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:

• 

  Original Owner now 17 years - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Eric Martin - May 28 - 2:41 pm

  The best thing I can say for my 2000 ML 320 is that every time I test drive another SUV with the temptation to buy something new, I am more appreciative of my ML. The vehicle remains rock solid, and extremely comfortable. Granted, I only have 90K on it, but because it is from local use, I have put the interior through a lot of use. The leather seats were a wonderful choice, and are still flawless. Yes, there are sometimes repair issues, but over the past 17 years my average monthly cost has been well within the range of ownership of any premium vehicle. Ill probably drive my ML until the wheels fall off, and only God knows when that will be!

• 

  Great value - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Frank - May 25 - 11:33 pm

  Perhaps the best value on the market. Great fuel efficiency and pep and sporty styling are big pluses. Tires wear out quickly though and front and rear sizes are different. When my Michelins wore out at 15,000 I found some Bridgestone Fuzions that are much better and more reasonably priced.

• 

  2000 ML320 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MB newbee - May 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought this SUV last month before doing my usual online investigative work. I admit I bought the vehicle because I liked the drive, image and I actualy fit behind the wheel (64"). I have 6 months left on the factory warrantee and I am having the local MB dealer check out the usual bugs reported in the reviews I read here. I notice some folks love the ML320 while others seem to hate it due to build quality. I hope I got one of the "good" ones..

• 

  ABSOLUTE LEMON - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By eclipse82 - May 23 - 3:13 am

  I bought this car with 39K miles on it and now have 124K on it. Here is a list of the issues wither fixed and/or still broken... Car caught Fire at Mercedes - A/C Blower Shorted out, Causing Fuse Box to catch fire and burnt underneath Dash. They informed me the Technician received minor burns when trying to put out the fire. -New Alarm Siren (it would go off randomly) -2 Alternators (Voltage Regulator goes bad) -New Door Lock on Driver and passenger Side doors -New RF Sensor on Driver door for the Key-less Remote -2 New Thermostats -1 Driver Side Door Handle -2 Passenger side Door handles and NOW Broke for 3rd time -Rear Glass was replaced because when rear defroster was turned on it would m

• 

  Better Luck Last Year - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By KL - May 19 - 10:23 pm

  I had a 1999, then a 2002 ML 320. We set our hopes too high for the 2006. So far we have been less than satisfied. It has been the shop for erratic transmission shifting in stop and go traffic, and the transmission is noisy when shifting into park, reverse etc. Lots of plastic, you can see the Chrysler influence. No additional storage under seats. On the open road, the ride is smooth and more quiet than previous models. Hope they figure it out because the overall design is great. I should have kept the the 02 at least until they worked out the kinks. Although, we may have a lemon on our hands.

• 

  Excellent for all year round use. - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Leo - May 15 - 2:00 am

  This is the best all year round car, especially if you need to drive in winter conditions. However, do not expect a sporty ride. In turns, it sometimes feels like a boat. The Continental tires that came with the new car was poor in handling corners and in tread life, the Michelin that I changed to was much better.

• 

  The R-500 (S500 Station wagon) - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By EmAnBkLyN - May 12 - 3:43 am

  Just picked the car up this weekend. I LOVE IT! Handles like a dream, the V8 pulls! I am a 740IL owner and I feel the speed on this car. The AWD handling is just great! A lot of people think its a minivan. No, it is not! Its an S500 Station wagon build in the states.

• 

  Thought it would be better - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By lbf - May 8 - 10:30 am

  Great car until it hit 107,000. New power steering pump $1000. Next month emmission air pump $1400. Drove it 4 miles check engine light came on again. Must clean engine vents. Maybe cleaned externaly for $650. If that does not work - $2000+. m selling the car. Lots of little stuff goes wrong.

• 

  Mercedes Failure - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By German cars - May 4 - 10:36 am

  Well, I wrote a review and was very pleased after 3 weeks. After a year, I had to get rid of, because I could not stand the tire/suspension problems. Car pulls badly to the right. Dealer says, "Oh, thats just the crown in the road causing that." No way! Wore out tires at 16000 miles and needs an alignment every 3 months. Car gets aligned, and runs true for a few months before starting to pull again. Sorry I ever doubted BMW. Do yourself a favor. Check out the driving characteristics first. If you go on the Mecedes forums, you will see many have the same disappointment.

• 

  Does not meet expectations - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Lucky1 - May 3 - 3:46 pm

  About 3 months ago I picked up my first MB: a 2001 C320, one owner, 51,000 miles, garage-kept, and appeared well cared for. I am GREATLY disappointed in the paint. The paint easily chips, exposes the metal below and begins to "spider" out with blistering rust underneath the surrounding paint. If left unchecked, the car will be a mess in less than a year. It reminds me of the 72 AMC Gremlin my father purchased for less than $2k. The paint job was horrible and did not last a year! Never in my wildest dreams did I think that paint would be a problem with this car. I have stuck to American cars until this one and I am sorry I did not purchase another Cadillac or a Buick. I miss my Cadillac!