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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  Bad car for very high price - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By hollyaben - July 1 - 8:30 pm

  Car had problems all after warantty period. Horn stopped $140. Outside mirror Broke $450. Left rear window fell down for no reason $300. Head gasket blew.(very common on these cars) $1950. Complained to dealer and Mercedes and got nothing. Will never buy another.

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  STUPID CAR - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By exhasted buyer - June 19 - 10:00 am

  I hate this car. It is so stupid. I regret not getting the BMW 745Li or the Lexus LS430 Ultra lux. I have had nothing but problems since I brought it home. Either the controls dont work or the car wont start. Some times the car feels like locking the door when it feels like it. It has a mind of its own. Even the GPS turns off by itself. COnsidering I paid over $81,000 for this car, I am extremely disapointed. GOOD buy Mercedes, next time, I am heading for Lexus!

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  Dissapointed - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Jim Emry - June 17 - 9:46 am

  This $50K car has spent too much time at the dealership for minor repairs. I feel high tech has gone too far with this vehicle. For example, rain sensor windshield wipers, automatic seat adjustment, these two things have never worked and dealer has not been able to fix. Oil level too high, this keeps appearing as a malfunction on computer screen. Gas cap has to be frequently repaired. Winshield wipers make awful scraping noise even when wet, dealer also unable to fix. Very dissapointing auto

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  A/C Problem in E320? - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By SALMAN KHAN - June 13 - 10:00 am

  MERCEDES E320 NOT WORTH TO BUY! LEXUS GS300 OR ES300 RELIABLE,BEAUTIFUL,FLAWLESS,FASTER!

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  Fell Apart - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Jerry Proctor - June 10 - 4:53 pm

  Still a nice looking vehicle. Has the chrome 20" wheels updated headlights and door sill lights. But... @60,000 Miles, Repairs needed Differential leaks $4600.00 New Motor Mounts $2600.00 Trans axle Leak $1500.00 Seats are not real leather and have fallen apart. Uses a lot of gas and the tires are lasting about 30k.

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  Get out while you still can - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By yogamama - May 20 - 10:00 am

  The M-class is a disaster. My car arbitrarily stalls since the day I rolled it off the lot. Unfortunately, the only time it does this is when Im entering a busy road and need pick-up. Repeated trips to the dealership revealed nothing...except a waiting room of other angry M-class owners experiencing the same problem. Computers been updated three times. My friends with C class cars are having similar problems. My guess is that Mercedes tried to make a lower priced vehicle for the "masses," and unfortunately, sacrificed quality. There are many SUVs out there for the same price-without the kinks.

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  Warning( Lemon) save your money. - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By adrian cox - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Warning this is a bad car(lemon).I dont have enough room to list all the engine problems. My car would stallout when I would try to pass someone.It stalled out when I was accelerating from a complete stop.It stallout in the middle of a intersection. It repeatedly shutoff after I would refuel it.It had to be towed to the dealership(Rahal) after I couldnt (with the help of others)get it to start after refueling.In the first six months of ownership it had 16 problems .So I got a lawer.Just put it this way if you wont to know everything email me.

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  Bought A Lemon - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bought A Lemon - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Bought (2002) car June 22nd-crappy right from start. Returned for bad air flow sensor-first week. Car died in in parking lot had it towed in-second week. Dealer kept car 34days. Called lawyer-third week. Car has been parked for 4 months. If you buy a c240 you will need a good lawyer.

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  Please, stay away! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Chris - March 16 - 4:38 am

  Seeing the price of these cars on the used market is a tempting purchase. When everything is working it is overall a fantastic car, fast, good looking, comfortable, etc. HOWEVER: REGARDLESS of what anyone tells you, I doubt there is a more complicated and unreliable car on the market. In under one year, I have spent over $8,000 on unplanned repairs. This is not because the car wasnt maintained, they are just chronically unreliable. Suspension issues, getting stuck in park, trunk leaks, rattles, motor/transmission mounts, supercharger intercooler pump, alarm siren, trunk struts, this is a partial list of the problems that Ive had. Most of the reviews on here are overwhelmingly positive, but you need to see the dates - many 10+ years ago when the car was newer. Most recent reviews will attest to my warning: DO NOT LET THE LOOK/DRIVE OF THE CAR TEMPT YOU. The car moved from a "love/hate" relationship to a "mostly hate" relationship after being in the shop at least once a month. Oh, and as a daily driver over 14k miles it has averaged 13.5mpg in the suburbs, but you should know that going in - it costs to go fast. In summary, there is no such thing as a cheap MB SL, youre paying in depreciation or youre paying in maintenance, pick your poison.

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  Never Again for German Engineering - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Imakeugiggle - February 6 - 1:41 pm

  Steering column will not adjust up or down. This is a power titt and the dealer says we have to pay to maintain the lubrication. Ive been a service director for Honda,Toyota and Acura. Without a doubt the German engineers need to visit Japan. We have to remove most of the front fender to replace a headlight bulb.....absolutely ridiculous. Four words for this car....For Sale...Never Again. Back to Acura and Infinity.