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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  service engine light,etc - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By M H Grenne - March 7 - 2:00 am

  1 mo.& 2800 miles,service engine light, engin service intervil,oil level, phone link not working. 3faultcodes . at dealer service all day. claim they do not have the part they need. this is a large dealer.

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  We love our 320 ML - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By fcl2 - March 3 - 3:30 pm

  This is our first ML. We have enjoyed a lot. It is really safe and confortable and fun to drive. Fuel economy shouldnt be an issue when you buy a SUV, there are plenty of GEOs out there if that is what you are looking for. My wife love it, she can put 2 strollers, lots of shopping bags, 2 big car seats, 2 friends etc. I feel my family is safe when they ride in this car. There have not been important reliability issues and we are planning to buy again a ML. Service was great and 100% better than BMW.

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  A nice SUV overall - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By FFS - February 26 - 2:00 am

  This SUV is one of the safetest vehicles currently available. Its handling and ride quality are very good. The exterior styling is nice. The interior styling is ok. The instrument panel is, for the most part, ergonomically layed out. The third row seats are a nice option to have. The new auto climate controls for the front and the back work well. However, the sun sensor is a little too sensitive. As far as reliability, our vehicle has been solid and we have had zero problems to report in the last year. There are currently a lot of choices available in the premium SUV market, but MB is staying with the competition.

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  Good but... - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By smath - February 22 - 5:13 pm

  Knew the car for all its life so bought it when it was being sold. I was mentally prepared to face issues but figured Id treat myself to a Merc for a little while. Maybe because I was prepared, or maybe I was somewhat lucky, I didnt think the car gave me too much trouble - just enough to remind me that I bought it with 70K. For the 2 years and 20k miles I put on it, apart from the regular maintenance, I probably spent 1k, mass air flo sensors, brake pads and a couple of visits to check the check-engine-light. For its utility, saftey and the fact that its a Mercedes, I have no regrets on owning it except maybe when I hit the gas stations lately.

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  expensive - 1999 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By david91101 - February 21 - 2:00 am

  The car rides fine, but when things break, which is quite often, it is expensive on the parts, esp. the electronic parts, we are talking about from 350 to 1200.00 a piece without the labor charge wholesale.. watch out !! ohh!! the parts is more expensive than GOLD ?

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  Unreliable - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By driveer - February 21 - 2:00 am

  Have it for 2.5 years. Ive been at dealership for 5 times (at least). Mostly computer-related problems - but had AC repaired and some othe replacement too. Big disappointment taking into account image that Mercedes- Benz is using. I think Hyunday wouldnt have such a quality. Great driving, wonderfull design - dont have it over the warranty.

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  2016 E350 4MATIC - 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Raj - February 17 - 5:12 pm

  Decent car and works great for what its required for.. would have appreciated if MB had paid more attention to sound insulation . esp. after driving a V8 GL 450 gor the past few years, this seems to have a lot more road noise. The heatinga nd cooling seem to take a lot of time to kick in when compared to other luxury brands

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  Not too bad - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Had since 14 k miles - February 16 - 11:43 pm

  While under the generous 4 year 50K mile warranty I had lots of problems including drivers side mirror falling off due to cheap metal. The rear door regulator, transmission leak, cup holder, power headrests (twice) motor, lug nuts rusted away, and battery. But since the warranty was over it has only been an H20 sensor and the Teleaid antenna broke off. The styling is timeless and the ride feels like in an electric car. The motor is smooth along with the ride. There are no child locks for the rear doors though. Uses synthetic oil that needs to be changed every 10,000 miles. It gets better the longer I seem to go. Expect about 18 city and 28 highway

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  Poor Drive - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By I500X - February 14 - 12:30 pm

  I was expecting a lot more from a Mercedes. This has to be one of the poorest performing cars in its class. The handling is poor and vague, the accelerator is vague, and the brakes are vague! This car has vague written all over it. What is it really for? Mercedes made a stab at the SUV market and, in my opinion, failed miserably. The one thing that they do well with this vehicle is having Mercedez Benz luxury. Its great to be driven in thiscar but its horrible when it comes to driving it. It gives me no confidence,no power, and no feel.

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  Jittery Transmission/ so-so performance - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By carlmk - February 13 - 8:00 am

  The transmission/power is not as smooth as any of my previous four E series MBX( or my wifes Volvo S80). Complained to dealer many times and finally one of the service persons told me they had complaints that the 2003 is not as smooth as 1997-2002 series. The problem seems to be in the torque converter. In the 2003 it has a lock-up for all gears. Previous models locked up only in high gear. The dealer upgraded the software. This improved the performance... cut down on herky jerky xmission. Still not as good as my 2001. The dealer told me the lockup does not drop out instantly causing the poor effect. They are going to check if there are any other factory suggestions.