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:

• 

  AS GOOD AS IT GETS! - 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By alan - May 12 - 7:23 pm

  Had this for a year. After investing for minor items [about $3,000] it is a new car. The lines are timeless. Great performance at any speed. Rides like a magic carpet. This is one great vehicle. No regrets.

• 

  My Dream Car - 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Mike Himel - May 12 - 2:10 pm

  Combines performance of a sports car with sophistication and elegance. You will find yourself making up errands to run just to drive this amazing car.

• 

  A dream machine on the autobahn - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By ken - May 10 - 12:43 pm

  I picked up my "baby benz" in Stuttgart, Germany on July 22, and drove it for the next week from Germany, through Switzerland and all of Italy, and up through Austria and then to Munich, Germany for shipping to San Diego (due to arrive in September). It was a dream! Handled very well, with fine acceleration, and very comfortable inside. On the autobahn, I cruised along at 130 mph (after the initial break-in period of 1000 miles), and it felt like we were going along at only 55! Contrary to popular opinion, the navigation system was very easy to use, and got us to the Vatican in Rome with ease. The sound system was beautiful as well.

• 

  My Ride - Benz 280c 1998 - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Noggi - May 10 - 10:00 am

  One service call in 4 years which was my fault - left lights on. Nice to drive, looks good, good mileage,zippy enough (its a six) unless you are a racer - Only bad is "check engine" light comes on intermittently (this means only check the air pollution system). Benz mechanics will say usually"tighten gas cap" or forget it etc - doesn`t mean much. This is a very good car - my 5th mercedes and I love them but concerned about coming years since they bought chrysler and are making some big changes in the Benz line.

• 

  League of its own - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By BJrun88 - May 10 - 10:00 am

  My first MB, and dealer told me this was a "Gentlemans Racer", which I originally though was kinda corny -- but now I know this is definitly the best way to describe the CLK430. After buying a new car every other year for the past 22 years...this is the first time I plan on keeping one -- theres nothing else on the road better under 100 grand -- that says its all. This is one great ride.

• 

  Love it! - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By kaydinyan - May 9 - 6:04 pm

  Great car!!! Have had it for a few months now and have been driving it in snow storms and long highway trips, and it handles any task. Love it!

• 

  They really scored on this car - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By tyler5656 - May 9 - 5:53 pm

  Well where to start? This car has so many features from the electronic stability control (esp) to its Bose surround sound system. What a smooth shifting transmission. Big difference from that old 4 speed to the new and improved 5 speed with auto stick. And the 4 wheel fully independent suspension faculties and ABS brakes.

• 

  Disappointed - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Disappointed - May 9 - 4:10 am

  Buyer beware of this piece of crap! The car has had nothing but problems - 3000 kms and it has been into dealer 5 times now. They have had it for two weeks so far. 1st they replaced the fuel injectors, now the kompressor. Wrong kompressor installed by factory - really makes you wonder - Still not fixed! Maybe the dealer is incompetent! No loner offered. I would really think twice before buying another Mercedes. A real Lemon! High end Junk!

• 

  Stay away from this car - 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By george219 - May 6 - 5:32 pm

  Our car had issues as soon as we drove it off the lot, loose parts, noises, uncomfortable seat, rough/unpredictable transmission shifting, and vibration. We did not test drive the car beforehand because we are very familiar with the car having driven several over the years. The first week we had it (and if you have any issues, immediately turn around and get your money back) it was in service, loose parts fixed, two new tires, reprogrammed transmission. Still vibrated, still shifted poorly, so it went back again and again, all four tires have been replaced and the MB "expert" attributes the vibration to "road feel" which is most certainly is not. Car still shifts unpredictably at times.

• 

  Love It!!! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By ChitownSL55 - May 6 - 4:13 pm

  I bought this car because I wanted a toy. Something to drive on nice days with the top down. The car is beautiful. People stop me all the time to tell me what a nice car it is. It looks great weather the top is up or down. I dont really get to open it up because here in Chicago there is always too much traffic but I have driven it late at night and the car is a rocket. It sounds great when you start it and press on the gas and heads will turn to look where the roar is coming from.