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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  Got what I was looking for - 2008 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By NSIM - April 8 - 2:50 pm

  We were looking for a vehicle which could accommodate a 6 member family. Test drove most of the vehicles and finally ended up on the best one. We just love the class and comfort of Mercedes. Though I am bit skeptical about the Mercs notorious reliability, everything is fine so far. Its absolutely quiet inside and got decent accelaration for such a heavy vehicle. Overall I give it a 95% score

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  Quick and Fun For Less - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Kennyboy - April 8 - 2:00 am

  Great experience with this car. People stop and ask me about it all the time. Mines is Blk w/ Blk int. Hard to keep clean but worth the headache. Had an early problem with the SRS light coming on with in the first two months, but other than that worry free! I would recommend it to anyone looking to get into something sporty, good on gas and affordable. Oh yeah and A MERCEDES!!!

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  Best car ever built - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Frank Girardi - April 8 - 2:00 am

  Best Mercedes ever built

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  Mercedes-Benz hits a home run with the CLA - 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
  By tonyride - April 7 - 12:54 am

  I got my CLA250 about 1.5 month ago and after driving it for about 1500 miles I absolutely love the car. The sticker price was $40,025 ($38,700 negotiated) with Premium/Multimedia/Sports packages, Bi-Xenon head lights with LED tail lights, and Panorama roof. I love the driving dynamics of the car and the fuel economy is amazing. Being able to choose between Econ, Sport, and Manual mode is a plus. The Stop/Go feature took a little getting use to but now it doesnt bother me. You can always turn that feature off if you want. I get a lot of looks and double takes when Im driving around and people have even asked me about it. I got a set of winter tires/wheels so I can drive it all year round.

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  Mercedes Benz C350 Sport AMG package - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ck - April 6 - 11:00 pm

  I first saw the C350 on TV late 2007 i wanted to trade in my 05 C230 for a new car. I was also test driving 3 series BMW, Saab, infinty g35 and even the Nissan 350Z a much sportier car. I tallied up the plusses for each car including the c350 to come up with the best decision, by this time I have test driven all cars including the Benz which was stuningly beautiful in person.. The ride interior quality, over all quality, styling, mpg w/c is fairly good. And room. The Benz was the clear choice. On top of that I added the amg package, navigation, Sirius, oh and I have a 4gig hardrive pcmcia which was hard to find. I dont have to use my ipod no more. Best deal for the buck

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  Review for Mercedes C240 - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By sandra - April 6 - 1:33 pm

  I bought the C240 in Jan. 2005 and love it. It is a new vehicle with 6 miles to begin with on it. It is stylish and handles well. It is wider than the Volvo that I traded in and feels a lot heavier and safer to drive.The panel is clear and easy to follow/program. It is good in snow and severe weather which is why I bought it since I live in the mountains (Park City, Ut). It doesnt have the power that the Volvo S60 had but has more power than the C240 that I had in 2002. I am pleased with the car and the way it handles.

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  Less is More - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By lessismore - April 5 - 10:10 pm

  When I picked up this car the salesman said that Id be getting all the build quality and safety features of the very expensives MBs. I thought "sure". He was right. My other two previous cars had both been back to the dealer for repairs in the first six months. Not this one. Theres just something about a Mercedes that connects the owner to it. No wonder people keep them for years and hundreds of thousands of miles. Im still finding small features now even after 6 months.

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  Superb Luxury Car - Feel like a King! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Dr. Warren Bruhl - April 5 - 3:00 pm

  I recently purchased this 2003 Mercedes S430 with 4matic and I was pleasantly surprised how well it handles the harsh winter snows with ample reliability and confidence. The luxury interior is wonderful and it garners great respect even from my 14 year old daughter. I love the way it feels to drive this car and I have been pleasantly surprised by the gas mileage. Driving this car makes me feel secure and confident. It is a truly an executive car driving experience.

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  An SUV Oxymoron - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Del - April 3 - 10:00 am

  How can we say we love our ML 320 when it has been in the shop 9 time in 2 years. We have not paid a dime other than the HUGE aggrevation factor and there is an uneasinees of "What is next?" The main aggrevation is the unsolvable warm weather hesitation problem. We have driven a 2002 and a 2003 M-Class loaners that had the exact same hesitation. It is truly a great ride and one of the safest vehicles availble. However, we will not own it ouside of the warranty period.

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  my benz - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By rob c - April 3 - 10:00 am

  Great car love the design. Customer service has a lot to be desired (BAYSIDE dealership very shoddy at best). A good bang for the buck. Bought car certified and saved about $10000.