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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  The black bean! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By 4dr C240 Sedan - February 5 - 3:03 pm

  This is my first Mercedes-Benz purchase. I really like driving my car and the service that was included in the initial factory warranty.

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  tough truck - 2003 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By bobafet - February 5 - 10:00 am

  this is a great car for trips down the trail or cruising at 90, take your pick. Not very nimble but if that is what you were expecting then you bought the wrong car. Tows well and with ease, and absolutely refuses to get stuck. gets a;ot of looks

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  Most Pratical Luxury SUV - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By nes - February 5 - 10:00 am

  Living on the top of a mountain dirt road, down a 1200 foot driveway - we got 28 feet of snow in 2002-03 - we really need an SUV. This car has performed in all weather getting us safely home, is a pleasure to drive on the highway - quiet and nimble - and has never caused any maintenance issues other than annoying lights out on the dash. A winner in my book - roomy, comfortable, safe, reliable.

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  Great til something breaks! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Brigittetolson - February 4 - 5:10 pm

  When I first got Heidi (yes, I named my clk430 Heidi), I was in love. The way this car takes turns, accelerates, and performs overall is amazing. Then, at a mere 77,000 miles- stuff started to break...the convertible top computer went out all the time, and eventually died (1400$ part), the cats needed to be replaced (1000$)...then after all that, the trans started slipping...after getting multiple quotes to fix all the problems and replace the trans, I was looking at about 5000$ worth of repairs. I made the choice to trade her in for the Lamborghini inspired Toyota mr2 spyder. The opinion of many mechanics was that the clks trans tends to die at 80k miles. Way too soon in my opinion.

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  Dont buy early production cars - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By David F - January 31 - 10:00 am

  My last car was a BMW 5 series. After seeing pictures of the new 5, I decided to get the E class. The handling is better than I expected but still not as good as the bimmer. I did get an early production car that was full of little nagging problem, squeaks, radio that stops working intermittenly, heated steering wheel that only works a few minutes. Finally the Navi that was supposed to be retrofitted in March could not be done at all. A blessing in disguise because I did get a *new* replacement car with the Command system. The new car with the exception of misaligned Xenon lights has been much, much better than the old car.

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  Classic open road cruiser! - 2001 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By stefano - January 20 - 10:23 am

  This SL500 wasnt my first choice. I went to a dealer to look at a 2002 Porsche Carrera convertible but it had just been sold. The sales guy asked me if Id like to look at a low mileage SL500. Im glad I did. The triple black AMG SL500 had only 8K on the clock and looked new. Then I drove it. Its a classic cruiser, not a sports car but who cares! Its fast, beautiful and a blast to drive with the top down.

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  Luxury on the road - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Purchased used - January 19 - 8:20 am

  We purchased a lease return vehicle, replacing a Volvo XC90. The MB is pure luxury in nature. Although the controls are more complicated, the features are second to none. Everyone remarks about the car when were out and about. At first I thought it was overpriced, but the feel while in the car shows that it is indeed well designed and confortable. We have two 15 year old boys that are 6 feet tall, and the room in the 2nd row sold us on the vehicle. They have lots of room and dont realize they are in a car, even on long trips. Heated 2nd row seats were also a selling point as we live in a cold climate, but have only had front heated seats available before. We are very happy with it.

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  Nice but with some flaws - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Eric - January 11 - 12:30 am

  Overall, a very nice car with an air of high luxury. As for reliability, had a squealing noise which was a pulley bearing subject to recall. Dealer fixed with no hassle. We now have a strange rattle from the vicinity of the differential. Of course, it stopped when we took the car to the dealer and hasnt yet returned. Performance -- acceleration, braking, handling -- is just okay by my standards but I race cars, so I have high standards. This is primarily my wifes car. For the typical purchaser of this car, the performance is more than adequate. Not too happy about the high depreciation, but we plan on retaining the car for a while.

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  Great Car... Strange Standard Features. - 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
  By Krishna Patil - January 9 - 12:39 pm

  This car doesnt come with basic features as a standard option. I somehow ended up with this "robotic" car that doesnt have garage door opener buttons as a basic option. My 13 year old honda pilot and every car since has come with that as a standard feature. How can a luxury car like mercedes not include that... and not even as an optional add on after the fact.. strange.

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  The best car - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By Charles Jones - January 9 - 12:33 am

  This car is great. If you can afford it, you should buy it. The performance is great, and it is roomy.