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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  Perfection - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By wondertopcat - October 3 - 2:00 am

  The new E320 takes what was already one of the worlds premier vehicles to the next level. It is the perfect combination of luxury, safety, and performance. You get a feeling a absolute solidity when driving the new E320, a heavy feeling, yet handling is light and effortless. The exterior styling is clearly contemporary, while at the same time, timeless and sophisticated. Nothing about the design is out of tune, which cannot be said of some of its competitors such as the new BMW 7-series.

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  none better - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By tomd - October 3 - 2:00 am

  After owning 9 new Mercedes, in 18 years, I finally bought my first SL. Sell you rfirst born male child if you have to, because driving doesnt get any better than this.

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  Fabulous! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Bonnie - October 1 - 1:33 pm

  Other than the windows being a little small, this car is perfect. The interior is the best Ive seen. I get all kinds of looks and comments on it. Very fun!

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  Proud Owner - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Carol Woo - September 30 - 4:43 pm

  The exterior is sophistocated, sporty, classy, and compact. The raised rear gives it a feeling of perpetural motion even when parked. My car is black, so the "shine" factor is ever present. The light bouncing off of it is a truly beautiful sight. Seats are firmer than I would like, but the front seats have sheep skin covers so that helps.

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  2005 E320 4matic Awesome Ride - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Raul - September 30 - 3:56 pm

  This car handles great and has been very reliable compare to what others have written about it. It has very good acceleration, gas mileage is decent and the interior/exterior design is fantastic. I love it. Black with beige interior two tone is luxury. Everybody looks when I drive. Aerodynamics is nothing but the best. Stereo could be a little louder but great sound anyway. Trust on this one change your transmission fluid...no such thing is lifetime. Dont get past 60k without changing fluid...you wont regret it. The interior lighting is a whole lot better than BMW. Tires should be rotated at least once a year because they are expensive. This is my life time car....would never sell it.

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  hopeless mercedes benz - 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By ak - September 30 - 2:56 am

  Never buy a mercedes unless you want to overpay for a completely unreliable vehicle. Buying one is like losing money, and keeping one is like throwing good money after bad! I bought a brand new 2009 E350. Six months of ownership, and 3 problems, 2 trips to the shop, 1 tow, 1 battery recharge...and worse of all, tons of aggravation and frustration dealing with Mercedes Benz.

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  Excellent Used Car. - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By LJKelley - September 29 - 7:26 am

  I bought a pristine 2005 used C240 4Matic in 2007 and have been extremely thrilled by the car and service from MB. Drives great, interior is the best in its class and I think the exterior is very iconic. The 4matic has been a great feature for the Snow here in Rochester, NY. The car is extremely solid and you feel very safe no matter your driving conditions.

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  Best Automobile of the World - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Om Chahill - September 27 - 10:00 am

  Owning Mercedes-Benz since 1975 and it has the same grace, tradition and value. No automobile in this universe can beat it. Even Rolls and Bentley look after the most technological automobile, Mercedes-Benz. I believe there is only one automobile on Planet Earth to whom every automobile maker copies, which is only and only Mercedes- Benz of Stuttgart, Germany.

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  Brass tacks - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Brent - September 27 - 7:20 am

  Having owned the C300 for a year now i wanted to review it based on the experiences i have had. First of all i want to list all the good things about this car. The exterior is perfect in every way. The interior with the exception of the cruise control lever is designed very well. I do enjoy the fact that everything has worked like a charm without one problem...well done. Now for the bad. The seats are downright uncomfortable in every way. Too hard and cramped. The steering is just plain boring and unattached to the road. The car is just not fun to drive. I feel i should just buy a Honda next time and forget it if i want reliable and boring. A good car but not what i expect.

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  Glad I bought the V8 - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By MJ - September 27 - 3:30 am

  Bought the car with what I think to be the standard exterior styling package which makes the car look like an AMG tuned sports car (with AMG rims etc). Has beautiful Cappuccino Brown/Black Leather-Sport leather seating with an amazing leather interior. More comfortable interior than any coupe in its class. Test drove new 3-series coupe but fell in love with the powerful CLK. with 3500 miles, still have fun and remain comfortable driving the car. Must get Xeon lights and ventilated multi-contour seats for maximum comfort.