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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  e55amg - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By PRAVIN PARMAR - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS MACHINE.FAR BETTER THAN ANY EXPECTATIONS I HAD SINCE I FIRST TEST DROVE IT FEW MONTHS AGO.ITS BROUGHT BACK THE JOY OF DRIVING FOR ME. SO FAR EVERYTHING IS PERFECT EXCEPT THE GAS MILEAGE-BUT ITS WOTH IT.

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  My SL500 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Sterling - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Really like the car. I had two SLKs and one c320, but this is the best of the bunch

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  Great and safe for money - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Steve P.B. - June 11 - 10:00 am

  safe and economical for the money,24- 30mpg with air on, 4 years maintenance, versatile hatchback,fun to drive,8 air bags and all the safety features of $50K MB

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  Form over Function - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Matt in Maryland - June 11 - 7:20 am

  I bought this car used from a dealership and quickly realized that I would encounter numerous issues with it. It looks great inside and out but it stops there.I have had so many repairs from the dealer they know which loaner car I like best and I have developed a friendship with one of the CSRs at the dealer. At one point they have my car for over 4 weeks trying to determine an issue and even brought Mb Germany into the mix. I didnt expect a MB to have so many issues...broken climate control unit,steering column,cd player,digital dash display and more.The paint chips and has faded in numerous places and the door seals have dry-rotted making for a very loud ride on the road.Poor form MB!

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  Why buy anything else - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Andy - June 11 - 1:53 am

  I have had my Bluetec for a little over a year, tons of power and torque. You could not guess you are driving a diesel. It is fast, quiet, luxurious, and most of all economical, getting 26 mpg around town and 32-34 on the highway. The $1,000 premium for the diesel over the E350 is worth it,( just look at resales between the E320 vs E350) test drove both with little to no difference in performance or comfort. Love the classic understated good looks, the pre-safe technology, and all the other safety features. Once I drove this car I questioned why would I drive any other car in this class ( test drove E350,BMW 528I, Cadillac STS, Infiniti M35, Lexus GS350).

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  My first Mercedes c 300 sport - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By santosh phadke - June 9 - 6:33 pm

  I am completely excited on delivery of the vehicle. Great handling particularly in snow and ice in Michigan. Performs as per Mercedes standards. It has a big problem which is the security system. I had somebody try to break into my car at night, broke the driver side glass and the alarm of the car did not go off and the tele aid operator tells me it is a passive alarm and it does not go off until the doors have been tried to open. Funny because I think if someone trie to gain access to your car by damaging the window the alarm should go off and as an owner Im surprised with the answer.

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  Beautiful look - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By TA - June 9 - 5:26 pm

  Great car... amazing exterior... turn heads all the time. Great drive and it is a lot of fun to go over 100 mph until the police stops you.

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  Please read this before you drive it off the lot. - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Broadcast Pro - June 9 - 8:28 am

  I loved this car - and still do to a point. However, I noticed when I was driving off the lot that speakers were making a buzzing sound. I honestly thought it must be in my head so I kept going. 6 months later, Ive had it in for this to be repaired for three days and it still does it. Internet forums are filled with users complaining that their premium Burmeister sound system buzzes and rattles. Some dealerships claim they cant hear it. One forum poster said hes had it in 9 times to fix the buzz. Yesterday, I made a video of EXACTLY how to reproduce it here. https://youtu.be/VjPDFnf6TOI Please do yourself an enormous favor and try this test to confirm that your new car does not buzz. Once you buy it, odds are it is permanent. I would not have spent 70k on this car knowing this.

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  Wifes Benz - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Big Pauly - June 8 - 3:10 pm

  Went car shopping 2 weeks ago as my wifes lease on her Jag S type was coming to an end. Went to see the E350 first. Went to BMW, Lexus, Volvo, and finally Jaguar/Audi. Well, we went back this weekend and picked up the E350 sedan. Car is used for business so the coupe was out of the question unfortunately but as 4 door cars go...this is clearly a head- turner. I was disappointed by Jaguar this year as we had actually loved the S type..we liked the old English luxury styling..but this XF..it seems they couldnt make up their minds about the look of the car. Lexus merged into well, another Lexus. Indistinguishable from 100 other cars on the road.Toyota? with a leaper hanging off the trunk.

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  Outstanding Vehicle - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Rodd n Seattle - June 8 - 10:00 am

  29 mpg on recent road trips, brakes are easy to replace and are outstanding, comfort on long trips, good resale, paint job equal to none and if you buy slightly used, one or two years old you dont take a big hit, but that goes for any car. Fast for a V6, great stereo with the Bose upgrade...worth it, smooth transmission and comes pretty well equiped as a base.