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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  The Only SUV for a Single Dad - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By SingleDad - June 22 - 6:30 pm

  Mercedes Benz should pat themselves on the back for this one. This is my 3rd Benz and my favorite. Constantly receive compliments on the looks, both inside and out. Drives like a dream. The car is tight, quiet, comfortable, luxurious, fun, and in a league of its own. As a single dad of 2, it does everything a minivan can do, but does it with masculinity. The only negatives as others have stated is the DVD location and controls are not accessible without stopping the vehicle and pulling over (if you have little ones) and you only have access to the 3rd row from the passenger side of the vehicle. Having said that, nothing is perfect, however this sure is close.

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  Becareful - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By avanthomme - June 19 - 10:00 am

  This is now my second CLK320 Coupe. My first was a 2000 CLK320. This is turning into my worst nightmare. My first CLK was in and out of the workshop, and now in my 3rd week of ownership of my 2004 CLK320, I have to make it into the dealership b/c my lighting cluster (which houses my sunroof operation) is completely out. I cant close my sunroof! I think now (although Im a huge M- B fan) Ive lost complete faith in the company. This will most definitely be my last mercedes.

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  A Rocket with Class - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By mcrosson - June 18 - 1:33 pm

  I recently bought an 06 CL55 AMG with low miles. It is the best looking big coupe MB has ever built, far better looking than the current body style, in my opinion. It is an absolute blast to drive... it has tremendous power and torque, faster than a speeding bullet and able to leap tall buildings in single bounds. It makes you feel like a superman driving it. The AMG seats are the best Ive ever sat in, with more adjustments available than a chiropractor. The only downside to the vehicle is the gas mileage - 17 in the city, 19- 20 highway. When you pay $75 to fill a 21.5 gallon tank, it kind of hurts. Until you press the engine start button. That that big grin takes over.

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  Gl 450 Major problems - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By tnance - June 18 - 12:20 pm

  I purchased the Gl 450 4.7 Ltr about 1 year ago. It has spent over 2.5-3 months at the dealership while attempting to fix electronic problems. While driving the vehicle it would surge and then the warning lights would start lighting up like Christmas. The lights warned of the following failures ABS, Air bags to many to name they were all on. Then a big red box on the led would state drive to the dealership immediatly without shifting gears, how you do that in an automatic Im still trying to figure out. We live in an isolated state with few roads and long distances between help. My faith in the Gl is gone! Hope no one else has experienced this. It still looks nice parked in my garage.

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  Nice Car, Could be better for the price - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By indianguy - June 15 - 5:26 am

  Bought it used 22K Miles (Paid 17.5K - yeah rubbing it in) Car is fun to drive, perfect for the Driver who wants a sports car which can also drive like a luxury car when you need it. I have always been a Lexus owner, the one thing that stands up when I get into the C350 is the Plastic. Even my 8 yr old RX doesnt look this cheap inside.

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  Average - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Dave Kim - June 14 - 10:00 am

  Good power. Good pickup. Great on the freeway. Very sporty looking and comfortable. May be too many unecessary features. However, car vibrates at 40 miles an hour. The dealer could not find any problems.

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  Fun little car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By edge83 - June 11 - 9:26 am

  Very impressed with fuel economy. Very quick, but had trouble with battery. Other than that was a great car.

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  e320 plain&fancy - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By timfrank - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Sturdy and elegant ,if staid, this car surprises me in its acceleration and quiet manners. It may be only a V6 but it really GOES. The transmission is the smoothest I have ever seen.

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  Love the SUV - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By tiger2doll - June 5 - 10:00 am

  Very elegent and powerful SUV. A definite Headturner. Afterall - a Mercedes is a Mercedes. Nothing compares to it. Someone has rightly said - Life is too short and the roads too long to drive anything else except a Mercedes-Benz. Lots of Safety features - comfortable interior seating surfaces. Very nice and thoughtful small features. Love the SUV.

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  Love our ML - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By etherboy - June 1 - 2:32 pm

  Bought the ML after testdriving X5, Lexus 470, LR4, and QX56..were actually on way to buy QX when we decided to just look at the ML. Test drove the 350 and took it home to see how it would accommodate our family roadtrip needs..perfect. When we ordered, only the 350 was available but was able to upgrade to the 550 a day later. Its awesome..a real sleeper. Steering not nearly as precise as the X5 but better than the QX. The safety features by far exceed any of the other SUVs we tested. Exterior not very sexy..would prefer a Cayenne or X5 or even the QX but for a family tourer with performance the ML550 is hard to beat! And we get 19.5 mpg average.