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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  This car cant be over $60,000. - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By smherlin - May 2 - 2:00 am

  I have read the reviews and cant believe that no one has commented on how small the new E500 is. I had previously owned an E320 and loved it. The car is supposedly an inch bigger everywhere but the trunk and backseat are so small that I could not use it to take customers in. I just traded this car for an S430.

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  What A Mess - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By tahcan - April 10 - 5:43 am

  This car rocks....when it works. My G wagon was in the shop 32 days in 8 months for a never ending run of problems which the dealer could not fix so I switched dealers...three times with the same results. Drive out of the shop and some light or warning would go off before I got home. The only possible way you drive this car is if you have another one when this one is in the shop.

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  My ML320 - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Ernest Ang - April 7 - 10:00 am

  I traded in this problem vehicle after 18 months

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  Wish I had bought the Range Rover - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By sths - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Very disappointed. Drive is rough for around town and while it probably does great off road, it is a bit expensive and dressed up for off road use. Fuel economy is poor. The navigation system is poorly done. All in all it is a very expensive novelty. This seems to be born out in the unbelievalby poor resale value. I would and have not recommended it to anyone else.

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  Frequent Expensive Repairs - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By sisaacs - March 26 - 11:22 pm

  This model car has numerous problems. My 55 yr old wife drives this car gently. Yet, after 90K miles, I have replaced: braking computer, rear brakes 3x, front brakes 6x, alternator, numerous sensors, spark plugs and wires 2x, MAF 2x, EGR Valve 2x, EGR tube, fuel pump, motor mounts 2x, rear coil springs, numerous bulbs, window regulators 3x, front speakers, door handle, battery 2x, wheel, keys 2x, front control arm, steering assembly, gas cap, and sway bar links. Yet to repair: fading LCD instrument display, pass seat heater, front shocks, cracked cigarette tray cover, shifter (base pulled away from console), steering wheel, valve cover gaskets, clicking noise in drive shaft, trunk handle.

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  This Car is No Good - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Goku - March 23 - 3:36 am

  When I started driving, it was very uncomfortable. When I got on the road, the car started slipping. Then it stopped slipping. So I went and drove home to my hometown, Chicago, IL. When I arrived, I turned into my street and my back wheel started drifting. It almost crashed but luckily it didt. The fuel in my tank was OK and it was better then my other car. It looks good but i will never rely on that car anymore. As soon as the weather is better Ill go and return the car. It was not ery fun to drive.

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  The ultimate lemon - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By mercedes c320 4matic - March 18 - 8:13 am

  10/1/04 I got involved in the worst car of my life. I didnt realize that the car was as small as it really is. The kid keeps kicking the back of the front seat. Mileage could be better. But the worst thing is the car. At 18g miles the tranny went. Poof gone. At 28g the tranny went again. Then a dozen other things kept breaking. Then to drive the nail home the engine started burning oil. I clocked the car burning oil at one qt per 1500 miles. The dealership in Greenwich basically said lets keep a eye on it. Ya , lets keep a eye on it. I called Mercedes headquarters and lodged my complaint. They are keeping a eye on it also. Next stop is the lawyer. Maybe he can keep a eye on it.

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  You will think this is SUV is awesome if you havent driven a lexus ever... - 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Udaya Liyanage - February 28 - 3:25 pm

  I own 2014 GL550 for more than a year now. At best, this is an OK SUV. This is my second and last GL. MB does not have the reliability, built quality or attention to detail to warrant the price tag and more than $10k premium over other SUVs. GL is annoyingly unreliable. Keyfob stops working when it gets cold. You can get stranded outside your car in a cold night if your keyfob happens to get cold for whatever reason. Disctronic plus and Presafe features stop working in the middle of driving when its rainy or snowy outside, when you need them most. I reported to MB customer service and dealership to no await. Other owners seem to have similar annoying problems they get used to. Why pay 100k?

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  Beware of the brake! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By David Tsuei - February 27 - 6:26 am

  This ML55 was meant for my wife, and she does love this SUV. But the biggest problem with it, is the braking system. It was a nightmare! The disc only lasted less than 10k, over the 4yrs of ownership. We have spend over $4k on the brake job alone! As I have found out that MB has one of the worst braking systems in the world, and the worst part is that they insisted there are nothing wrong with it! I strongly suggest all consumers not to purchase MB, until they resolve the problems. Most of the other problems are minimum, as it comes with all luxory cars. We drive BMWs now, its a step down. But at the least, we dont have to worry about the maintenance!

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  All that glitters is not Gold - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Bar L - February 25 - 2:00 am

  Fell in love with it at dealership, all the cool features and gizmos. Worked for a while then I realized it was a lot of gadgetry, poorly thought out and designed for a good first impression. Than reality set it. Electronics worked about a month, then started going caput, one thing after another. Never even sure the radio will play till it does. Cheap plastic parts breaking etc.Not near the quality I expected and not near as reliable as or functional as my old99 Navigator or my wifes 03 Navigator. That is a real car! God help the person who gets it after the warranty expires!