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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  My 2nd MLV8! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By RockyM - December 12 - 6:10 pm

  I traded in my 2006 ML500 for this 2008ML550 because I wanted a few more options such as a hitch and backup camera. My 06ML was wonderful and I had no problems for the three years I owned it! My new 08ML550 is awesome! The extra 80 hp makes it even more powerful (ML500 was fast to me) and the gas mileage is about the same! How do they do that? The quality is top notch and this vehicle is so much fun to drive! Love it!

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  Perfect- save for no manual trans option - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By botandrews - December 12 - 12:36 am

  Great car

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  Serious Speed in a Sedan - 2005 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By D Coz - December 11 - 9:50 am

  This is a first class car. It is quick off the line and even quicker when you accelerate from 70 up. The transition of power is real smooth and with the sport package wheels its flashy with a minimum of chrome. I love the car and all my friends envy me now. Best car Ive ever had. Buy one if you can afford it. Its slick!

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  Slick-looking luxury, fun and safety - 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Charles Sutnick - December 9 - 5:50 pm

  My 2009 CLS550 is a step down from my 2007 S550. But not by much. Same engine, same transmission, same COMAND system functions, same Harmon- Kardon logic 7 sound system (2 fewer speakers than the S550). Superb performance which you can customize six different ways" choice of Sport or Comfort transmission shifting, coupled with Comfort, Sport 1, or Sport 2 suspension and body control. You can also downshift the 7-speed transmission using the gear shift knob if you want. Navigation improvements for 09 include gasoline brand logos instead of the old pump logo. The iPod interface is now standard, The LED rear turn signals are eye catching. Rear headroom stinks.

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  2013 Mercedes Sprinter - 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By Robert kinsler - December 9 - 2:06 pm

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  Built like no other - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By said 56 - December 8 - 5:00 pm

  Stand out in a look a like market. Perfect mid size. Comfortable yet firm ride, luxury interior, easy to read layout. Best E class yet. I have been driving Mercedes for 27 years. I love this car

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  Great Car - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By KP - December 5 - 5:33 am

  I bought this car in August after doing a quick look at the Q5 and XC60. The Q5 was too expensive with the options I wanted, and XC60 wasnt as refined. You will enjoy the creamy engine and transparent shifting. IF you do live in a cratered environment like northern NJ, forego the appearance pkg and keep the 19" wheels. It handles like a sedan around corners with little body lean but the rear suspension does jostle a bit over rough pavement. I am extremely impressed with the quality of reliability of this car as well as its vault-like solidity. The COMAND system really sold this car for me, its absolutely amazing! If you can handle its small size, it really is a gr8 buy!

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  Great Car - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Happy - December 4 - 12:56 pm

  My wife loves this car!! She has always wanted a coupe, but hated the big doors. The CLS500 has the best of both worlds. The head room in the rear is more than acceptable for a coupe and it is the best looking car Ive seen in a while. The build quality is great and Mercedes has always taken better care of us.

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  SL550 The Fast, the beautiful and the so - 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By fibblefester - December 2 - 3:50 am

  Just finished a 2,000 mile trip in our newly acquired 07. We drove it from Illinois to Oklahoma City, a trip that had us passing over interstate highways at 75 MPH and rolling through the backroads in Oklahoma. This amazing beast transport the passengers with a feeling of swift, solid sure footedness and capability. The engine is ferocious- at 100 MOH it is barely breathing hard. At more down to earth levels of speed it gets over 27 MPG. Thats right, we saw 27.8 MPG indicated and our math upon fillup confirmed the number. The seats are nothing short of nirvana in terms of features and adjustability. The Sat Nav works well and Sirius Radio is a wonder. The SL 550 is simply word class.

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  Fun and more.... - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Dave761 - December 2 - 2:00 am

  The car lives up to everything I have enjoyed about Mercedes. I have had three other models and this one is the most fun to drive.