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:

• 

  Beautiful Car: Horrid Reliablitiy - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Autooracle - August 20 - 4:13 am

  Reliability issues. Climate control: 5 times in the shop for now, and going in now for the 6th. Rough Idle: 4 times. Seat belt motor: 3 times. Drivers seat motor. Rain sensor activating on a dry windshield. Reverse Ttilt for rear view mirror: repaired 4 times. Radio: 2 times. Steer clear. Overall reliability of electrical items is horrid.

• 

  48,000 - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By malexgcab - August 19 - 11:36 am

  Bought the car with 35K miles. The ESP is great, you dont even feel it engaging. Seats are too stiff and lots of plastic. Steering feels heavy. Replaced all 4 rotors and pads for under $400, very easy-did it myself. Our Honda Pilot and Acura MDX beats the comfort factor and drivability but I feel very secure with ML specially when raining and snowing.

• 

  Dont Splash - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By DebbieT - August 18 - 10:00 am

  Nice car,looks good,performance nice...Need to do something with air intake on car,due to water intake ...Good luck in puddles

• 

  Emphasis on Ride/Comfort not Reliability - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By ZTG - August 17 - 5:20 am

  The R350 was a very good choice at the time of purchase because it was the first true cross-over that focused on room & comfort. The interior design is ingeniously ergonomic. The performance is quaite acceptable for a station- wagon type vehicle. Much to my surprise, there were quite a few intermittent reliability issues (i.e.; the rear hatch would drain the battery in wet conditions. MB did not figure this out until the hatch completely failed.

• 

  My first Benz - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By BGD82 - August 15 - 1:40 am

  I recently purchased my first Mercedes- Benz, a black 00 ML320 with 48,000 miles. I get a lot of weird looks from other ML drivers, as Im only 21 years old, but nonetheless, I love my car! It rides very smoothly and Ive got a great view of the road. The only gripes I have: 1) vehicle was leaking oil a couple of days after I purchased it; the problem was a leaky crankshaft seal and a bad crankshaft pulley, which I was told by the technician was a common problem with the V6 motor. 2) the liftgate rattles when I drive over any bump, and sounds horrible when I close it. Otherwise, its a great car to drive.

• 

  HANG ON TIGHT! - 2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By perfidious - August 14 - 8:41 pm

  Purchased my 13 C63 AMG with the P31 AMG Development Package and Carbon Fiber option over labor day weekend. In a word, this car is..ridiculous. Cross shopped the CTS-V / Audi S5 / BMW M3. If you are looking for the best handling car with the best driving dynamics to track on the weekend - buy the M3. This car has intoxicating torque and the exhaust is a symphony. If youre looking for the equivalent of a German muscle car at a decent price point that will make you smile during your DD time - then consider this car.

• 

  Fun to Drive - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By tpenfield - August 14 - 4:50 am

  I have put 14,000 miles on the car already and have the following summary: Exterior looks are very good. Interior is average and the seats are not well made. The MB Tex material seems to stain easily. Stereo is probably the best sounding car stereo that I have listened to. Amazing sound quality. Transmission is sluggish/indecisive and the best way to quickly accelerate is to manually shift down using the manual shift feature. The engine is quite impressive in the 3500 - 5000 RPM range, but that is not where you usually drive. Handling is very good, but the tires seem to wear quickly. Build quality/reliability is only average.

• 

  Much Better than the ML! - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Chris - August 13 - 9:56 am

  I have had 40 cars in the past 25 years, but this is one of the best! The new GL Class is my 7th MB and the best one to date. Power is smooth and responsive, steering is fluid, sight lines are not restricted. My two complaints are the braking, which is touchy and not fluid, and the seats. The seats could use a deeper bottom cushion for your legs, a la the 07 S Class. I do have the multi contour option which helps, but doesnt solve the problem. Gas mileage is good, reaching about 18-19 on the highway. Interior space is roomy and silent! Air suspension eats up the bumps, too! Barring some lower back pain on long trips, this is the truck for you if you want to haul, be it kids, or cargo

• 

  Great car but w/typical euro bugs - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By vadersv8 - August 4 - 7:11 pm

  Ive had this car for about 3 mos and bought it used with 78k and so far its been a decent car. My gripe is mainly the lil buggy issues. 1. Driver side front parking lamp went out, now its working again. 2. Instrument cluster stopped working however the center digital center gauge is working fine and the dash lights still work. In other words, all the needles are at 0. Its an excellend drive and its pretty quiet on the road/freeway but Mercedes is suppose to be a well made automobile, but with little annoying things like this coming up it could potentially make the driver not want to purchase this brand of car again. Ps: This car has automatic trans.

• 

  Nice to look at, thats where it ends - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By dan - August 2 - 11:23 pm

  So far it has been in service more than on the road . If you purchase this vehicle, be prepared for tears in the roof liner around the rear window. Also be prepared for a rough idle no matter what they do. Bad gas mileage . Overall fair build quality