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:

• 

  Has exceeded my expectations - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By sodbuster - May 9 - 10:00 am

  After two months if ownership, have found very little to fault. In past 15 years have driven BMWs and Audis. Mercedes C230 sedan with Sports package outshines others in just about every category. Value, appearance, handling, build quality (so far), and features have convinced me that buying this car a no brainer.

• 

  One of the best cars I have ever owned. - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By cc-1945 - May 7 - 9:36 pm

  This is my third Mercedes and by far the best This car has great looks and the interior styling is excellent. I love driving this car. Like others, Im hoping that the long term service history will be good.

• 

  First Mercedes Exceeds Expectations - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By wofatbill - May 7 - 10:06 am

  Ordered this vehicle in January and did not get delivery until May. This is the only thing that disappointed about Mercedes. After almost 6 months and just over 10000 miles, I have found very few shortcomings and many pleasant surprises. The most pleasant has be fuel efficiency. Overall combined mileage is right at 27 MPG. Trips up and down the east coast this summer registered almost 30 MPG, both better than the ratings on the sticker. Solid construction, quiet operation, real luxury feel, terrific acceleration and very comfortable seats among the most pleasing characteristics. Only disappointment so far is iPod integration bug which MB has promised to fix. Highly recommended.

• 

  ML430 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By joe - May 7 - 2:33 am

  Bought as a certified vehicle with 25K miles. Now has almost 100K and has been a pleasure. By far the best vehicle I have ever owned. Still as solid and smooth as the day I bought it.

• 

  Great ride, great looks, great performance - 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Derek Visocky - May 6 - 9:58 pm

  Even with the sports cars Ive owned, Ive not received as many or as frequent comments about the great looks of this car. In nearly 40 years of driving, this is easily my favorite car. Whether it is a trip to Home Depot by myself to load it with project materials, or filled with 2 parents and 5 munchkins for a birthday outing, this car really does it all. From both a performance and luxury standpoint, it is everything that you would expect from Mercedes. During inclement weather, this is absolutely one of the best snow-fighters Ive ever driven - and thats just running standard all-season tires. Im not the best one to quote gas mileage figures because I often run it in Sport mode in a very spirited fashion. And it does that very well, surprising quite a few other drivers at the stop lights.

• 

  Great car - real value as a CPO - 2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Len - May 6 - 12:56 am

  Bought the 2010 S550 4-matic with every option as a lease return CPO at almost 1/2 the original purchase price at two years old and with 20K miles on the ode. Bought an extra 2 year warranty and have only had to use it once for the drivers wheel sensor. Dealership replaced all the wheel sensors just to make sure. Oil, brakes, windshield wipers, air filters and one set of tires is all Ive put into this car with over 60K miles of almost daily use. Tires made a huge difference - bought Conti DWS and that made this car perfect in all weather and super quiet, including managing a foot of snow on the road. Ive had no issues with transmission or engine - starts off the line fast in sport mode, rides smooth in comfort, shifts great with no hesitation between gears. Ive owned over fifty cars (all types) and this car is one of the best. Im 66" and the drivers seat fits perfect - If I want, I can put the seat back far enough so I cant reach the pedals. Massage, heated/cooled and fine leather seats are perfect for long trips. Oil changes at the dealer (MB-PDX) with a free loaner (due to the car being S-Class) has been great. 60K highway / freeway miles has averaged 20 mpg (per the panel). Finally, I can sell / trade the car for about 1/2 of what I paid which isnt too bad for driving this level of comfort.

• 

  Timeless Roadster, Fun for Everyday - 2001 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Al_hiFi - May 3 - 11:10 pm

  This roadster is making presence on the road, parking lot or garage. Puts a smile on owners face every time is driven. Abundant performance, whisper quiet with the top down. It feels very safe to be in on the road even when surrounded by SUVs. Hardtop feature is extremely usefull when cold and it improves body flex. Sport package must to have since it makes this car to stand out of the crowd and it helps to keep the resale value. Reliability is far better than new R230. Everything in this car is overbuild for quality, but you pay the price in extra weight and extra $$. Great highway cruiser.

• 

  E350 Sport - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By terp97 - May 3 - 8:30 am

  I have had the E350 Sport in Flint Grey for almost 3 months and it has been a great drive so far. I had a C230K which by far was a fun car to drive but this E is so grown up. The drive with the new 7 speed is like butter you barely feel the gear changes and when you want to push to the next level it has no problems going full force into the corners. I just had it in for my 1000 mile no cost check up and all was good. It is a smooth and quiet drive as well.

• 

  Da Bomb - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By Adis - May 2 - 10:00 am

  its greatfun and u can trust on to get to any place

• 

  Best Car at 60+ mph - 1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Steve at California - May 2 - 10:00 am

  The above title stated clearly: this is the best car I ever ride on highway. A perfect balance between performance and luxury. With the 5.0 litter V-8, the S- 500 is, (may I say), sporty at highway speed. Plenty of passing power/touque, and the car achieves the speed in such a quiet and effortless manner. The gas mileage is not too bad, since most of the time I do not need to rev the engine high to extract performance.