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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  Could be better - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By mbcar - May 5 - 2:26 am

  Car drives great. Average around 30mpg on the highway. Chrome is coming off the gear shifter and cup holder. Cig. lighter does not work, door sensor for windows/sunroof does not work. Dealership fixed door sensor once already. Radio stopped working. Electronics on this car seem to be the weakest point, plus cheap interior parts. 1,000 miles before last oil change the check oil light come on, checked and was 4 qts low on oil. Car only has 43,000 miles on it and doesnt smoke and isnt driven hard. A/C smells like a used tampon on fresh air. I assume its the fresh air filter. Had to replace both front fender liners - very easy to break.

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  Great Car but - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By jason brasil - May 4 - 2:00 am

  lots of annoying little problems; 1. the cruise control stick fell off at 10K miles. dealer fixed. 2. thumbing noise from driving wheel in tight turns. dealer never managed to fix the problem. 3. light bulbs in the instrument cluster burned out at 30K miles. dealer fixed. 4. LCD temperature and gear indicator malfunction. dealer fixed.

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  Love it! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By veronica - May 4 - 2:00 am

  i drove the vehicle for 10 straight months to commute appro. 50 miles each way and it handled everything! it is so comfortable and smooth... difficult to keep you honest on a 65mph speed limit highway because you dont even realize you are going 80. the subtle details are absolutely appreciated... especially the way it lights up when you remotely unlock your doors. i like that they did not add rear-winshield wipers to compromise the design concidering it is not that useful and looks tacky on a small car. another great feature is whole fog light system!! i test drove several cars in its range and none felt as solid, classy and worthy of the cost... i love it.

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  When your New Benz Breaks Down - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By NewportBeach - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car on August 1st and she was in the shop on August 5th. Things happen. But guess what....Mercedes does have 2005 parts in stock in US...or Germany. After two months of driving a loaner. I started with letters to MBUSA. Threat of Lawsuits...etc. Finally, since the dealer was waiting till the cows came home. MBUSA intervened, they have asked someone to send the part over from factory. It is now October 20 and I am still waiting for my car.

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  Many Repairs - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By strollershopper - April 30 - 8:06 am

  Bought this 05 4Matic certified pre- owned two years ago. I have never had a car which was this new, in the shop as many times as this! Valve cover blew, problems with the automatic window/sunroof "summer" feature in the door handle, voltage regulator replacement after dash lights kept dimming, differential replacement, and now, knocking in the front end. Interior feels cheap, radio is absolutely horrible. "Leather seating inserts" are a crafty way of saying "mostly vinyl." Loud clunking of windshield wipers, and blasting loud defroster which first makes the windows totally fogged up, then clears them. Go figure with that one.

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  6 month toy - 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By duck - April 30 - 2:00 am

  The looks this car gets are off the charts, but they come at a hefty price. I only drive my SL500 6 months a year. Therein lies the problem; already expensive cost of ownership, exacerbated by spreading the costs over only six months. That said, I still keep it, and wait for the spring to bring nice weather. The thrill of hitting the accelerator on this 300+ HP beast is beyond compare. Driving with the top down on a nice day is one of the finest auto experiences around. Then, pulling into valet parking of a crowded cafe or club is bound to stroke the ego of any redblooded American male.

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  Interior needs work, the rest is great - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ssilver - April 29 - 1:26 pm

  I have had my 2003 Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG for a little over six months. I love the engine, it seems to be put together rather well (I havent had any problems in 4,000 miles), but the interior is awful. The ac/heater/wiper/c.control/pwr seat controls are worse than in the 1990 Nissan that I had. The cup holder is only symbolic, the lack of navigation and an in dash multi disk CD player is absurd at these price levels. If I could have taken my 2001 Saabs interior and put it into this car it would be perfect. Fortunately as soon as you put your foot down the thing takes off!

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  Downsizing - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By bob meyers - April 23 - 10:06 am

  Went from a 2008 E 350, I had ben given a C300 4 matic as a loaner car for service. Drives like my many BMWs, great ride, very comfortable. Staff where I work just love the looks, fuel consumption could be better otherwise I love my car

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  Easy to drive and manuever. - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Hanz - April 22 - 7:36 pm

  Excellent manueverability and flexibility. Easy parking and driving . Quick take off and speeding when entering freeway. 6 CD player

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  If you cant afford the Millennium Falcon - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By wolvesq - April 19 - 12:55 pm

  I always wanted to be a fighter pilot, but couldnt qualify thanks to defective eyesight. So I compensated and bought a C63 sedan. The raison detre of this car is the its bellowing, angry, demonic V8. Lay into it and the thrust is unreal; life-affirming if youre into that sort of thing. Much more low end torque than a non-turbo 911 (my former car,) an M3 (which I test drove,) or almost anything else south of $100k. An M3 is more lithe and a better track car, but for day to day driving, I think the C63 is near perfect if you enjoy a T-Rex under your hood. I picked the sedan over the coupe for practical and aesthetic reasons. Note you pay the inevitable mileage tax for the insane power