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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  Buy an extended warranty - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Daphne - November 6 - 7:30 am

  6 yrs old and 118K. At 52", I am very comfortable in it but my husband at 62" is another matter indeed. At the touch of the pedal shell give you whiplash. Leather is sporty and stands up to daily wear. Im gonna miss her. A superbly fun car to drive but please, please buy an extended warranty with this car. At 90K it started breaking down. Let me count the dollars. 1. rear main seal $1800 2. outside temp sensor (did not fix - $500) 3. CD changer $300 4. sunroof shade $99 part $700 labor 5. sunroof gears stripped $1800 6. catalytic converter $1300 part _$600 labor I loved this little car until it started reaching into my wallet for more than routine maintenance.

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  Awfully NICE! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By BMW TO MB - November 5 - 10:00 am

  This V8 powered luxury coupe is a blast. Rockets to cruising speed and handles and brakes with solid confidence. Not up to BMW standards of drivability and certainly not your BORING Japanesse softness, so a great compromise between performance and luxury. It IS a Mercedes so a great ride..plus the dealer was willing to deal! Not the take it or leave it BMW attitude. I have owned several but they lost me this time.

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  Dream Car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By SusanBenz - November 5 - 10:00 am

  Nothing can beat a Benz

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  Good SUV - 2010 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By Bob - November 4 - 8:46 pm

  This car is excellent off road, tackling anything that it comes upon. Roomy in all the areas except front legroom. Buttons arent that logically laid out either.

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  Mom with Style - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Maria - November 3 - 10:53 pm

  I wanted to get a nice safe reliable car that had a lot of room but wasnt your typical "mom car" I had only seen a few of these so I wasnt sure about it. I test drove it and I loved it. Its spacious, its nice, safe and reliable.

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  More Comfortble Than The E-Class - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By syed ali - November 2 - 6:46 am

  I traded my 2003 E-320 for the new ML and I immediately noticed that this SUV rides better than the E!

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  Red - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By TommyA931 - November 2 - 6:13 am

  This is my 7th red SL in 25 years, so Im pretty well pre-sold. I really loved my 97 SL500, but the 2003 is really a joy, and no more messing with the tops. On a 50+ mile trip at 65MPH it clocks better than 24MPG, goes to 15-17MPG when "romping" on it, but hey, thats why we buy red sports cars, isnt it? The CD-based NAVI stinks compared to my 2007 ML AMG, but you cant get lost in an SL anyway. As always, gets lots of eyeball, and is fun to drive! Ive also owned Porches and Jags, but like the SL best. Worth every penny!

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  GREAT SUV - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Nathaniel - November 2 - 2:00 am

  Best value, everything great about this SUV except gas consumption.

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  $110,000 LEMON - 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By ratanlal - November 1 - 5:26 pm

  New car stalled 4 times. After pulling over and waiting for a few minutes car would start up again. Took it every time to a dealer. No problem found. I hear grinding sound, Dealer says normal. never heard that in any of my 20 other cars I have bought before. Soon as warranty expired, there was a problem. During test Dealer claimed that the Compression cable broke. Cost $2000+. I still hear noise and (sometimes) gears shift at a very high RPM. Went to get Smog test. They said they could not get steady RPM of 2800 to perform the test. This week the door handle broke. Cost $500. I would say that MBZ has VERY POOR QUALITY. Buying MBZ 1984-2007. NEVER AGAIN.

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  Very satisfied after 9 years - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Chuck - November 1 - 6:53 am

  We did purchase a I-Net bumper to bumper warranty for $2000 and thats helped. Id say weve almost even on that. Very few serious repairs. Did need a cat converter, a/c compressor and a few other minor things. Outside Mercedes warranty work, Id say we had $1600 of I-Net warranty over 6 years. We take very good care of the car and it only has 82,000 after 9 years