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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  Trading performance for luxury - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By hench - May 16 - 1:20 am

  After 4 recalls on my 2002 BMW M3 I thought I would get a convertible and drop some performance for luxury. I was tempted to wait the 6 months to get a SL55 AMG, but decided that I would rather settle for the base SL500. Couldnt be happier with the car. Only thing I would change is put the cruise control stick on the right side as I tend to hit it often when I am trying to tap my blinkers. The drop top is so fast, I can switch from top up to top down at a stop light and watch as everyone around me stares at the cool mechinisms that move the top. Hard to beat hard top comfort in the winter with top down crusing in the summer. Down side of keyless, I forget to leave the key for valet ;).

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  Practical, beautiful, slim and luxurious - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By autofahrer1 - May 15 - 5:10 pm

  Despite the fact that this is the shortest luxury car available, it is extremely luxurious and refined, with very good handling (excepting steering), ride, and impeccable fit and finish. It is very refined, the most refined car I have owned (and I also own a BMW and a Porsche). The configuration of the car: length; visibility; practical trunk, folding back seats and 4 doors; coupled with perfect proportions and 4 wheel drive make it a car for all seasons, both figurative and literally.

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  Wish I could give this a good rating - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By lynnz - May 14 - 9:00 am

  I purchased this car new and I will give it one thing- it is a lot of fun to drive. However, I have invested nearly $8,000 in repairs in the last 4 years.(starter,gas tank,ball joints,ac compressor,suspension breakage, etc,etc). It is always garaged and has had to have a lot of body work because of rust problems. The dashboard looks like a lit Christmas tree! Ive taken good care of this car, but just cant wait for another $1500 repair to occur. I will never buy another Mercedes- period. Theyre too expensive to repair. Ive owed 3- Series BMWs that were more reliable.

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  Looks Good but Wears Poorly - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By rsalinger - May 11 - 2:00 am

  I just traded my 2000 S500. During the 60,000 miles I drove it, it suffered from too many expensive defects for me to recommend the car. I had the fuel tank pulled at 14000 miles, the computer replaced at 40000 miles, the mass air flow censor at 60000 miles and the entire steering system - rack, pump etc at 50000 miles. All in all too many repairs.

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  ms - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By DANIELW - May 11 - 2:00 am

  Its prestigeous, but not very reliable.

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  Exotic 4 Door - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Greek Boy - May 11 - 2:00 am

  AWESOME car. This car pulls hard like my 2001 911 TT. Exotic performance that fits 5 people with luggage. Love this car since it looks like a regular MB to most people.

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  Love it , warts and all - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MarkE - May 9 - 8:13 am

  Owned new, our comfy 4 travel loaded sport modl skied with 4 adult pass, held us/all luggage (skis on roof rack, bit tight but ok) Likes: heated front seats, xenons, moon roof, neat cupholder fold out dash in front of each front seat (wish new ML had), trick center console with 2 position flip top (wish again), nav, teleaid for concierge, mass, surefooted (ESP), one always on power port great for cell Dislikes: black metal trim around windows always sheds paint(?), replaced under ext warr 3x and needs again, road mpg 21 premium, locked keys in, teleaid unable to unlock as advertised/no obstruction anywhere to satellite-said this model was tricky 2 unlok,keep spare outside, no heated rear seat, paid 37k, worth 20k

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  ML 320 CDI - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By 2cnpla - May 6 - 7:06 am

  Runs quietly, with power to spare. Off road capability impressive. Need to apply more aggressive tread pattern. Continentals good for street. Aluminum running boards for we short legged people as not to wear the seat edge down cost $750 installed. The chrome running rails cost more but look tacky. The higher package 3 aluminim rails were ordered.

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  Much Better than 2006 - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By drlgu - May 2 - 5:40 am

  My wife had a 06 ML350 and loved the looks and how it drove; however, it was in the shop several times for power liftgate and squeaking rear suspension. Decided to trade in for 2008 with P2 package and never regretted it. The 2008 handles much better, probably due to larger wheels and tires. Bought it in June 08 and overall reliability and build quality has been excellent. The 08 also seemed to have improved on the 7sp transmission as it does not hesitate like the 06. Had opportunity to drive in 3 inches of snow and handled very well.

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  Dont buy this car! - 1997 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Pissed Off! - April 27 - 8:40 am

  My 1997 S420 is the worst car I have ever owned! I bought it with 80,000 miles on it and now have 160,000 on it. I have a lot of problems with it. The engine is good and everything but the trim on the doors was coming off, the rear passenger side window doesnt work, the soft-close door/trunk feature doesnt work anymore, the A/C isnt as cold as it use to be, and the brakes squeak very loudy although they were replaced. The black paint is starting to show its age and rust. The front springs are squeaking and need to be replaced too. Everyone else that owns this car doesnt have these problems so maybe I got the bad apple of the bunch. I do like how solid and fast this car is at high speeds.