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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  S350 2006 Best Car the Money - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By cg "man" - October 5 - 4:00 pm

  I have never driven a car so comfortable, quiet, shifting and excellent. This car has the smoothest ride of any vehicle Ive ever owned. The front and back have a large amount of roominess with all this comfort. It has plenty of power, so when you want to go fast, itll do it easily. Sleek lines, a real head turner on the streets. Just a sweet car, inside and out!

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  Love my CLK 430 - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Travis - October 4 - 4:00 am

  I have loved my CLK 430 coupe since day #1. It always puts a smile on my face and is great to drive, especially on the open road. The updated styling for 2001 still looks great and I think, better than the current, slimmer model. Despite some small nuisance repairs, Id recommend it to anyone who wants a solid, sporty car to drive in the city or on the highway.

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  Straight talk on heavy repair costs - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By reality_chek - October 4 - 1:42 am

  The bargain price of today hides expensive repairs. It has design flaws: cup holders, knee hits seat warmer, ugly center console. It has known leak issues and electrical issues. It has air suspension issues. Auto door locks and trunk flaws. Dont forget the untreated metal that rusts from the inside. Watch for rust around tire wells all up and down sides. Rust quote was $2700. The gorgeous slick design holds water. The car is now 11 so expect collapsed engine mounts, catalytic converter rattles, drive shaft flex disk...So you can plan on buying it for $6-7K and putting 6-8K into it and you will get a beautiful smooth powerful ride that originally cost $80K+ and the engine will go to 200K mi.

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  Not a Single Problem in Over a Year! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By tweeze - October 3 - 11:30 pm

  I have had my C320 Sport Coupe for 14 months now and have never had any problems. The only time it has gone to the dealer is for its first oil change at 1 year - that I find amazing in itself! Service is only required every 13,000 miles or 12 months. Very fun to drive, very good road-holding. Dealership has treated me like a king. I was a little apprehensive to buy a Benz because of Consumer Reports giving them a bad rating. My personal experience, though, has been this is the first new car I have ever owned that has never had to go to the dealer for any adjustments or fixes. Talk about a carefree ownership experience!

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  POORLY BUILT CAR - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By HERB - October 3 - 10:49 am

  Just sold my 2003 SL 500 Designo had it for 7 years too many trips to the dealer for repairs a car with only 3300 miles had more problems than it should have had for a supposed quality car.Dealer told me dont keep this car without a warrantee at cost of $6800.00 The car lost to much value when sold.This car is a money pit needs expensive repairs every month. Great looking but not reliable stay away.

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  OOPS, Whats this all about???? - 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By lawago - October 2 - 2:06 am

  I would have never rated an MB until the C300 we just bought. After having it for one week and less than 500 miles on it, it developed a big problem. My wife was driving it to her office and all of the systems started shutting down. Steering, temperature controls, radio, etc. Turns out the main belt, the "Serpentine" belt which controls everything was broken. I dont understand why this could ever happen on a brand new C300 (nor does the dealer). Anyone else ever heard of this? Was mine built during Oktoberfest or is it just a one time thing? Dealer speculates that it wasnt installed properly at the factory. Scares me for what else could go wrong!

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  Cruises over and Ranges past the rest - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By GPedd7 - October 2 - 2:00 am

  I am sure I am one of the very few G Class owners who have really been off road in their vehicle, but I must say the G has very aceptional handling. On road and off. Being 6 feet tall, i fit right inside the somewhat cozy cabin. The seats are great and the driving stance/experience is amazing. Its like driving a tank and thats what i am use to. My last two cars were a Land Cruiser and a Range Rover, but i must say my G is the best car i have ever had ever.

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  BIG GERMAN DISAPPOINTMENT - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By dr.falco - October 2 - 2:00 am

  My 4th benz will be my last. OK styling. Enough power but with a noticeable acceleration lag. Even with all the auto gadgets the seats were not comfortable. A great geezer car but not much else. Trans went out at 60000.

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  A Chrysler in MB clothes - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By irlfan72 - October 2 - 2:00 am

  Dont fool yourself that MB quality is great.Car has 16,300 mi and been in for;supercharger,hatch,foglight,cupholde r,hatch repaint. It starts rough at times and Im concerned its another repair waiting to happen. Thankfully, its all under warranty. Upon recent B service at MB of Hagerstown, rims came back scratched. I wouldnt expect that of your local garage, let alone an award winning MB service department! They promised theyd be "touched up" next service. Despite its faults, a blast to drive. Overtaking is easy and onramp/offramp driving loads of fun. However, we will be getting rid of ours prior to the warranty expiring for fear it will be a burden.

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  Love it , But...... - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By dakarra - September 30 - 2:36 pm

  I am very impressed by the performance and gas mileage. The 4matic is AWESOME on snowy roads. Interior is quiet, but shoulder room is a little close, and Im not a very big guy. Center dash controls are a little complicated, but the steering wheel controls work well and are very convenient and add an element of safety. This is my third M- B, and the overall quality seems consistant with previous models, but certain areas have gone down. The stereo/system display looks cheap and borrowed from a Chrylser "sister". Ive had more mechanical issues with this one than previous models as well. There is a pesky leak of some kind that the dealer has trouble finding. Overall the car is not readily distinguishable from the growing competition, and the premium sticker is getting harder to justify.