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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  1997 E420 is Junk - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By AD - November 16 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new in 1997 and it is one of the worst cars I ever purchased. It gave me lot of grief and frankly I wouldnt have been as disappointed if it had the Chrysler logo instead. Its motor had to be changed twice, All window motors broke down, speed sensor gave up, AC didnt work. Shock absorbers crumbled into pieces, and more - all in first 5 years! Frankly, I and some of my friends gave up buying Merc in favor of BMW. The car has only 93K miles- but it is a hunk of junk and been a LEMON. I have a 10 inch thick file with notes and problems that Mercedes had to fix. Stay away from MERCEDES, if you want peace in your life!

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  Worst time for Mercedes? - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By freddys555 - October 16 - 10:59 pm

  I regret to say that this was the worst Mercedes I have ever owned. It seemed that something went wrong with it every other week. The digital read-outs on main display failed causing to lose the ability to use particular options, HVAC system completely failed and needed total replacement, window regulator failures, side mirror motor failures, seat heater failures, seat adjustment motor failure, trunk release failure, fluid leaks, engine mounts needed replacement (@ 60K miles!), and many more malfunctions. Despite this being Mercedes, nobody should be experiencing this many problems with a car costing this much. It is by far the worst car I have ever owned.

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  Problems and problems - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By laurent2 - October 4 - 11:30 am

  Got this car and was really happy at first. During the winter the wiper motor broke. Replaced at 1700$. 6 months go by, the motor breaks again. Dealer says the motor broke because the mechanism broke first, No warranty. 1700$ again. Sent letters to the dealer and straight to MB Canada. Big step from them if they even acknowledged my request of refund. MB should really do something about their customer service. They might be selling cars, but they sure dont keep their customers.

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  Worst car I have ever purchased - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By BJR - October 4 - 10:00 am

  Purchased the car new, 2008. After 11 months the car stalled out on me while driving! I brought it to MB and they told me they fixed it. Happened again and again. Life threatening problem! I tried to get MB to switch out the car but no way. Too much to ask, being safe! MB put new tires on the vehicle and the back tire leaks bad. They cant fix a tire either! I have brought the car in I cant count how many times. Still leaks! Car swerves all over the place. Horrible service, MB corporate doesnt care about us either. Only the $$$$$. I went back to BMW. The "7" handles like a dream and I dont feel like I am putting my familys life in harms way. Never again Mercedes!

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  Buy anything but... - 2003 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By eurocar - August 24 - 10:00 am

  This car is horrible. From the day I bought it Ive had nothing but problems. The dealership people are inentive to the problems Ive been having. The service deparment is constantly on backorder for parts and it is overall a bad experience. This is the first time that Ive bought a Mercedes (happy BMW owner) and Chrysler quality is really showing itself in this SUV.

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  they went from good to bad - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By sdjkhfjk - August 24 - 10:00 am

  i have allot of problems with mine it stalls at all different times.. they are still unable to fix it after 4 months of the problem and 5 trys

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  Mercedes or Ford Topaz - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By CLK AMG 55 Owner - August 12 - 10:56 am

  I did not like the body style from the start, but I bought one anyway, fully loaded with everything possible. I paid $97,484 for this car. The dealership went through all the details how to operate the radio etc., but it was very confusing and illogical how to use all the features, I drove this car very little, it was slow for a supposed fast car. I put 130 miles on it and the speedomer stuck on 20MP. Took it back to the dealer, they had to put in a whole new assembly. Did not like this car. It is way overpriced and not easy to see out of or drive. I sold it back to dealer for 65,000 taking a 30,000 loss, better than 50K loss this car is not worth more than 30k.

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  not reliable - 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By asad shamim - August 10 - 6:00 am

  Since purchasing my E350 in June 2009, the engine has failed twice. The interior rattles causing annoyance. The car has been back into the garage for noises coming from rear and still has not been resolved by the garage. To be honest with you I am totally fed up with this car as it has caused me so much inconvenience in time and money. Furthermore this car is totally useless in snow conditions because it is rear wheel drive. I strongly recommend consumers not to buy this model. If the garage i bought this vehicle from does not do anything soon then i will be taking further action against mercedes. They certainly do not live up to their name.

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  what a mess - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By my car - August 2 - 10:00 am

  I have been driving a mercedes for 30 years. Ordered my 2002 in July 2002.Added special lights ,built in phone. Paid 75000.00 cash and boy did I get a surprise in Oct.2002 when I got the car. So many blind spots, cheap made, very little leather and I want even get into the problems I have had. I am ashamed of the poor excuse for the navigation, no one told me about the 10 cd,s you had to buy.Bought all while traveling and then the whole system gave out.Plastic bumpers?

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  Pushing your luck - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By TrueReviews - August 2 - 1:40 am

  Only the Merc themselves and people who drive their cars know how terrible their cars are. Engineering; dependability; luxury; performance are at its worst compared to Lexus or BMW. Spending a fortune on a car like this is totally not worth it.