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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  best car i have ever owned - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By barrys - November 11 - 10:00 am

  this car is the best car i have ever known.. performance, looks, styling, technology and handling...its the best... period

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  The Finest Luxury Sports Car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By jimminy - November 11 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car. It has meet all of my expectations and is a fine companion to my other Benz, an S500.

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  Were in love with this car! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By JohnCaron - November 11 - 10:00 am

  We love this car! This is just such a nice solid car on the road. The handling is superb - at any speed.. Very luxurious.

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  Great Little Car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Dokfrank - November 10 - 4:53 pm

  Fun little car. I needed something practical but still a good time and this fit the bill. I have 66,000 on it and no major problems. It handles well, accelerates well, and does well on gas. Halfway between a Porsche 911 and a Honda Civic Hatchback. Great little computer to remind of every maintenance and when you are short on fluids. Automatic wipers and lights. All you have to do is drive, the car does the rest. Sometimes the wipers are fooled by repeating shadows but it is not a huge nuisance.

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  BEST CAR OF THE WORLD, PERIOD. - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Omi - November 9 - 10:00 am

  There is no car in the world that can beat Mercedes-Benz. That car is build for generation. These car goes over 500,000 miles with recommended maintenances. People who dont like Mercedes should look forward to themselves, instead of vehicle. If you are not satisfied with Mercedes-Benz of Stuttgart, Germany then you are not satisfied with your LIFE.

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  My 2006 C230 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Ra - November 8 - 6:56 am

  Great car. I have only had it for two weeks but it rides smooth and comfortable. Pretty good power but it could use more torque like the 2.3 kompressor engine.

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  Comfortable but not reliable - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By disappointedMBZowner - November 7 - 10:43 pm

  I loved that GLK350 was so smooth, it is my first Mercedes. My SUV was purchase on 5/21/2009, and at 90 miles the radio/command center would not power on. So I brought the SUV to the dealer they checked it out for a day and said there was nothing wrong. A week later at 110 miles the Tire Pressure Monitoring system malfunctioned. And would report tire pressure issues. Now it just says Tire Pressure Monitoring system is inoperable. And the radio still dies. I have brought the car back to dealership and they are looking into these issues. Its been a day and still they dont know whats wrong :( If you are considering buying GLK350 you should think twice. As the build quality is sub par.

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  Sorry Lincoln and Caddy-The End - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By kkear3 - November 7 - 6:51 pm

  My lease is up and so it is time to say goodbye to this fine automobile. As much as I would like to buy it out, leasing is set up to discourage that. The biggest problem is MB color pallette: Black, white and 15 shades of gray. The gorgeous quartz blue is no longer offered. Only two total problems with car: The transfer case I posted about back at 40K miles and a malfunctioning air valve which turned on the check-engine light. Both problems repaired under warrantee.

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  Ml 350 bluetec is where its at! - 2014 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Julia Froehlich - November 7 - 12:43 pm

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  THE BIG LET DOWN - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By james - November 7 - 10:36 am

  This car is a big let down we are so done with this car, the transmission makes so much noise the shifter is in a bad position, the loud noise from the engine, we have had the car serviced so many times trying to find out about the engine problem, slipping of the transmission. Our 98 ml320 gave us no problems, we should have kept it with 135k miles, sadly disappointed