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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  m-class - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By ml500 - August 15 - 10:00 am

  Best car I have ever driven.

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  real value - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By barbaqued - August 15 - 4:46 am

  I really like the car. The handling is excellent and so is the fuel economy. The cabin is quite and stays cool even our Arizona summer. There was an issue with the radio that took three tries to fix. Apparently a window switch was interfering with a speaker and causing distortion. The navigation really needs some help so does the i-pod interface. If you have ever used a Garmen you will be frustrated with Mercedes navigation. I have pulled large trailers without problem. After 20,000 miles I am planning to buy a 2009.

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  Great style, features, and performance - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By 1stbenzowner - August 15 - 3:56 am

  Purchased our White/Almond c300 Sport 4Matic @ 1 month ago. Love the comfort, safety, features (especially the Bluetooth, Multimedia, and Ipod). Extremely quiet, solid ride and a head- turner. However, is it the quickest in the category? No. But we didnt purchase the car for its 0-60 quickness. You can get on the highway fine and pass when needed. We traded in a 30 Acura TLS, so its quite slow compared to that. In our opinion MB was an excellent mix of all aspects: safety, comfort, appearance inside and out, ergonomic appeal, performance. Test drove G37 (quick but hard & loud), A4, TL, IS250 AWD (our 2nd choice but backseat too small for longer than a 5 minutes.)Love it overall!

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  Best Benz - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By R.W. Murray - August 14 - 4:50 am

  My Benz is the best driving car I have owned. Cornering and braking are excellent. A Little more space in the "E" would be a plus.

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  modern technology sub - 2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By hiponaj - August 12 - 6:13 am

  i ouwned several sub cars over the years but so far,my new Ml350 4matic Mercedez Benz 2013 is the best of all.It drive very smooth,very quite and steady even at high speed driving.Smothness of gearshif operation.I like the modern tecknology that came with it no need to use key to start,the Harman Kardun surround sound is amazing,the HD radio sounds terrific,and all the electronic controls are just great.The navigation syatem and back-up camera,blind spot assist are great witch save me from minor accident.

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  Cant miss! - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Kingsley Chima - August 11 - 7:46 pm

  Bought this 97 model after crashing my wifes Altima, best thing to have happened! The wife thought it was too big, but she wouldnt let me use it now! Well built, luxurious and stately. People have a hard time believing it is 10 years old. No problems so far, but the fuel efficiency on premiun gas isnt great. Not complaining though

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  NAV System - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By pulliae - August 10 - 10:00 am

  NAV system does not include all highways and street. I am very disappointed with the lack of streets for all the USA. Delorme Map Co. can put every street in the USA on one(1) CD, why cant Mercedes do the same? Maybe Mercedes should contract with Delorme for navigation map CDs.

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  PHENOMENAL VEHICLE - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By KCPANY - August 10 - 10:00 am

  I only have the car for three weeks and love every moment Im in it!. The interior is super! Very comfortable seats for long trips, and the optional stereo system is A+. Did not experience any mechanical problems yet, and hoping not to for a while, since the built quality of this car is phenomenal. After my previous Lexus GS400, the E500 handling is like driving a Formula 1 car (especially in sports mode). Dontt get me wrong, the Lexus was one fine auto with a good heart, but this M-B is far superior!

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  Beautifully finished sport sedan - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Saluki - August 9 - 5:20 pm

  Looked at the BMW 330 and Volvo S60R. Both of these vehicles performed better than the Mercedes in the city, but once you hit the interstate, the Mercedes shines. As far as looks and finish, the Mercedes was the clear winner in my eyes. The thing that put me over the top in favor of the Mercedes is its ability to run on domestic fuel that runs cleaner. That being E85. Also, the performance out of the E85 is better. The gas mileage drops on the highway from 29 to 25 but the cost difference at the pump covers that difference.

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  Performance and Enconomy - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Carl Stringer - August 8 - 11:03 pm

  This is my first MB and I bought it for reliability, economy and style and it has not let me down. Economy is amazing. I get 26 mpg in town and 28- 30 mpg on my 55 mile commute (at 80- 90mph!). Passing is effortless and silent, it really has quite a good mid- range punch. The 580 mile range is also great, a lot less time is spent at the pump. A 13,000 mile service interval is also a time saver. You can hardly tell that it is a diesel at all. The motor only rattles at low rpm, low speed with the window down. Ive had just one issue, a buzzing speaker which was fixed under warranty. One small gripe is turbo lag, but you learn to drive around it. Buy one!