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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  Its Been a Great Car to Own - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Vincenzo - June 1 - 8:21 pm

  I have owned this car for almost a year now, and I was expecting it to cost 3-5k a year to maintain. I had an emergency fund in place fully funded and so far its been in the shop for some ball joints in the suspension, an intercooler pump (which is upgraded so it shouldnt break for a while) and couple of new rims because the 2 left got bent. Ive replaced the alternator, crank shaft position sensor, engine and cabin air filters, a few pulleys and a valve cover gasket. Its going to need trunk struts, accumulator spheres, engine/transmission mounts and a few cosmetic touch ups (but overall my car is in really good shape). This car has costed me $2,000 in the first year to get caught up on maintenance which is cheap for a car like this at 14 years old. The engine was shutting off on it when it got warmed up not too long ago. I was able to diagnose the problem in less then 15 minutes at a cost of less then $28. It was the CPS and it was a breeze to install once I got it (took 10 minutes) and every local auto part shop had it in stock. I replaced the alternator myself on it as well and once you know the procedure its easy to replace. You need to remove the fan shroud and it will make it easier but it was a breeze as well. This is a very easy car to work on. The hood opens 90 degrees and theres a lot of room to work almost like an old muscle car. The struts and brakes cost a lot retail but you can find them so cheap to nothing if you shop around so the parts are usually very cheap and sometimes free in my experience if you send the old ones in. The engine parts are almost all metal and you dont have to worry about anything breaking unless you over tighten stuff. The car gets terrible overall fuel economy but its very fast and the acceleration is brutal in a way. There are a few quality problems but theyre very small and the average person wouldnt be able to find them. The quality of materials and build quality is overall extremely high for this vehicle especially when you consider its from the DaimlerChrysler era. Its got a tank like Mercedes-Benz build quality to it. It feels very solid and heavy and the doors are very heavy. The transmissions in these vehicles shift very slow and are a bit cumbersome but are basically the same as youd find in a Sprinter van or almost any other Mercedes in this time period and is found in almost every V12 Mercedes until 2014 or so. You can also find it in many Chrysler vehicles like V8 Grand Cherokees, 300s, Chargers, Challengers, Durangos, you name it. Its even in some Jaguars and 911s. Its a very heavy duty unit and can run for 100s of thousands of miles. When you need to replace it just make sure it has the correct torque converter and youre golden. The unit should be pretty cheap. This is a very intuitive car. I am not a technician or expert and I can easily diagnose anything in this car in 15 minutes or less. Make sure the hydraulic fluid has been getting changed though before you buy one because the car rides on a fully active hydraulic suspension and one pump runs the suspension and steering. If the fluid is not changed before 50k miles at least, the pump will fail, the lines will get clogged and it can ruin your struts. It can total out your car if someone is careless about this and should be done every 30k along with the transmission fluid or even 20k if you can. This is the only thing you have to worry about. The engine mounts go out early because theyre filled with fluid and are soft to make the car ride and settle better so thats normal. Supercharger oil should be done every 20-30k as well and make sure you lubricate the seals and the top. Overall if you listen to what Mercedes tells you to do and do more than what is expected and are good to your car you will be rewarded with one of the most reliable vehicles on the market. 1,000,000 miles on one of these is not uncommon and can go possibly 2,000,000 miles between rebuilds. Its a very solid and simple single overhead cam engine. Its not hard to maintain. Make sure you have an emergency fund in place though. You should have one anyways and it should have at least $12,000 in it.

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  Great choice for young generations - 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
  By steam0411 - June 1 - 10:17 am

  Although the noise control and riding comfort is not good as other Mercedes model, it is totally enough for young people. I really dont care about the space of rear seat. The power is great and also its fuel economy. Its perfect for young people, I enjoy the driving so much.

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  Mercedes E-350 2008 Accident - 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By forego - May 30 - 3:51 pm

  Best Safe Highway Car I ever owned. Recently in terrible accident with semi truck on I-10 just outside of Phoenix, I believe the E-350 2008 not only save our lives but we all walked away without series injury. Looking to buy same model and year again. Great highway gas mileage with power.

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  LOVE THIS CAR!!!! - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By oyvey247 - May 29 - 8:26 pm

  Just took delivery of our 2010 GL450 - Did TONS of research, priced out every local dealer, looked at many other brands and vehicles over the past year (yes, i am thorough. We are SO happy we got the MB. I read all these reviews too - It deserves the 9.8 it is rated. Car is beautiful, drives like a dream and hauls you know what on the road. Fits my 3 kids, car seats and all our stuff (which is a lot!). The voice command radio and nav is terrific, not too hard to use like others have said (you just need to get used to it).Love the automatic seats in the 3rd row, love th satilite NAV (not a disk that needs to be updated),love the bluetooth linked phone - Buy this car -you wont regret it

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  Baby Benz sends an awsome statement! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Ronmitch - May 29 - 4:40 pm

  This is the Best small car on the market. This Car is luxury in a small package. When you close the door of this car it feels like youve closed a vault. Solid, smooth, and it rides like a big luxury sedan.

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  1997 S500 - The Last Great Benz - 1997 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Viking99 - May 29 - 6:46 am

  I have owned a few MBZ in my life. I had admired the W140 chasis on the road for many years. The square bold looks, & rock-solid build looked indestructable. New price: $ 100,000 A few points: Steering Wheel: If you can get a wood steering wheel. Hard to find. Interior: Black is the only way to go. Grey / beige dont age as well. Engine: This is a super heavy car. Dont waste your time with a V6. Its like using a wheel barrel to pull the Queen mary. Stick with 97-99. This cars can be had for 7K-8k used, but buyer be aware. Most of the lower priced ones need work of easily 10K - 15K. Get one with service records & an anal owner, that had the work done for you. 10K-15K

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  Very Nice Ride - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Kiet T. Le - May 28 - 10:00 am

  beautiful exterior as well as interior - full of tech gadgits to play with. Handle great and excelleration is not was poor as some people said it to be. Over all a great car.

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  A Car With Some Spunk! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By NewBenz Owner - May 28 - 10:00 am

  My girlfriend wanted this car based on the pictures she had seen on the web. I talked her into dropping by the local dealership and test driving one. We took it for a spin and fell in love. It felt like we were driving on rails. I am an agressive driver and it will handle some pretty serious turning without loosing traction and the Supercharger helps keep us ahead of traffic. I had an Integra GSR which was almost 700lbs lighter and this stock 230 definately out performs my Acura even with several thousand dollars worth of aftermarket performance upgrades dropped into my Integra.

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  Perfection - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Bruce E. Cook - May 28 - 10:00 am

  German engineering has reached the ultimate level. The Mercedes 500 SL in the 2003 model comes as close to perfection as is possible. After driving this car for ten months, I believe that this is the finest car Ive ever owned. Every aspect of the automobile is a thrill to look at and to drive. It has the look and the feel of what a $100,000 plus car should have for the owner. Well worth the price.

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  Fantastic Diesel - 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By FallsWine - May 26 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle replaces our 2008 E320 Blue-Tec and what an improvement. Mercedes has made great improvements in cabin design and layout, improved the voice command control and greatly improved the navigation and radio manual controls. To top it off were getting 38 to 40 mpg for combined city/highway driving (much better than EPA estimates and better than our 2008) and theres more than enough power to pass anything on the highway. This is a really great vehicle.