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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  Engine light on & works fine? Read this - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By James - July 24 - 7:23 pm

  Living in the heart of the Colorado Rockies I am surprised at how my ML320 performed in unforseen conditions on back forest roads, however I wish at times it had a bit better off-road capabilities (ML has the same clearance as LR Disco). My driver window regulator too went bad, a $200 repair. Also the check engine light has came on, if you get your codes read and it says fuel trim malfunction, there is a 95% chance your Mass Airflow Sensor needs replaced (located on the air intake hose just after the filter going to the motor)This will cost anywhere from $180-300 depending on where you get your parts but is an easy DIY when you have the part. Good overall SUV if you can afford well mantaince

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  Looking Forward - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By ngb3 - July 24 - 4:56 pm

  Cant wait for the turbo-diesel variant. Great vehicle. Best Ive ever owned. Best Aspect : Ride/Drive quality. Drivers position excellent to adapt to any driver. After 6 hour drive, feel like youve only driven 1 hour. Economy - 21 at highway speeds. Good for an SUV Worst Aspect : Eats tires. 25k and had to replace all 4. Needs a full size spare mounted beneath vehicle instead of space saver in trunk

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  MLs are cool! - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Butchdom - July 23 - 10:00 am

  We enjoy our 1998 ML320, From the SF Bay Area we have driven it to Oregon, Seattle and British Columbia. We also have taken it to Las Vegas Nevada numerous times. The ML handles well on mountain roads at high speeds even in the rain. We take our ML on camping trips, cross country trips, lake picnics and we also tow our 17 ft. Bayliner boat. MLs are not perfect but name an SUV in its class that is as tough? The ML can haul ass!

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  stupid blue lights - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By richard davis - July 23 - 10:00 am

  nice car BUT if the top is down in the daytime the baby blue lights disappear from the dash board and all vital info is lost. The GPS is a throw alway, absolutly worthless. The top has come apart with only 30 uses and the trim is absolutly from K mart. I have owned many MBs and if they only spent a little more attention to details and got that cheap plastic out of the interior and exterior maybe sl500 can make a come back. Just not the car that it used to be and I still had to spend $1.00 to get one of those little mirrors to eliminate the blind spot.

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  ML 430 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By JP Dworsky - July 21 - 8:06 pm

  I am very impressed with the overall comfort and performance of my ML. The car is roomy, fast, firm, and well designed.

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  Beware of Dealers - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By jgbecker - July 16 - 5:27 pm

  I bought my 2001 S500 with 8,000 miles back in 2004, and it presently has 110,000 miles on it. I have been generally happy with the vehicle. My worst experience in owning this vehicle is having to deal with Mercedes Benz Dealers/Dealerships/Service Departments. Once your Mercedes warranty runs out, the service departments at Mercedes dealers are forever trying to recommend unnecessary repairs to the vehicle. The dealers are constantly looking to fabricate repairs to bill to the extended warranty company. Most, if not all of these repairs are unnecessary. The Mercedes dealers make the ownership experience miserable. Stay away from them and youll do fine.

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  G55 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By JRWoodyard - July 16 - 2:00 am

  Great Truck, VERY UNIQUE!

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  2004 ML350 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mamnj - July 11 - 2:00 am

  Only a month old and has seen 2 legitimate snow/ice storms. Handling is phenomenal. If youre looking for a cushy luxury ride, this SUV is not for you. Its a true german vehicle.

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  Very finicky car - 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By victor - July 6 - 7:00 am

  Like many German cars, this has its quirks. The navigation is tough to get used to, but thats not whats most curious about this car: at elevation about 10,000 feet, the nav shuts off! It displays a warning and becomes inoperable. Mercedes says it affects so few people that they wont fix it. So if you drive in the mountains a lot (we live in Colorado) and want to use this car in high elevations, keep this in mind. As importantly, keep in mind that Mercedes refuses to spend the time reprogramming the nav systems. Maybe they outsourced that part to Japan...

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  Great Car, But... - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By jtw - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Ive enjoyed this car for its handling and styling, but have experienced too many little problems, including a broken cup holder, and a "check engine" light that comes on for things the dealer says are minor, involving the evaporative system, but still take time to deal with and detract from the pleasure of ownership. MBs roadside service is great, and they will give you directions when youre in the unknown parts of the country.