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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  My 5th Mercedes, still good, not best. - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Steve H. - February 8 - 6:00 am

  I have owned 3 E class. this is really a fine vehicle. quality definitely less than a German car used to be. 1 sensor after another need to be replaced. Ride quality still better than average wagon. 4matic works great in snow. Steering wheel feels the best in all cars I had owned (more than 40). Dealership service is very good, free pick up and delivery to my house. Of course, invoices is nothing under $1000. Re-sell value is BAD. I paid $30K 3 years ago, now worth $12-13K only. HVAC is far worse than Japanese cars. Even my "S" class AC still not good as my 1991 Lexus. Well, still receive a lot of complements in parking lot.

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  Should have compared - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By new2MB - February 2 - 2:16 am

  This is my 1st MB, got a good deal and jumped at the chance to own it. I love the way it handles, compared to my old standard SUVs. I wanted something smaller with room for the kids sports stuff. The GL450 does not have an armrest so on long trips, anything over 30 min. my right arm goes numb, then I move it down to the bottom of the wheel, feeling less in control and still not comfortable. The navigation is very inadequate. Hard to operate compared to most on the market now. Should have compared more vehicles and not just gone for looks.

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  Sunroof not level - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By takeoutboy - January 30 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased this vehicle for below invoice price. Its fun to drive this car so far. Only issue I would complain is its build quality - Sunroof is not leveled, right side is slightly "up". I went back to the dealer and noticed some MBs also were made like this, but some are just perfect. Dealer agrees to fix it.

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  great car, poorly built - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By lnghrn17 - January 24 - 4:40 am

  love the ride, handling, features, styling, etc. this is my first european sedan-- friends warned me about quality problems but i bought it anyway because i really liked the overall vehicle ride and impression. however, its been recalled twice and the rocker arms need to be replaced. all this at 20,000 mi. mb needs to get its act together on build quality! if i were not now gunshy about quality/reliability, i d have almost nothing but good things to say. only complaints about performance and design are power/acceleration and the cupholders-- agree with other reviewers they are a little hokey.

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  2012 C350 Coupe - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By oh2ny98 - January 20 - 10:05 am

  My GMC 4WD Envoy was approaching 10 years and 125,000 miles and it was time for something different, much different! After months of research, a visit to the annual auto show, and many test drives later, I purchased this beauty! I was looking for the same thrill when getting behind the wheel that I experienced years ago with my 1999 RX-7. This car comes close - given that its an automatic. It fits me like a glove, looks great, and drives like its on a rail! Excellent build quality (except for a few rattles from the rear shelf deck) and a blast to drive, Im always disappointed when I reach my destination! Would I buy it again after having driven it for 9,000 miles? You bet I would!

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  new owner - 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By gee - January 18 - 4:39 am

  just bought two 4 matic 2014s in nov 2016 with 14 k and 11k miles. polar white and indigo blue colors are beautiful. really impressed with the cars. classic grille and tri star on hood-hate the sport package grille and placement of the MB emblem. traded 08 e 350 for one of them. the 08 was a fine car but this new model is better, at least for 2014. Both cars are cpo luxury models. thought both purchase prices were good based on original msrp. have most options but not all of em. great highway car. electric steering at 65+mph straight as an arrow with no vibration. dont buy sport package unless your roads are perfect, too harsh a ride. love the dash and IP layout, analog clock gorgeous, even the fake metal surrounds look good. ride is very good on bumps but not great. handling in corners sufficient, brakes high and tight pedal. must have radio ON to enable back up camera-dumb! leds are bright-love em. wife loves her car too.

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  This is my third M-class - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MAtthew Erickson - January 16 - 10:00 am

  I am aware that other consumers have had diffuculties in the past regarding the M-class however I bought a 98, 320 when it came out, a 99 430 when it came out and a 02 500 as soon as it came out. I have been extremely happy with it and I love to see the look of disbelief on the faces of the Mustang GT drivers when off the line and to 60mph or more they are only a distant memory in my rearview mirror. I couldnt justify the added expense of the ML55, the 500 provides all of the power, and more, than I will ever need.

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  Full of problems - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By PNW - January 13 - 9:46 pm

  My experience was not good at all, I paid more in repairs in one year than the car was worth. I bought it with 113k miles and within one year I had to replace the transmission, head gasket, neutral safety switch, ignition tumbler, blower motor regulator, combination relay. Im sure there is more that I am forgetting. Of course, the previous owners might have played a big part in these issues, but after reading the online forums apparently most have these issues. According to my mechanic the wiring harness also crumbles but I never waited for that and sold it to buy a Honda.

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  Wasted a lot of money - 2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By AllisonN - January 12 - 9:46 am

  I have had nothing but problems from this car! Every other month something else breaks. This car was a certified pre-owned. During the very first month I owned this car it was in the shop for two weeks with mechanical problems. The problems have ranged from different censors going bad, to brakes wearing out way too soon, and even the middle air vents breaking twice!

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  Electronics have defects, but good buy - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By DDS - January 10 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchased this vehicle and have thus far not been surprised with what I found. It was a used vehicle with 50K of miles, but got the extra warranty and know that it will keep at least some of its value.