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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  Faulty Cam gears - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By frustrated43 - August 12 - 1:38 pm

  $6,000.00 repair bill to replace Faulty cam gears. The metal that the cam gears were made of is too soft. You will have problem in or around 65,000 miles and MB will not help you with it other then taking your $6,000. This is the worst vehicle I have ever owned in my 30 years of car ownership.

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  ml 320 - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By rowland - August 11 - 5:56 am

  been in shop alot/hate interior controls lay out/ air control knob is joke. but nice ride/ fun.

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  My First and Last Mercedes...Never Again - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Recuser - August 10 - 2:00 am

  Motor was replaced at 20,000 miles. Repeated transmission leaks, Power stearing went out, windows failed several times, goo smeared up the windows from inside the door the first summer, sun roof failed, numerous "check engine" lights (in addition to that listed above) requiring trips to the dealer for repair. A/C is inadequate for the size of the vehicle (corrected in later year models) Mercedes mechanics and customer service has been excellent. They certainly get enough practice with the M-Class.

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  Bad Experience - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Hannah - August 8 - 10:00 am

  Since you dont have the 2002 C230-K yet available for comment on your site, I felt impelled to share a few comments about mine.The car is very cute from the outside, and pretty comfy from the inside, however I have had to bring the vehicle to the dealership 5 times over the past year.The all glass sunroof squeaks all the time,no matter what temp outside. They just cant seem to get it right. The ball bearings had to be changed already and the front windshield leaked thru to the floor. The side mirror lights have blown out twice in one year.I am very disappointed with the car and would not consider purchasing another Mercedes.

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  Car falling apart on the way home - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By First time Mercedes - July 26 - 11:10 pm

  I dont think you are going to believe what my wife and I just experienced this afternoon: Just bought a brand-new C300 from Smythe Europeans about 5 hours ago. Very nice, short experience with the sales manager: Nice guy, very good deal. We got home, noticed that a bigger chunk of rubber was sticking out in the corner of the drivers door. Also inside, a little piece of carpet between passengers seat and the middle was missing. We drove back "Sorry, cant do anything, you need to come back on Monday." 2nd time coming home, the long rubber piece below the drivers door CAME OFF - literally! Can you believe it? Nice design, but my wife cant even enjoy the first day with her new car now...

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  Biggest mistake of my life. - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jerry - July 7 - 1:40 am

  I purchased this used from a MB dealer with only 35000 miles. The moment I left the dealership, I started having problems with shaking, idling rough. It took 3 visits to the MB dealer in Florida before they corrected the problem. I have had this car in the shop so many times I lost count. Everything goes wrong with this piece of junk: Electrical system, door locks, instrument computer, door handle fell off, gaskets, seals, wheel problems, rotors, oil smells, AC going out, lights burning out constantly, etc. The service plan I purchased ($3500.00) ended up not covering most of the things and when it did, I paid $200 deductible each and every time.

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  REPEATED COSTLY REPAIRS - NIGHTMARE - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By WARRENFDS - July 5 - 7:23 am

  expensive repairs. seat electronics cost $4000. remote key did not work, omni bar changed $1000. Spark plug wires defective recommeded fix $1500. Defective Lower front control arms fix $750. These are not routine maintenance issues but defective manufacturing which I do not expect on a $40,000 german car. Pls do not buy Mercedese if they are not able to guarantee defective products in their vehicles.

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  Good performance, reliability disappoints - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Charles - July 2 - 11:13 pm

  Purchased model year 1995 E320 wagon in 2003 with 63,000 miles on it. Although it is a wagon, it drives like a sedan and is actually quite fun to drive. The cargo capacity cannot be beat. Primary issue is maintenance and reliability. Just about every part that can break has broken. Spent more on maintenance and repair than original purchase price. From overhauled transmission to the litany of sensors gone bad, this car is not any better than a usually maligned "American" car.

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  Bad electrical system - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By kmak - June 28 - 2:40 am

  Great car fun to drive. Lots of electrical problems, cant remember how many times I have had the radio repaired or replaced, still not fixed. Dont waste your money on this one.

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  more hassle than its worth - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By first&lastbenz - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Like many of the other reviews, so many electrical issues, especially in the cold weather. seat warmers take forever vs other competitors. windows not functioning (bad switch) was the biggest pain in the a**. so many interior noises (buzz, squeaks, rattles & wind noise). VERY CHEAP looking interior. also had transmission issues. my job consists of entertaining and driving customers around and i am constantly embarassed with this vehicle. never again. MB just lost another customer.