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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  Great Car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By AndyAMG - March 6 - 10:00 am

  Best car Ive driven. AMG has done it again

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  She is a beauty! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By eastcostbenz - March 6 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car! picked it up last week from FL and drove it up about 1,200 miles to the east coast, despite the long drive, it was a breeze, the car felt rock solid, noise road was minimum considering the fact I had 19 inch tires on it. It handels beautifuly, the engine is responsive enough when you need it to be, and make no mistake about it, you feel like you "own" the road when you are behind the wheels. Great car, it wont handle like my 540i, but thats not what this car is for. By the way I was averaging about 23MPG highway driving and thats not bad for for a 5L V8.

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  MB E350 sedan - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By retfalvi - March 5 - 8:30 am

  Turned back from Audi to Mercedes and I do not regret it. I was hunting for the right car for a while...I found it in this MB. It is the absolute pleaser in every possible ways. Ride, comfort, appearance are all in balance. I dont think you could go wrong with this car.

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  Over Priced Junk - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Andy - March 4 - 6:30 pm

  This vehicle is advertised and sold as a sports sedan. Not even close. This car cant get out of its own way. Very disappointed in the performance and build quality of this Mercedes-Benz. If youre looking for a true sports sedan, dont buy these vehicles. I will never purchase a Mercedes again. Overpriced junk. There is much better quality, performance and pricing in the market.

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  Disappointed Buyer - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Jez - March 4 - 12:40 am

  A few months after purchasing my vehicle the air bag light came on. The problem was fixed but another problem came up. The coolant level indicator appeared. Recently, the car has been brought in for steering bearing problems and the transmission jerks. The steering bearing, computer module, and transmission valve has been replaced. But the car still jerks. I have brought the car in for this problem 4 times. Now they are telling me that the jerking is normal. Ive never driven a car that jerks so I dont think its normal. Im so disappointed that I bought a Mercedes and it turned out to be a piece of crap. I thought Mercedes makes good quality cars thats why its so expensive.

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  My 2003 Merc - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Rajan - March 2 - 2:00 am

  Drives well, Brakes superiorly. Lacks a litle space in the back. Maybe another 2 to 3 inces of leg spaces would make it a true competitor to the S-Class.

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  Fast, Gorgeous & Fun - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Merl - March 2 - 2:00 am

  Truely the most fun to drive. I have fun every time I drive it. I saw a recent review that said that the arm rest was too hard and in another that the truck was too small. Get a life! Ive looked at all the coupes out there. This one will travel with two sets of golf clubs and the top down. This car leaves all of them in the dust and is great to look at standing still or on the move.

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  Slim & Trim - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Lee Schlough - February 29 - 6:40 pm

  This car was purchased by my mother in law and my wife acquired it when she passed. Great second car, nice looking but lacks a good sized trunk and is a bit tight for a guy 6 ft 2. Great car for ladies.

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  Great car, expensive repairs - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Al - February 28 - 5:20 pm

  I have owned this car for about 6 months now - had 75K miles on it when I bought it, now has 83K miles. It feels solid and drives wonderfully. But shortly after I bought the car, it started breaking down; piece by piece. And the repairs are so darn expensive. All in all, I would not recommend this car to anyone as what you will pay for repairs will probably exceed what youve paid for the car itself. Unless you have saved up an additional $10K for repairs and you are willing to spend all of it, do yourself a favor and stay away from this car.

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  Back to BMW - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By HB - February 27 - 2:30 pm

  How about 6 flat tires in 14 months!?! Have not had 6 flats in 30 years of driving. Low profile tires cant handle any kind of pothole. Major reliability problem. Also - quirkiness of accelration and braking makes driving experience less enjoyable. Strange buzzing and vibration from various motors also hurts the experience. Too many weird characteristics for a $60k+ dream car. Im selling and buying a Bimmer.