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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  Stay Away! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MBstinx - March 26 - 7:06 pm

  You think I would have learned with the last one, (2000 ML430). But no. Same problems as before. Poor design, poor quality, endless trips to a dealer filled with people lying to you and insisting that all the problems are normal and at your expense in many cases. What a pile of junk. Last MB ever for me.

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  Noisy and transmission issue - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Bob - February 15 - 2:50 am

  Cabin has too much engine noise, especially during acceleration. Transmission has 9 gears. When gear changes due going up or down hill you can feel the gear change and sometmes the car jerks.

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  CAUTION - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Steve - February 7 - 4:20 am

  Looks can be deceptive. The C230 is a very good looking car. I have owned this car for two months, and unfortunitly, so far the bad out ways the good. At 1200 miles the car has been to the dealer twice for the same items (trans slip, & gas mileage) Expect city mileage around 13 to 16, and maybe 25 on the highway if your going downhill. Gas mileage is a really big issue because performance of the C230 does not overcome the poor gas mileage, far under advertised. Would I buy a BMW 3 Series over the C230, probably not, but yet again I probably would not buy another Mercedes based on my current experience.

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  Avoid this like the plague - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By C-Mun - February 1 - 6:56 pm

  Ive had my ML430 for about 1 year and have spent close to $5000 in repairs. I wish I researched more on this problematic SUV. Ive soon realized I am not the only ML owner that feels that way. After 2 days of owning it, the transmission had issues. It wouldnt shift out of 2nd gear (common prob), Gas guage not working properly (common prob), then Catalytic converter started making noise($1500 to replace), Window/Door lock switch panel didnt work (common prob NOTE: theres a relatively easy DIY fix for the window. Now the it wont start because the factory immobilizer has died. Let alone the normal maintenance.

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  an expensive meds - 2014 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jonathan - January 20 - 5:02 am

  Terrible ride quality- rides like a stone! Terrible seats- firm and not comfortable! Terrible off-road- large wheel and thin tires make for a scary off road situation! Good acceleration and breaking. Mercedes has lost their way with their ML suv. The suspension clatters and bangs over every crack on the road! The transmission shifts abrubtly all of the time and with the large wheels and thin tires it is terrible off road! The seats are very uncomfortable. The only pros I can speak of as an owner are the reliability

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  poor quality ML320 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Jeff Platon - January 11 - 10:00 am

  too many serious mechanical problems, including replacement of shocks, steering mechanism, ac motor and switch

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  Very Poor Value - 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jake MeHoff - January 1 - 2:58 am

  First, I will say this car looks pretty nice, and handles well, but thats about it. The seats are hard as rocks, and extremely uncomfortable on a long trips, regardless of the adjustments. The floorboard appears to go down at an angle, so I couldnt even get my feet in a comfortable driving position. Access is very poor, with the seating very low, and with trying to wedge between the steering wheel and the B-Pillar. The controls are horrible. Instead of knobs, there are very small levers for everything, and they are all the same size. Why would a "sync" button be the same size as the blower control?! I set my favorite radio stations, but havent figured out how to get back to my list of favorites for the last 6 months. When I try to change stations, it seems to jump back and forth between satellite radio and FM. The "advanced electronics" try to tell me to rest when I am not tired, and beep at me when there is nothing in the road. At 6,000 miles, I was left stranded when my serpentine belt jumped off, and the car overheated. I found out that run-flat tires cant be repaired, so a nail cost me $420 for a new tire at the dealership. I had a 2014.5 Toyota Camry prior to this, for 38,000 miles before my wife totalled it, and would gladly take another. It was inexpensive, comfortable, easy to operate, and it NEVER needed repairs. Not to mention it was much roomier. I will be very happy to end my lease of this C-Class.

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  BIG Disappointment - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Bernie - December 24 - 6:26 pm

  My wife likes the vehicle and it looked good on the showroom. Ours was specially ordered and shipped with most options. Disappointments are the brake system, extreme dead travel, I actually rear ended (bumped) another car. The brakes have not worked correctly to the point where when we got home you could see heavy smoke from the front disks and they were red hot. The computer must erratically actuate the brakes at normal highway speeds and it causes the car to swing from side to side and makes the transmission labor intensively and the engine temperature starts climbing. This has happened a handful of times and we have taken it in for service and nothing can be found that is abnormal. No good.

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  Wind Noise---Room situation - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Troy - December 3 - 7:20 pm

  This is a car that I purchased for my wife, who had been driving a 2002 Audi A6. I realize this car is smaller and not designed to compete with the A6 (even the older 2002 Audi A6), however, things that she and I both notice everytime we drive it on the highway is the wind noise emulating from the winshield. In snow (we have 4Matic) it doesnt handle like the Quatro A6 shed grown to love...not even close...the back seat room is limited to children (no way 4 adults will be comfortable on a trip in this car. Lastly, the dash (she has the pop up nav screen version too) lacks style...it looks "american," and is outclassed by the new Cadillac CTS that it competes with...thats a first!

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  The worst car ever - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By E430 SPORT - November 25 - 2:36 pm

  Ive owned this car for almost a year and it is horrible. My 92 Lexus SC400 with 149k is better made and more reliable than my Mercedes. Mass air sensor went without any warning, air conditioning is terrible and makes noise, display on radio is distorted. Parts are way too expensive, and car is very unreliable. Anyone considering a Benz, I would strongly recommend a Lexus. Toyota puts out a much better product at a better price, with better quality.