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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  infamous G wagon - 2016 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By Ronald Bishop - December 3 - 2:42 am

  Looks great. Very macho vehicle. Driving was a different story. Steering was numb. Ergonomics were dated. Uncomfortable seating position for long trips.

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  Gadget Mania.- Not your ordinary SUV - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By M Sirianno - November 28 - 8:06 pm

  You name the Gadget - this thing has it. If you actually read the manual (500 pages)you will discover why a Mercedes costs more than most cars on the road today. Example- hold down the heater button after the key is out and the system continues to blow hot air for 20 mins. So while you run into the store for a few quick things, the car is still warm when you get back! The list goes on and on and on. This is an amazing vehicle if youre a gadget freak like me. If your not, you could foolishly mistake it as just another SUV

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  A Disappointment - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By adodger - November 27 - 2:00 am

  I am a Mercedes aficionado but I am truly appalled by the string of quality issues that have arisen since I obtained my CLK 320 coupe 3 years ago. While I have not had any major problems (engine, transmission etc.), a string of nuisance issues have left me wondering why I dont take an office at the dealership since I have cause to go there every other month with a problem. My list of problems include constantly burning bulbs, several false negative malfunctions on the dashboard display, power windows that sometimes have a mind of their own. All these issues as well as a disappointing stereo system have me seriously considering a switch to oh no!, yes! BMW!

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  Should be better - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By First Benz - November 26 - 9:53 am

  Like the car, but should have more at the price, even when discounted heavily. Even the comfort suspension on E350 Luxury has too much impact harshness over most road imperfections and too little damping, especially at low speeds. Navigation and Audio are too complicated. No cover on underside of parcel shelf in trunk, making it looks cheap. Spare tire cover has to be FORCED in and out with great effort- poor design. Carpet & mats are thin, even compared to economy makes. Engine is underpowered which causes using more fuel to accelerate or go uphill. Seat heater cuts off after 10-20 minutes and has to be re-started. Storage box on front of seats hits back of legs. Hood release is hard to find.

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  Great purr - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Octave - November 24 - 5:36 pm

  What a great purr that 4 cylinder has. Sounds like a little tiger who will soon growl on the highway, which it does! Good kick, great handling, interior is just classy enough without overdoing it. I drive it to work every morning and it brings a smile to my face, which is good for my employees ;) Ive had it for a year now and I enjoy every minute of it. It has been reliable, except for the wiper motor that suddenly died on me. MB said it was due to ice being stuck...funny enough I park my car in the garage. A fun car to have for zipping in traffic or passing on the highway. I recommend the purchase.

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  Sadly, Poor Reliability/Quality - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By unhappyOwner - November 21 - 10:30 am

  Bought the new 2006 ML350 in April. Same complaint as a lot of other owners, the transmission is erratic at low speed, it would sometime downshift hard at low speed for no reason. The service guy said this is fixed with new programming. However have not have chance to verify it, since the car is still in the shop for major repair. After driving for 3600 miles, the low engine oil indicator came up. Brought the car to shop and found engine oil leaks in multiple places. The car is in the shop for about 3 weeks now, requiring parts from Germany. Would very much like MB to take the defective ML350 back. This is all too sad, the car is high performance and fun to drive without doubt.

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  GL550, multitude of small problems undermines confidence in the brand - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By cargourmet - November 20 - 10:37 pm

  Just got this family mover four months ago. It is no doubt a beautiful truck, and is loaded with all kinds of technological gizmos. However, that may be it downfall because a multitude of annoyances keep cropping up and sending us to the dealer: LED lights not working, tire sensor failure, power seat failure, etc. Finally, one morning the car was dead in the garage. A $100K car that would not give any sign of life or start with only 4000 miles on board. Had to have it towed to the dealer where they are still "trying to figure out what happened".

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  Cruiser - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By gvitalik - November 20 - 7:00 am

  Bought it because looks different than anything on the road. Switched from Infiniti FX which I loved and what a difference in Mercedes. Less sporty, but a lot more stable, user and practical. Always correct people from calling it a minivan as I am too young for one. Mercedes had great deals in May on these because of slow sales and I could not refuse when I got a payment of $20 more vs. FX with less down on a vehicle that cost $61K. Memorial Day weekend took it from SF Bay Area to Southern California and enjoyed the whole ride with airmatic. With speeds over 85 it just glides comparing to my FX where every bump was felt. Panoramic roof is outstanding

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  MY ML 500 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By BUDDY - November 16 - 10:00 am

  FUN CAR TO DRIVE, IT IS VERY FAST AND A VERY GOOD RIDE. THE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH MY ML500 IS NOISY BRAKES, REAR TIRES WEARING OUT PREMATURLY AND BAD CUP HOLDERS. DEALERSHIP STATES THERE ARE NO CURRENT FIX FOR ABOVE PROBLEMS BUT THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF THEM. ALSO IT SEEMS THE PAINT IS VERY THIN. IT CHIPS VERY EASY.

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  Great Little Benz - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By spage - November 16 - 10:00 am

  I was looking for an entry level luxury sedan and compared this with the new Saab 9-3, entry level Jaguar, and the an Acura. Although each had its charm and nice features I settled on the C230 sedan for its overall style and performance. I really like the aluminum trim and the thickly bolstered seats in the car. The car is somewhat compact but has enough leg room and the trunk is nicely sized. I wanted the manual but the salesperson talked me into the automatic- it does suck some of the fun out this rear wheel drive car but will probably be more convenient in the long term.