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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  Love it - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Tara sullivan - September 25 - 8:38 pm

  Wonderful car if you want a sporty SUV that doesnt take up a lot of space. Always easy to park in the city, maneuvers well, stylish, comfortable and reliable. But it is a little small if you have 2 or more children.

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  A Superb Automobile! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By The Duke - September 24 - 9:53 pm

  I purchased the 2003 E320 from an independent service shop Ive been dealing with for more than 15 years. My wife fell in love with how it handled, so I bought it without even a taking it on a test drive. My wifes intuition was right (once again). The E320 is superb! With 39,500 miles at purchase date, I still had over one year factory warranty and 10,000 miles remaining. I immediately took the E320 in the local MB dealership and ensured all factory warranty work and improvements were installed. No cost to me. A year later, at 50,000 miles/4 years, I again took it in to MB dealership. No cost to me. Last year I had the 60K service done by my independent dealer. An absolutely superb auto!

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  Super Sedan - 2008 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By walter - September 24 - 3:53 pm

  I had this car for a 7months. This car has the best utilization for a super car. I considered Porsche 911 turbo, Audi R8, and Ferrari F430, but with a family, those cars are unacceptable. Considered Alpina B7 but, shaky reliability and it being non-factory car, I disqualified it from my list. I opted for S65 AMG for performance and 4 door convenience. I have not regretted choosing this over Porsches or Ferraris. Until Porsche Panamera or Ferrari comes with a four door sedan, this car has no competition. Plus reliability wise, MB is a far better choice. For now, this is the only choice for supersedan.

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  2013 GL550 - 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By jpk112 - September 23 - 4:32 pm

  At the end of October 2012 we traded in my wife’s 2008 Mercedes 4matic (station wagon) for a new Mercedes 2013 GL550. We love the exterior design of the car and the flexibility on the interior design with the third row seats. The acceleration of the car is incredible-no problem merging onto the freeway or passing. Gas mileage is not the cars strong suit but I did not expect it to be. Now the bad, at 4000 miles the car needs new front rotors which are not yet a stocking item at my dealership-10 day wait! A In addition both side view mirrors are defective-drivers side is frosted and the passenger’s side has two stripped bolts off its backing plate.

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  Classic - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Kareem - September 23 - 7:46 am

  I purchased my E320 at 81,000 miles and i love it to death. Ive had some minor problems such as a bad MAF which i replaced by myslef, also a bad o2 sensor. Ive saved thousands doing these mechanical jobs myself instead of taking it to the dealership. As for the car, it drives beautifully and feels like its brand new. ive had it up till now which has 98k on it and its been good to me.

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  2nd Owner - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By markgt350 - September 21 - 5:40 am

  I have always purchased low mile cars. When I purchased my CLK in September of 2009 from a So Cal MB it had 40K miles. In less than 2 years I added another 46K miles. I have had no issues with the car until. Unfortuneately the car was recently involved in an accident that left it totaled. I have had little luck locating a replacement w/low miles. I will continue my hunt.

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  Seattle Red Sport - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By SeattleRedSport - September 21 - 2:10 am

  I custom ordered a Mars Red C300 Sport edition with a manual transmission. I love this car. Every single day, heads turn to look at this vehicle and Ive owned BMW and Lexus and never had so much fun. I purchased it with all the options and love the Sirius radio, navigation, Harmon Kardon speakers, I-Pod connector, no-hands Bluetooth, and 18in AMG wheels. It doesnt get great mileage, especially with the cost of premium gas, but then again, it is a sports car. I prefer the C300 manual vs. the 7-Matic because I can really drive it like its meant to be driven.

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  Bravo Mercedes-Benz! - 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By CGarr - September 19 - 9:20 am

  The Mercedes E 320 Blue Tec is a refined luxury sedan that is coupled with extraordinary fuel economy. The Blue Tec diesel engine provides excellent power and acceleration. The car is very comfortable with a luxury interior and the Mercedes i-Command system is easy to use and conveniently placed in the cockpit. The standard sound system is also great. This is the first diesel vehicle that I ever purchased and it wont be my last. It gets better fuel economy that the comparable Lexus hybrid. Test drive it, youll buy it.

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  An excellent economic german luxury car - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Doug S. - September 19 - 2:20 am

  I bought my 1996 C220 in April of 2005 with 121,000 miles, for $4,600 as my first car. Within in the first year I spent a few thousand in repairs for things like air conditioning, suspension, emissions electronics, but it never has left me stranded or not started right up. The car now has 152,000 miles and drives like a dream. I love the car great gas mileage, 30 mpg highway and mid 20s around town even considering i floor it nearly every time i drive it. The 4 cylinder is a little slow off the line, but is surprisingly peppy at highway speeds. Even though the car is now more than 12 years old, in black with tinted windows it still looks amazing, and gets second looks all the time.

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  Deceptive for hauling - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By flevy - September 19 - 12:30 am

  I had leased the R500 and took it home. Only then did we find out that the third row seats did not fold flat or out of the way. When folded, the seat becomes perpendicular to the back and sits 9 inches from the second row. If you are packing for a trip, you lose a tremendous amount of volumetric space. This was never shown and makes it an unrealistic car for trips to the beach. Poor design. Ended up taking the car back and getting SUV.