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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  new game in town e 320 cdi - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By piojo - September 19 - 10:00 am

  i know this particular model is not in your records yet, but just let everybody know that this is an umbilivable expirience, i purchase a new car every year for the last 15 years, i dont remenber ever been so taken by every aspect of a car , preformance 6.7 zero to 60, handling all you can dish for a 2 ton sedan short of an m5, looks (very personal i know )but i love them, an to crown it i just went round trip from miami to key west on half a tank of diesel ( $ 1.72 a gallon) and 33.2 mpg not on a freeway all for $50,000

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  Not what it used to be, but still good. - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Rahib - September 17 - 10:00 am

  The qauilty of these cars is still great; and you are still getting a great car. Although Mercedes has been on a downward slide as far as quality-- they are still better than 95% of all other cars. BMW continues to narrow the gap when it comes to looks--and will probably close that gap, come the 2004 5-series. I plan on keeping my 2003 E-Class until the 2005 5-series comes out (that way all the first year troubles will be worked out). I would not call Mercedes cheap, or attack them the same way the other reviewer did--however I do undertand where hes coming from. BMW is on the up, while Mercedes is on the down...who would u choose?

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  Great SUV and MPG - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By gemesq - September 12 - 8:23 am

  I am not sure why this SUV is listed as 16 mpg. I regularly get 22-24 miles per gallon on the freeway and around 18 mpg in town. For an SUV, you cant ask for better. We bought this SUV used and have loved it ever since. I coveted this new model when it came out in 2006 and wanted one then. This is a safe, fun to drive SUV with all the necessary luxury items a driver could want. I agree with other reviewers that it seems louder on the highway, but I was driving a passenger sedan before and from what I have heard, all SUVs are louder on the highway, including the Lexus which prides itself on being super quiet. Overall, a great SUV.

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  very fun to drive - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By Eric Hwang - September 10 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car during the summer and ever since than i leave 2002bmw7 in my garage. Everyone that sees this car says that it really look good. My favorite part of this car is the visibility, you can really see clearly so its really fun to drive!

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  C320 4Matic - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By cdrscee - September 9 - 6:36 pm

  This is every bit a Mercedes. It may be the entry level but it lacks nothing in handling, luxury or safety and fit. You pull up next to a Cadillac and you know why you chose Mercedes.

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  Could Be Greatly Improved! - 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By oldgoldtop - September 8 - 11:18 pm

  Recently retired and wanting something less expensive to operate, my Audi A8 was no longer under warranty and would be expensive to repair. After1 month I can say that this is a nice driving car but the COMAND system and voice recognition is vastly inferior to the Audi MMI. Such systems have become integral to todays driving experience defining to a large extent how the driver interacts with the car. MB COMAND requires much more input to navigate the menus than Audi. The voice recognition seems less intelligent and reliable compared to my past Audi experience. COMAND may have a shorter learning curve but will require more effort to operate than MMI. Miss parking assist.

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  Quality Vehicle with minor problems - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Cyrus Jan - September 5 - 4:00 pm

  Brakes squeak. Got the pads changed under warranty. Still sqeaking. Dealership says that this is becuase of asbestos being missing as per Federal requirments. Front ends of the suspension rattle when driving over bumps. Dealership says that this is because the car lowers and is supposed to act like that. Other than that, excellent car.

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  Love car, HATE the electrical problems!! - 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By MikeA - September 4 - 2:00 am

  I love the car. I have owned it since 1997, and the style still turns heads. Hovever, the constant electrical problems reflect a Yugo, not a Mercedes Benz!! Nearly once a month something electronic fails. Thank God I bought an extended warranty. Next time, I am buying the Lexus LS430, (less problems).

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  Nice Vehicle, But Depreciated Too Fast - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Hodge52 - September 4 - 1:30 am

  I bought my 2006 C230 new and loved it- -it handle extremely well and had good acceleration and superb braking. But the back seat was cramped for adults, so I finally decided to sell it. I cannot rate the vehicle as a good investment, because of its depreciation. The Kelly Blue Book value I advertised drew little interest, so I lowered the price. Then I looked at Kelly Blue Book a week later and the car had depreciated another $1500! I then unloaded it as fast as I could, at $17,000, and felt lucky to get even that. (Dealers only offered $14,600 for it on trade!) I paid $33k for the car, and am disappointed it depreciated so much with only 27k miles and being only 34 months old.

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  Great Car - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By williebegoode - August 23 - 10:00 am

  Ever since I first saw the exterior styling of this E350 Ive wanted one. The style was continued until 2009, and then changed in 2010 to a more angular look. So the 2006 looks exactly like the 2009 and the same model before it. This model has more pep than I realized, and I like the details and safety of the car. Very comfy.