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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  I love this car! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By dberry7578 - October 22 - 12:30 pm

  This is a awesome straight line monster. My wife and I love taking I- 95 and heading to Miami for any reason. The ability to pass anything at anytime is unbelievable. If you want a luxury performance vehicle, you cant beat the quality of the ride at the speeds of the best racing cars in the world.

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  Owner CLS 500 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Mike - October 19 - 3:16 pm

  Great car fun to drive, eats mountain roads. This is one of kind car that must be driven. Long trips are not a problem, it is easy to drive and plenty of truck space for those long weekends.

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  Decent Vehicle - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Justin - October 13 - 6:06 am

  I purchased this vehicle when my 2000 E320 got totaled out by a drunk driver. I purchased the vehicle with 44k miles on it and have not had to do much but the required maintenance. There are a few things that have broken in the interior (door pulls broke, glove box broke). Minor things, but things I am not used to. All in all, i enjoy the car. Its fun to drive and I still driving an MB. The key is regular maintenance. I look forward to having this car for a few more years.

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  My Grandfathers Car with Gadgets - 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Tom - October 2 - 4:11 pm

  First the exterior and ride is beautiful; it rides like my 2012 E-Class and its only a C. Hats off to MB they did that right. However, the interior layout is very disappointing. First, the gear shift is now on the column like my grandfathers 55 Chevy. The gear shifter is flimsy and clumsy to use. I much prefer the floor gear shift which makes the car feel sporty. Next the E-Brace M System is clumsy and cumbersome to use. Everything, I mean everything is in the E-Brace from climate control, to maps, to the radio is in there. The screen is about 2x the size of 2012 E Class. It mounted on the dash as if some one mounted in a big screen TV in their basement wall. The center console looks barren, and with the E-Brace mounted between the seats and the TV set just hanging out there, the elegance of a luxury car is gone. In my opinion, its not attractive at all. I have owned 4 Mercedes, and its does not look like I will be buying my 5th. I was planning on looking at a CLS but most likely I will hang on to my E-Class until I figure out what to buy.

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  Better buy than Lexus IS and BMW 3-Series - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By sapwiz - September 30 - 12:16 am

  I debated for almost 2 months between the 07 Lexus IS-250 and IS-350 and BMW 3- Series. I was mainly looking for an edgy style and most important AWD for the snow in the Northeast. The IS-250 is nicely appointed but pricey when adding options (low power). BMW is nicely appointed but 328XI AWD does not compare to features of MB C280- 4M. Its nicely designed for 07 (a colleague told me about the MB low quality of past years) and Im particularly finicky, which is why I even considered an Avalon and VW Passat. But for the total package of Options, Power, Luxury feel and sturdy (or luxury drive if you choose) along with Sirius Sat/Nav and Ipod Integration, there is no comparison in price.

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  2013 E350 Harman Kardon weak bass - 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By jls10 - September 27 - 6:02 am

  This 2013 is my fifth E class. I also have owned S class, CLK, C class, SLK. I traded a 2013 Equss with 10k miles for this new 2013 E because I missed the feeling of being connected to the road. . I have 6k miles on the E car. My big disappointment in the new E with Harman Kardon Pro Logic 7 is the radio. There is not enough low end.. bass. I noticed others complaining about lack of bass in E cars. This 2013 is my fifth E class. I also have owned S class, CLK, C class, SLK. I traded a 2013 Equss with 10k miles for this new 2013 E because I missed the feeling of being connected to the road. . I have 6k miles on the E car. My big disappointment in the new E with Harman Kardon

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  Good Car, But... - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By john kolb - September 24 - 10:36 am

  The AM radio has never worked well. I replaced the CD changer in the trunk after three years and limited use! Interior vanity failed third year. Variuous other little problems that required trips to the dealer like lights, air conditioning and power steering. Thank God for the extended warranty ,but this excluded radio, vanity light, and CD player. My wife loves the ride, I expected a lot more for the money. Im disappointed.

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  My first Diesel - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Mike S - September 22 - 5:36 pm

  This car has so many things going for it. The diesel engine so far has been amazing. I averaged 37.5 MPG on a recent trip to Florida. I drove 722 miles on one tank. I like that! That and 0-60 in 6.6 sec. in amazing to me. The car is beautiful in every way. It has a great ride. Recently I have been hearing a whistle in the vent fan. Not sure what that is. It sounds a little more noisy than when I purchased it 4 months ago. I would buy this car again. The only complaint is that Mercedes thinks they know better than we do and automatically turn the recirculate button off when it thinks it should. I press that button a hundred times a day. Its my car, let me decide!

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  After four months of driving - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Jim Smith - September 18 - 1:50 pm

  I dearly love the car, if I can keep it out of the shop. It is the small things, like keyless go has given me fits (three service visits). Now the steering wheel up and down module is out (6 hours of labor). Other small things have gone out. I love the power, the economy of fuel, Sirius radio, GPS, and comfort, but overall quality stinks.

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  Very good family vehicle but... - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Van - September 17 - 11:36 pm

  The R500 is a very good family vehicle. It does seat 6 normal sized adults comfortably. The ride is smooth and quiet similar to Lexus (of which Ive owned two). For the size of the car, it handles very well and has plenty of pep with the 5L engine. On the other hand, the build quality is suspect. In the first week we had it, we had to replace an O-ring. Now, were having problems with the automatic lift gate - sometimes it closes completely, sometimes it doesnt. Weve sometimes had to close it 5 or 6 times before it will shut all the way. Now the car is starting to pull to the right - prob. an alignment problem. Also, one of the bulbs on the tailgate light has burned out.