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 deisel that wasnt - 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By jwkrotec - July 4 - 10:00 am

  The new 4 valve deisel is a work of art. There is plenty of power for accelerating and the broad tourque curve makes highway cruising at 75 effortless. Unforntunately, many little problems with various systems have had the car spending days at the dealer. The dealer took several tries to get it right each time! very bad. At 95,000 miles the legendary Mercedes deisel stopped! I was informed that the bad fuel in this country gummed up the vanes in the induction unit and it cost $3,500 to repair. This is rediculous. One buys a deisel to prevent this sort of thing.

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  Needs a little work. - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By J. Bartolema - June 30 - 1:16 am

  After driving this vehicle with a slipping transmission and screeching brakes for the last 4 months along with 5 trips to the dealership I think MB needs to work out the kinks. Although, when it does work, it performs beautifully. I just hope Mercedes starts making them a little better.

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  fantastic, safe, comfortable people hauler. Reliability issues - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By fgxtom - June 29 - 4:29 pm

  I love this car. We took it on a 4000 mile family rip a month after buying it. It is the most comfortable people hauler I have ever driven or ridden in. For people hauling it can not be topped. It gets fair mileage. I had the Yakima swingman 4 bike rack on it with 4 large bikes. We still averaged 25 mpg at 70 to 75 mph. As I said this thing hauls people, but it has little room for luggage. You will either need a cargo hauler, or the carry all for a receiver. We crammed our stuff in duffle bags for our 7 day trip.

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  ML550 - Loaded - 2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By nyi - June 29 - 8:27 am

  Driven approx 10,000 miles - half highway /mountainous terrain. It started with buying my wife a 2012 MB E350 a year ago. Was very impressed so I tested the 2013 ML550. I sold my "big" truck suv and bought one ML550 full load. twin turbo, small V8 power/low fuel consumption ratio, comparatively speaking, has me sold. WOW ... does this thing move, smooth ride, quiet and has nearly 100 ft/lbs torque more that the larger 6.2L easy to pull my trailer with toys. Built in anti sway works. My ML fully loaded is equal in cost to a 2013 Escalade.

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  A Gentlemen Among Men (Or a Lady Among Women) - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By C. X. DeLorca - June 28 - 7:32 pm

  Even at first glance, the R350 is a standard breaking automobile! It may seem a little confused as it would appear to be a hybrid of a E Class wagon, an SUV and an upscale van all in one! Trust me when I say, it is anything but confused! It is a trend setter! I very much enjoy the fact that it is not too big, as an SUV, it is not small like a car and not conforming like a van! The ride is amazing as anyone would hope from a Mercedes Benz and the comfort level for all passengers is 5 star! I have owned numerous Mercedes vehicles and this is by far my favorite, outside of an S Class! I am very disappointed to see that they are no longer making this model! I purchased this certified pre-owned from the dealership last year (2016) and have placed many miles on it and can say have had VERY little issues! If you can do simple repairs and upkeep and stay mostly away from a dealership garage, then you can enjoy many happy returns with this Mercedes Benz! I will say the only thing that I dislike about the model is the placement of the turn signal and cruise control arms. The turn signal is completely hidden behind the steering wheel and the the cruise control arm is up high next to your left drivers hand. This makes one (even after extended ownership) want to use the cruise control in place of the actual turn signal. The only major repair I have had thus far has been a repair to a cracked rim after hitting a pot hole and that repair was less than $200. I am also having issues with the rear entertainment center acknowledging DVDs. The seats are in perfect condition and of the HIGHEST quality grade leather! We are in love with the panoramic glass rooftop as well as the very large and accommodating rear doors! This has been a very fortunate purchase with NO regrets!

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  Constant headache - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Calin - June 27 - 12:46 am

  I would never buy this car again. Every year you are dumping another thousand at least into this car. My best year so far is about 3 thousand. Sensors go bad, accelerator portion is bad, center console wiring harness. And finally a cylinder crack. I have all the maintenance papers since Ive owned it and the previous owner had all the paperwork too.

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  Fun to drive but quality is poor - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By LMD - June 26 - 11:00 pm

  My 2000 E430 Sport was purchased in 2006 with 51000 miles on it. Three years later it still hasnt reached 60K. In 2007 it had B servicing which is a MB rip-off where they tell you all the stuff it needs but cant show you why the old stuff is bad or failing. They just tell you "the book says" and then try to extort as much cash as they can. Ive had to replace AC hoses, shifter bushings, climate control regulator, a transmission mount and the sunroof rattles. All on a car with less than 60K. I think this was one of Mercedes biggest quality failures and they could care less, they have their money.

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  2010 GLK - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By DDM - June 26 - 12:00 pm

  This is an awesome car. I traded my 2007 GL 450 on this car in January 2009. We live in Chicago and this car is far better for city driving. This car is head and shoulders above everything else in the class and, in my opinion, many larger SUVs. Very maneuverable, great seating position and views all around. Acceleration is solid, but the chassis is amazing. As the Edmunds reviewers noted, this car is as solid as a brick. It inspires lots of confidence in all driving situations. Surprisingly good in the snow, even with the 20" wheels. The C- Class Nav/Audio system is much better than the older system in my GL. HK Sound is superb and the rear seat DVD system is much improved.

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  My Loyal Companion - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By raymo - June 23 - 4:43 pm

  Ive had BMWs, Audis, an Alpha Romeo, and a Maserati. Each ones strenght was overshadowed by its reliability weaknesses. My 230 is a joy to drive. Its very responsive yet gets great gas mileage. It has been a low maintenance, strong and reliable car. Im afraid to get rid of it.

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  2.5 years with C300 Lux - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By autoaficion - June 18 - 5:33 am

  Overall, this is a very well built car that drives very nicely. Ive always has standard-brand cars, but this time I splurged and bought the German car Ive always wanted. It is not the sporting model, but it handles and moves perfectly for daily driving. Its small, so easily maneuvers in tight spaces, but has the premium features. The up-and-down nav and entertainment screen is kind of silly, but I find the iPod integration to be excellent and easy to use with the round controller on the center console. I enjoy the car greatly, but the mystique of having a Mercedes is all in my head; its not like having a Mercedes back when I was a kid and they were special and infrequent.