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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  sick of Mercedes - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By cheapBenz - April 6 - 10:00 am

  In shop for warranty work @ 7000, 12000, 17000 miles and heading back @ 28000 miles. Factory tires wore out at 22000. Sunshade and sunroof problems. Noisy brakes. No power brakes upon cranking. Items replaced so far: front sun visors, wipers, steering wheel switches, vent grille, front & rear sunshade, cd player. I have a BMW 325 with 33000 miles, tires still in great shape, NO PROBLEMS EVER! When I asked dealer why tires were wearing so fast and so irregular, they stated this car will just do that! Would have traded long ago but obviously dealers know this is a CHEAP MADE car. Resale/ trade value is horrible.

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  a piece Junk ! Do not buy it !!! - 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By bingchan - March 19 - 5:13 am

  After I brought the car home, foundout there is a long scratch on the side of window, the dealers pre-sale service sucks, they did not even inspect the car ! After 3 weeks, the car was less than 1500 miles, the cars steelring wheel quit working during the middle of the turn, almost killed me by kissing the light pole... I had mercedes during the 90s, I can not beleive their quality and service gone so low . I would never buy another Mercedes. I had a Acura RL for years and I never had any problem with it, its quality, comfort,safety and equipment are way better than Mercedes, and 20k cheaper too.

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  Worst - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By integrity - February 25 - 6:13 am

  Worst Mercedes I ever owned, nonstop problems keep coming, Ive been to 5 Mercedes specialist all the mechanics told me to get rid of this car asap, because too many on this model of car, its not worth to fix, thats why used one is much cheaper than cl55!

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  Save Your Money - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Garfield - January 30 - 6:50 pm

  Bought the ML 320 because of the name. However I donated the car today because you look pretty stupid sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck to flatbed your SUV away. I had the car regularly serviced whenever the wrenches appear on the dash. App cost each time $400 - $800. Service was great until mileage got to around 80K. They tried to get me to buy a new car and when I balked problems began. I wont outline but I spent more than $6000 in repairs during the last 6 months trying to save the car and avoid a new car payment. Save yourself the hassle and buy a Toyota. I donated my ML 320 to charity so at least something good came out of it.

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  I Hate it - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Damon - January 18 - 1:06 am

  I own 2 Mercedes. The ML430 has had nothing but problems. I will not ever buy another Benz again. I thought it was just the ML430, but my SLK is also a money pit. Very disappointed with Mercedes

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  Sport Sedan Dreams - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Chip - January 9 - 3:23 pm

  If you are looking for a true sports sedan, do not buy this vehicle. It will leave you feeling disappointed. This car has spent more time at the dealership than my garage, and left my wife and I with a total lack of confidence in Mercedes-Benz. I will never purchase another product from them!

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  Merc + suck - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Flipp Wilson - November 29 - 10:00 am

  So I bought this mint used 430 with 16,000 miles on it and boy was i burned. Been in the shop 7 times in 6 months. Door latchs, window lifts, winshield washers, seats, mirrors, electronics, on and on. What an idiot for thinking mercedes meant a solidly built car.

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  Dont buy one - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By millerp - November 29 - 10:00 am

  The build quality and reliabilty is terrible. I have never owned a car or truck this bad.

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  Not a happy MB consumer - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Unhappy - November 26 - 12:53 am

  Bought the car with 48000 miles, and have replaced every light at least once. One electrical problem after another. Paint is the worst I have every seen, chipping. Everytime there is a problem cost is at minimum $1,000. I would NEVER own another MB. Overrated poorest quality car I have ever owned.

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  Youve been warned! Dont buy it! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By RLee - November 24 - 10:06 pm

  I bought this car when gas prices were $4 a gallon in Texas. It looked nice, drove well, got good gas mileage and had very low mileage. I thought it would be a great little car for my 75 mile daily round trip. I paid what I thought was a fair price, and my bank even offered to finance more. Since my purchaser, I have replaced or repaired the following (at 29,000 mi): brakes, alternator, radiator, blinker (and not just bulbs-housing), had major electrical problems, automatic rear passenger door, front passenger seat module (drained battery), CD player no longer works, sunroof just went out last week,drivers seat no longer works, steering control no longer works, another blinker went out . .