a total of ten days! Need four new tires at 15K. Has been back to dealer six times in nine months. not as reliable as former cars owned in that price range.

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  c240 always in the shop - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By rws3 - January 9 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my C240 for 28 months now and it has had 21 repairs done on it. Bought the car in Arlington, Va and now live in Scottsdale, AZ. My attempt to get MB to take back this car and get me into another MB car have failed. Im very dissapointed in the reliability of this car and second, that the mfg. wont stand behind their product.The problems: electrical, sunroof motor, power seat motor, door wouldnt open from the inside, fuel gauge wouldnt read accurately (this one is especially great with a wife and two month old daughter) and more electrical problems! Wish I would have bought the BMW.