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:

• 

  A mixed review - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By alan j. reis, m.d. - June 11 - 12:40 am

  The vehicle was ordered with a factory installed towing package. It was forgotten by the factory and can not be added post-market. It also mated with the Mercedes bicycle rack. This was a real bummer. The dealership said this was a fairly common factory problem. Not great for the Alabama Mercedes Quality Control. While I was offered a few sweeteners to take a vehicle without the towing package, it ended up leaving a somewhat sour taste in my mouth. I have contacted Germany to see if more can be done. I thought they were really committed to getting the US factory bugs worked out. The center console opens in two different ways and the latch sticks. That is a minor concern.

• 

  Solid, Small, Classy SUV - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Little Tank - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I have had the GLK for about 1 week now after driving a BMW X5. It has everything..I wanted something smaller in AWD/SUV that handled like a sports car, GLK is smaller, drives like a car but you sit a bit higher. This is definitely a smaller SUV than a BMW X3. Handles well, not as smooth driving as X5, but much better drive than a BMW X3 which I also have owned. Takes bumps well, looks classy and different than everything else in a SUV on the road. Navigation is easy to control, bells and whistles are plentiful but not too difficult once you review the manual. Gas mpg about 18 for city/hwy mixed driving. Im 53" so getting in and out is easy for me which was an important consideration.

• 

  It is OK - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By DC mercedes owner - June 7 - 5:43 pm

  After having driven Volvos for 30 years, I decided I needed a change so purchased a Mercedes C300 Luxury 4matic after test driving a number of cars. The car is easy to drive and very easy to park. It holds the road well. The seats could be a little softer. The visibility during the day is excellent. I purchased the Premium 1 package. The rain sensing wipers as part of the package only work well when it is raining hard- a time when the regular wipers would provide the same performance. The auto-dimming rear view mirror blacks out almost completely when there is a car behind you- I find this extremely dangerous since one is not able to change lanes safely under the circumstances.

• 

  Most fun luxury sedan/check engine light - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By gsaylors - June 5 - 2:00 am

  I turn heads and people cant believe what you can get them for. However, my gripe is that in six months, it has been in to the dealership five times at least. Starmark is great but beware many things are not covered, I have paid $1000 out of pocket already and claimed $2000 more. And I also have the popping seat frame on acceleration etc. as another reviewer mentioned.(not covered by starmark). This is truly a love/hate relationship and my local service dept. hasnt impressed me with misdiagnoses only to be fixed at another dealership. Hope you all wont be as unlucky as me. In closing though this car is a wonderful combination of luxury and sport feel.

• 

  beware vaporware - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Klaus is in the hous - June 5 - 2:00 am

  2004s are "satelite ready" but Mercedes is not saying when the Sirius Satelite radios will indeed be available. And of course the electronics are such that you cant have one installed at your local Tweeter store. You pay for a feature that may never arrive and end up with a system that you cant modify on your own. Only the in dash CD player plays mp3 CDs -not the 6 CD changer in the trunk, which by the way, a Mercedes techical bulliten says jams. Disappointing to say the least. Ill revisit the Phaeton or wait for 2005 to start the search anew.

• 

  If not so heavy - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By glnsbnz - June 5 - 2:00 am

  So far so good. Very tight and fun road car. The price paid for safety and features(top,roll bar,..) is its noticeable weight. ABC suspension and smooth and powerful engine compensate darn well. Quite an engineering masterpiece.

• 

  2002 C230 Kompressor /Coupe - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By johnny3691 - June 2 - 1:24 pm

  Do not buy a 2002 C230 Kompressor, I bought it new in Mid-2001 and now have 155k. The following work are being done now and some work were done last year: Cost around $3000.00 Front Suspension shock absorbers Front Right sway Bar link Adjust wheel bearings Left and right torque struts left lower ball joint Sway Bar Front Brake Pads and Rotors Maintenance average $2000.00-$2500.00 in 2008-2009. Right lower ball joints/Arms. The engine lights problem was very expensive to fix. I spent $2500.00 for check engine light problems and the problem only went away for about 1 week. The dealer simply told me to pay more money to replace more parts. I finally gave up on the engine light.

• 

  Unfilled expections - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By BDriver - June 1 - 10:00 am

  Potentially great auto. Good power, great torque, great gas milliage. The reliability of the car is terrible. It has been towed five (5) times! Three times for total failure of the compressor required to support air-suppension system. Complete transmission failure at less than 70.000 miles. (replaced under starmart extended warrenty.) "Water" in electronics module totally dissabled. Other problems: glove box replaced, GPS/Navagations system inoperative. Front passenger window oftens fails to raise.

• 

  Found a lemon - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By DFreeman - May 29 - 10:00 am

  Its a beautiful car, no question. My problems have been astronomic. Replaced the tires at 25000 miles. Poor wear in city driving. At 28000 miles I started burning a liter of oil per month. By 30000 miles, it had increased to 3 liters per month. Have since had the engine rebuilt. Mercedes said a new engine would cost 30k but to rebuild it would only cost 10k. They opted for the cheaper alternative. Other than that the car is fun to drive. Not crazy about the cd player in the trunk. Handles the road and is very attractive.

• 

  Not what I expected - 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By soregluteus - May 23 - 2:16 pm

  My first Benz. I was glad to read a lot of positive reviews. The following makes me sound like a real whiner, but I gotta say it because I researched this car a lot before I purchased. Previous BMW and Lexus owner. First the good: Great looking, solid, smooth, and fast. Now the negative: Is it only me that thinks these seats are uncomfortable? I keep waiting to "get used to it". Still not happening. No power lumbar? Get real. No backup camera available? Toyota has it on every product. I just expected a lot more from a Mercedes. The name cant carry the reputation too much longer.