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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  Very Pleased - with fingers crossed - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By DGS49 - April 25 - 5:36 pm

  This car is a HOOT to drive! It corners, brakes, and accelerates very nicely. It has just enough power to be fun, yet gets great mileage with the 6M. Although the interior is not spacious, the seats are comfortable and supportive. Im not a stereo buff, but I think the sound system is great. My only criticism of the driving experience is that the steering is over-assisted and lacks feel. Ive had no reliability issues thus far, and the dealer even replaced a hard-to-get-at bulb under warranty. I am using 4 snows and it has gone great in snow and ice, despite being RWD. There is some flexibility in tire sizing, and I was able to get 17" snows very reasonably from Tire Rack.

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  Little Black Beauty - 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Curtis Still - April 24 - 10:23 pm

  Car runs great! Great gas mileage, trunk space has plenty of room. We use this car to run around town and cart 2 kids around to sports activities. Its much easier to park than our GL450 and the backup camera is really nice. The front console is designed so you can put your cell phone in it and it will not slide around. The only negative remarks I have is in the back seat the cup holder is very cheaply made, nothing too heavy can go in it or it will break. The other is the moon roof cover is made of cheap fabric and prefer the solid look and feel of the GL450 model moon roof. The leather also doesnt seem to feel as nice as the GL450. Other than that, I feel the price we paid for a Mercedes out ways the other cars we had looked at (Subaru Outback, BMW X3, & Infiniti FX35.

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  Christmas tree - 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Not worth it - April 23 - 8:03 pm

  This car has so many problems its hard to tell where to start. The common thread is the constant check engine message. So many pretty lights come on its like a Christmas tree lighting up. Performance and mileage are a disappointment. Ride comfort is not at all what I would expect. My wife refuses to drive it, preferring a Saturn with over 200K.

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  ML500 - Very Poor Ride - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Not Too Happy - April 23 - 3:30 pm

  I am very unhappy with the ride. MB should be ashamed, no wonder they are loosing market share like anything. What the hell were they thinking when they designed the suspension system for this thing - ML500 with $50,000. The other problem, which my dealer tells me is normal - all tires are feathering a lot, he tells me this is normal. I am supposed to change the tires every 15-20000 miles? My god the ride is just so bad - 10 mins ride and your body is ready to fall a part. never expected a donut size tire either with MB, when others have full size spare. Dont know what to do with this.

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  First M Class - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Emory - April 23 - 10:00 am

  First Luxury SUV purchase. Benz was chosen primarliy because of safety features, 4 year initial service (included) (i.e. oil changes), and tele- aid communication system (simliar to OnStar). Vehicle also has good towing capability, and lots of room on the inside.

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  ML 350 - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By DeeJay - April 23 - 10:00 am

  Mercedes could of made the gas mile. on this a lot better considering that some V8 engines have 18 miles to the gallon like the bmw 745i or the jaguar xj8.

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  The Best - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Durga - April 23 - 10:00 am

  My experience with this vehicle has been nothing but a pleasure. I had no idea that driving could be so enjoyable. Until youve driven one, you dont know what youre missing.

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  A Car for All Season - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Albert Fairchild - April 22 - 6:36 pm

  Weve had this car for 7 months now, and it is our all time favorite vehicle. Elegantly designed and mechanically superb, we have driven it with pleasure and in comfort on snowy roads and in Washingtons steam-bath summer. The fuel mileage is not great (about 19 mpg), but that seems to be an inevitable tradeoff for cars of this class.

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  Charles Review - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By CHARLES - April 21 - 2:30 am

  I have driven the car 13,000 miles since September. Car has been a joy to drive. Handles great with great gas mileage, esp highway (32 MPG). It is a great looking car with the AMG package. Could use a little more power off the line but has good acceleration past 25 mph. The base stereo system is better than expected.

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  Do not trade your Lexus for it! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Oleg - April 18 - 12:56 pm

  I get used to my 2004 Lexus navigation system and now I am not able to find a Starbucks Coffee in LA. According to Mercedes-Benz, the closed Starbucks is in Oregon. The height of the inside mirror is not adjustable and tall people like me will need to lie down on the passenger sit making the right turn. The half of storage compartment is used by the Bluetooth adapter so you can store only a pair of glasses in it. There are hidden costs. After purchasing the vehicle you will discover that you have to pay extra $400 for the Bluetooth adapter (standard with the Lexus navigation system). The car runs smoothly and has a lot of power, but these small things may spoil the fun of driving it.