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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  a beuty and a beast - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jhonny - September 22 - 2:00 am

  the power is awsome. the car is a beuty ive had mb suvs for a long time the only thing that this suv needs is more comfort for the driver and passenger that is the only thig that lacks .........

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  mercades - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By alishah - September 21 - 10:00 am

  the car is great it is fun to drive and very exciting

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  Worst car I ever owned - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Done with it - September 19 - 2:00 am

  This car could be great if only it wasnt constantly returning to the dealer on the back of a tow truck. We bought it new and within 6 months the front engine gasket blew out. Two months later the same thing happened, but this time the leaking oil caused a serpentine belt failure and we lost the steering -- not good when driving down the road in a 3-ton SUV. A few months later the power steering pump failed. Today we discovered oil all over the garage floor. Absolutely unacceptable reliability. As soon as the Mercedes dealer patches the thing back together it will be off to the BMW dealer to trade it in.

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  Love, Love, Love!! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By LM Sophie - September 18 - 11:03 am

  The car is smooth, elegant, and sexy. Absolutely love driving it - the 6 cylinder is definitely powerful enough. Get great looks on the highway and feel special driving it. Great options that make it truly special: navigation system and voice-controlled phone. Not great in the snow, but has a "winter- mode" button that helps you get through better. Mercedes service is impeccable - courteous and complete.

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  ML 500/ Work Horse - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By samg - September 16 - 2:00 am

  I have recently purchased the SUV my first. I really like the feel of the ML500 it handles great. Comfortable interior quite different from my luxury sedan. The only complaints I have is gas mileage needs improvment. I am in sales and my SUV is my second office.Finally having a choice of either 4WD or 2WD or AWD.This may give the consumer the added value of having additional options to slect.

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  too much cheap plastic - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By harold - September 16 - 2:00 am

  the car looks cheap inside . i have owned 5 mercedes and this is the worse one for interior finish minimal wood and alot of cheap plastic, i will never buy another one if it looks like this one inside .also, a lot of annoying small problems. handling is great. harold pitts

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  Big Mistake - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By nomarkup - September 14 - 10:00 am

  Built like a tank. Awesome styling. Feel great driving it.

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  So far, so good - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Robert - September 11 - 5:53 am

  I now have driven my Black C350 Luxury Sedan some 2500 miles and really enjoy it. I went on a long (~ 200 miles) trip of interstate highway driving and the mileage was excellent (~ 34 mpg) if the trip computer is accurate. The car has plenty of acceleration and is very comfortable. I sold a car I loved (BMW 325i) for my new Mercedes and have not been disappointed. Will check in with you after a few more thousand miles!

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  C200K Elegance - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By JMurray - September 10 - 10:00 am

  Drives as good as it looks. Never liked a car as much as this. Mercedes really got it right in most areas with this car. Very nice and a joy to drive. Will put Xenon lights and timber laminated steering wheel (aftermarket)will put the icing on the cake.

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  Tires and Transmission - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By L. Miller - September 9 - 2:56 pm

  Fun to drive, but lossing its appeal. Nothing but tire problems and now transmission problems. 2 blowouts, one bubble on sidewall, replaced rear tires at 18,0000 miles. Faulty transmission valve and now O rings are going out. This is a very expensive car for all these problems. When the lease is up, we will not get another Mercedes. I am sure there are a lot of great cars, less expensive and more dependable. Perhaps Audi or Volvo. Very disenchanted!