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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  Like it - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By suzy - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is so much fun! I love driving it and it has been wonderful in the snow and rain. The heated seats are so comfortable I do not want to reach my destination. It is not, however, for long hauls. Around town it is great! For long drives, however, I will continue to take the suburban.

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  ML 320 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Ron - February 28 - 2:03 pm

  I bought the vehicle new. 6 years and few problems. Oil sending unit did leak after 5 years. Didnt feel that should have happened. 48900 miles and still using original brake pads. Very surprised. Replaced switch for abs system. No other problems.Have changed oil every 10000 miles per fss.MBUSA insists on premium unleaded. I have burned regular unleaded for years. Cant tell any difference.

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  A Fun, Solid, Safe Ride - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Jake_o - February 28 - 10:00 am

  Around 115k miles my check engine and ARS dummy lights came on, costing me aboiut $2k in repairs. Other than this recent problems, the car handles great and has acceptable acceleration qualities.

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  nice car - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By grahamkj - February 28 - 10:00 am

  I am pretty happy with the car. It has a solid ride. The only problems with the car have been some clicking sounds in the driver door. This car is stylish and drives like a sports car. After driving a new sport edition E320 I realized the CLK is much more sporty than I ever imagined.

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  Suspension noises - 2008 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By westgent - February 21 - 10:30 pm

  My 2008 S550 4matic has 47,000 miles and I am the 2nd owner. I have owned it for about a year and have put 12K on it with no major complaints other than the following: 1) Coolant Level warning light, 2) ABS warning light, 3) noisy front end suspension noises. I believe the first two items are simple computer error causing the warning lights to illuminate having checked the coolant level and braking system with no signs of being too low or malfunctioning respectively. The annoying noises are a mystery. Is the air suspension? Is it rocker arms or bushings? Any feedback and recommendations would be appreciated.

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  Many improvements - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By rueym - February 20 - 11:26 pm

  If you get the 500 its worth the money compared to any other in its class. Its durable, so far no problems. Although many are complaining its because they have a lower model, the 500 is solid and performs well!

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  mercedes reliabilty - 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By richard snyder - February 19 - 10:00 am

  when we purchased this vehicle in nov of 96 we were so happy. then we found out it had a german smaller gas tank. the dealership replaced it tthe proper size tank. then we started to have a series of reliabilty problems, such as the following: glow plugs not working (8 times),care stalling while in motion (10 times), 3 blower motors, 2 control modules replaced, order pump for ww wipers.if you wish i can you copies of the work orders. It just to much effort to wrie here. MB did extend the warranty to 75,000 miles and the were good in providing a loaner car with no cost to me. The problems have with this car up to this writing. richard snyder

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  Like the new 03 ML500 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By fj - February 16 - 2:00 am

  especially the standardized NAV/GPS system... fancy control panel..

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  Unsuspecting - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Summer - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Great styling, a blast to drive, super- fast. The 5.0 Mustang or the Corvette sitting beside you at the light has no idea!

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  my c250 - 2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By panga3206 - February 15 - 3:52 pm

  I have owned BMW’s, Jaguars etc and for the first time ever, I now own a Mercedes-Benz (We’ll call it MB). Although I have owned the car for a few months only, so I far I can safely say ‘no regrets’. After shopping for a new car, I finally had narrowed it down 5 choices… The Jag XJ type, the Licoln MKS, Ford Explorer and the MB GLK. Then it all came down to the Lincoln MKS or the GLK (what a contrast hu?) and I chose the GLK. Well, one thing led to another at the show room and I ended up driving the c250 out of the lot. Why? Let’s just say it drove like a champ– and with a twin turbo (fully warranted under MB for 5 years and a special offer of free services for 3 years) it feels like you ar