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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  great car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By raymundo - June 7 - 10:00 am

  great car over all, I love it.

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  Never Buy Another One - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By jon - June 6 - 11:23 pm

  Mercedes has lost its quality of years past. I purchased my E500 and for two years had nothing but problems with it. After 60,000 miles and $10,000 in repairs I traded it in for a Lexus.

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  Autobahn crusing (in real life) - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By mhoffman2 - June 3 - 9:10 pm

  Picked up a GLK 350 2WD on overseas delivery in Stuttgart in late March and drove it around southern Germany for a week. Autobahn crusing was effortless, but had to keep it down for breakin mileage. Car was quiet as a vault, controls were intuitive and easy to use. Visibility and comfort were remarkable. Rear luggage area was large enough on the floor for two HUGE suitcases (loaded to maximum airline capacity). Cannot wait for the car to arrive at the dealer. Would highly recommend overseas delivery. 2 for 1 Lufthansa airfare, 7% off the sticker, no destination charge, 2 free nights in $300 plus/night true luxury hotels, 15 days free insurance, full tank of gas, tour of factory, etc. Great.

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  Quality problems for Mercedes Benz - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Chris - May 30 - 10:33 am

  Buying a Mercedes Benz was the worst decision I have ever made when it came to buying a new car. With a name like Mercedes, I thought I was buying the best quality available on the market. Boy, was I wrong. After having only 16,000 miles on my vehicle, I noticed that there was damage to the rotors, so I took my car in for a brake inspection. The service advisor told me that the wear was normal, and that I would have to replace the rotor and the front brakes at a cost of $450- $500. The advisor told me that Mercedes uses a different metal for the pads, and a thin rotor so all Mercedes owners can expect to replace rotors and brakes every 16,000 to 20,000 miles. What kind of quality is that? By the way, my girlfriend has a 2006 C230 also with 4100 miles, and we had to take it in to replace the electronic cluster that displays all the info to the driver.

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  Good little car - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By jwalt1 - May 28 - 4:50 am

  Good car. Very reliable. Bought with 8k mikes in 2011. Now have 90k. Never had anything other than oil changes done to it. I do NOT recommend the 20 inch wheels. They go through tires fast. Needs more storage. Dont like the angle of the backseat. Also dont like the curve of the backseat next to the door. Makes it hard for car seats to properly fit. It gets good mpg in flatter terrain. But in the small mountains of Arkansas, Im getting about 9mpg. Its a great compact SUV, very capable. Having to get rid of it due to my child needing more legroom. Would buy again if they could upgrade storage and me the backseat larger.

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  Mercedes has become Chrysler! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By No more Mercedes - May 25 - 9:00 am

  Mercedes used to be one of the best quality, most reliable, a durable cars. Since they merged their purchasing / procurement function with Chrysler and decided to globalize themselves instead of being 100% German, the Mercedes quality degenerated to the level of Chrysler or even below. I love the design and the functionality of the station wagon. I love driving it. But the QUALITY? My car within 30,000 miles had 2 catalytic converters, 2 (!) alternators, engine gaskets (ouch) and several little bottoms replaced. 2 door knobs and parts of 2 doors were replaced. The headlights after 50,000 miles are no longer possible to turn off, electrical problem with several thousand dollar repair cost

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  last of the bank vault Benzs - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By jr17 - May 25 - 4:52 am

  I know my MBs trust me on this. The 96-99 E class is by far the best years of the E class. DO NOT buy a 2000 or newer. I have 215k on mine. Paint is starting to fade a bit, a little rattle in the Cat Conv other than that, it drives and runs like new. Chrysler ruined the name from 2000 to like 2007 or roughly around there. They tried to infuse their technology into the E class at this time and failed miserably. A 2000 E class is a K car with a MB star on the hood. The 99 is heavy, solid, and feels German. Its a little underpowered, and dont buy a 4matic if you are worried about gas. If you value your familys safety, want to to stay out of trouble, and want to look cool, buy a 99

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  first MB - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By nadz - May 24 - 10:00 am

  worth the money for an entry level MB. Driven 8,500 mi. w/ no problems. classic MB style. exhibits the attention to detail you expect from MB. very good performance if you understand youre buying small 4d sedan for status. this is not a sports car, so dont expect that kind of performance.

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  2000 Mercedes C280 Sport - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ealtieri - May 20 - 8:10 am

  Purchased the 2000 model because the Exterior design is exceptional plus always wanted a Mercedes. I purchased a one owner vehicle from Florida with over 100,000 miles, crazy right?! However the car looks no more than four years old and I have no concern that it is going to break down. If you do the standard A/B service and take care of the car you should have no trouble.

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  Straight Line Speed and Comfort - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By S600 Owner - May 16 - 2:53 am

  Have owned the car for about a month now and I am no sure I still love it. The straight line speed is second to none, I have driven ferraris that wont throw you back in your seat like this does. Being able to spin the rear-wheel at any speed under 50mph is incredible. Burnouts are as simple as turning off traction control and giving half throttle. However, the handling does not compare to the BMW 760Li I own. The understeer is so overwhelming it is almost dangerous, you are stunned the first time you take an off ramp at 50 and the tires begin to squeal yet the car keeps traveling in the same direction-scary. Also, driving in the rain is asking for trouble, traction control MUST stay on.