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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  745i Has NOTHING on the S-Class - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Adam85 - October 28 - 2:00 am

  The 2002 S430 is by far the best luxury car weve ever owned. We had a 2000 740i for two years, and we were very disappointed with the new 7. The new 745 looks like a Dodge Stratus is about the most confusing car Ive ever driven. The S-Class is a much better luxury car. It has a classy design, fabulous interior, and all the bells and whistles you would expect for 80K.

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  Dont run the EClass through a carwash - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Kelly - October 25 - 7:43 pm

  Was so excited to finally get our E350! We saw the steel gray color and the new body design and loved it! Still looked sporty enough for us! Was totally panicking when after running it through the car wash, the blower went out. And then the blower went out again. Was told by a dealership, not the dealership where we purchased the vehicle, that you need to shut off the heat and air conditioner when running the EClass through a car wash. This is ridiculous and Ive never heard of such nonsense. Weve owned several cars of many different makes and models and have never had a blower go out while running it through a car wash.

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  Wifes car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By JustOK - October 24 - 9:03 am

  As the title explains, this is my wifes car, I drive a 4-Runner. With a totally un-biased account, I can honestly say this car is too narrow for my 6 215 lbs. frame. The seats arent very comfortable, No lumbard support/ adjustment. The controls/ navigation are difficult to master and as mentioned in previous ratings, one cup holder. Now with all that said, I do have to compliment its mechanical refinement. I mean The Germans are leaps and bounds ahead of us in the automobile industry. I dont have to change the oil for 13,000 miles! We debate over 3 to 5000? The 5 ltr. engine is mated to a 7-spd A/T. for a flawless performance. Man, I wish it were wider...or I was smaller.

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  cdi - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By pag100 - October 23 - 1:50 pm

  This is the finest mb. What a car!!!

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  clk430 convertible - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By hellodi - October 23 - 10:00 am

  Great car...outstanding performance. Downside- blind spot, gas mileage, and small trunk.

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  ML350 Inspiration - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mattfo - October 23 - 10:00 am

  This is a great vehicle - we owned a 2000 320ML and this is an improvement. The Inspiration edition is worth the extra bucks - we paid only $350 more for it and its great!

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  Lemon Land - - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Disd - October 23 - 10:00 am

  This dog dont run. a/c was so bad it took the dealer four tries to find the problem deep in the system. Defective windhsield water bottle caused the cooling system to report as bad. A defective valve set the car into LIMP Home mode. $2,000 repair under warranty. Mercedes does stand behind their warranty but has no sympathy or extra effort for putting you thru the gauntlet. Were on our fourth replacement key. I would not recommend that you get involved with them. Better off with a more dependable car than going through warranty hell and trying to deal with the anonymous zone guy who wont speak directly with you.

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  Mercedes C350 fully loaded - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Carmela Roth - October 22 - 3:17 pm

  Great car , safe , comfortable , beautiful Love it , always drive Mercedes.

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  Great car but missing a few things. - 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By hbv2020 - October 22 - 6:17 am

  I have driven my 2013 CLS550 for about one thousand miles. This is my first Mercedes, my previous care being a 2010 Hyundai Genesis. I must say that I am not sure the CLS is worth twice the cost of the Genesis. Here are a few annoyances I have found so far. The exterior rear view mirrors do not fold. That option is only available in Canada. The back up camera has no guide lines. The rear seat passengers can regulate the air flow but cannot change the temperature. Admittedly the CLS has much more power than the Genesis, but it is not easy to regulate. The accelerator seems like an on/off switch, which is not easily regulated for steady acceleration.

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  Love this SUV - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By lovmycars - October 22 - 5:16 am

  What a great vehicle. Moved from an 01 Landcruiser I loved to this vehicle. Would have bought another "cruiser", but the style and options are a little dated. So far this vehicle is far superior to the "cruiser". The transmission and ride is unbelievably smooth and comfortable. The acceleration is great for such a large truck. It has almost every option you would want in a vehicle of this type and so far they all work wonderfully well. The interior is absolutely beautiful and all of the controls are efficiently located and I understand that most are copied from other Mercedes vehicles, which is good because they have been time tested.