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 OK - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Its OK. - April 29 - 5:26 pm

  Ive had the wagon for about six months now and its a good car. I havent had any problems to speak of. The seats are firm, but not the most comfortable, I could drag a house down the street with this thing, but wont any races, and my mileage is excellent (avg. 21mpg hwy/cty), all typical of a diesel. That said, everything electric about it is inferior to the domestic wagons. The power lift- gate is slow and doesnt always close, the nav. is a pain to use and slow in responding, the rain sensing wipers typically do what they want, even on a sunny day, and the front parking "see dead people" and want to warn me about it. If youre thinking about a 4wd wagon, check out the Flex, cool & cheap.

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  ML 350 bluetec - 2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jay258 - April 28 - 10:47 am

  I have had the bluetec ML for about 4 months now. I have logged in about 9000 miles. No problems yet. Ride is excellent especially on highway. I am averaging about 25 mpg on mixed driving.

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  DREAM CAR - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Mother of 3 boys - April 28 - 2:00 am

  This has been my dream car from the moment I saw it years ago. And I finally got one. It is sporty, handles extremely well, just an overall fun and powerful car. I absolutely love it!!!! But as a mother of 3 boys I had to keep a second car. This one is just not made for a family. But I still LOVE it!!!

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  Instead of a Toyota - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By wpavel - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car from a friend about a year ago with 48,000 miles to use it as a weekend car. I paid less than I did for my new Camry that I drive daily. But when the weekend arrives I allow myself pleasure of the way this car handles, performs. I had forgot the nature of a rear wheel drive car, and how different the car moves through a corner. The supercharged engine doesnt know the meaning to stop, and can pull the car well over the legal speed limit without even trying. The interior, and finish are just great. Its a car the plays to the senses. Looking for reliable transportation at a good value by Toyota. What a car for the soul? Drive a Mercedes

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  ML500 in Canada - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By CanadaML500 - April 28 - 2:00 am

  My ML500 has seen Canadian winter (Toronto) so I can attest to its snow bound abilities. Excellent and fun vehicle to drive. Currently own an 02 Audi 3.0 6 Speed as well and driving the wifes MB is always a pleasant treat. HID headlights are a severe nuisance to other drivers at night (their problem!). Only negatives are gas mileage SUCKS (youll think you have a leak in your gas tank) and youll go thru tires relatively quickly. Positives; great fun, excellent build quality, superior power (and I mean SUPERIOR), great all- weather vehicle offering outstanding stability and grip, also, did I say lots of power in that 5 liter engine yet?

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  Expensive with Chrysler Quality - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Eds - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for just under 3 years. Next week it goes back in again for service, I have a total of 18 defectives, more than 3 other cars combined over 10 years. I think Mercedes has recreated the electrical system problems that Jaguar was known for in the past...... This car needs to be sold before the warranty ends. My impression is Mercedes does not care.

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  e55amg - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By stefano - April 28 - 2:00 am

  exelent nice best car performance look interior exselent keyles go

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  Best and Sexy Convertible - 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By JimmyD-MDRT - April 28 - 1:53 am

  Comparing to 06911S, its slower but more modern interior features. Command System in 09SL is so old to same year in LS460. Exterior and interior of this SL550 are so sexy in Red/Tan. Im really loving this 09SL better than 05SL,560SL,380SL and 280SL I had before!

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  Great Value - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By sactcclass - April 26 - 10:00 am

  Original owner and I am very pleased with this vehicle. With the exception of a couple of minor problems (both covered under warranty), this vehicle has been trouble-free. The ride, handling, safety features and level of equipment is great, as is the MPG (27- 30). In addition, the costs incurred to maintain this vehicle has been reasonable, probably because the FSR seems to extend the time/mileage between service visits.

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  Economical car, but weak horsepower - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Michael L - April 26 - 1:00 am

  This car has been very reliable and never had it towed to the shop as of yet now that it has 168,000 miles. This glossy black car looks very classy and luxurious at all levels. It drives well when the speedometer is over 60 MPH+ on the freeway, but from the get go it is slow because of the car is heavy and the engine is a sohc inline-4 with 148 horsepower. My cost of repairs on this car has been reasonable because the C220 had less features. Now the car is 14 years old and there are some wear and tear items that need to be addressed, but as long as it drivable and safe it should be no problems.