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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  Run away from buying a MB - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By bill - October 30 - 8:36 pm

  There is no possible reason for anyone to buy a car like this. I have owned many cars in my life and this is probably the most unreliable vehicle I have ever experienced. Known problems are MAF sensor, suspension, electronics, brakes etc, etc. Cheap vinyl seats that are passed off as leather. Any Ford, Honda, Toyota etc. would be a better purchase. If you must have a Mercedes lease a new one and dump it before the problems start.

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  mybenz - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By parker - October 21 - 10:23 pm

  I though it would be neat to get a mercedes but I didt want to spend a lot. So, here I am with a new c-class. These cars are cheap which is why practically every other person on the road has one. However, now that I have it I have found out that it feels very similar to the Toyota Corolla I used to drive. Mercedes should drop the entry level segment just as Jaguar has. Next time Ill stay away from the poor mans model and get something decent.

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  Love/Hate Heartbreak - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Schaffs04 - October 20 - 3:59 pm

  The GL was a dream come true for me at the beginning. One owner, 2011 GL450 with a clean carfax and good looking maintenance history. Purchased from an MB dealer in April 2015. On the upside it was incredibly comfortable, fast, elegant, and as capable of hauling 6 adults in comfort to dinner as it was pulling a trailer with 3 tons of rock. When it was right, it was a thing to behold. When it went wrong, as it often did, it was like getting kicked in the gut. In 12 months and 20k miles: *Front Airmatic failure: $2,450 to repair *Primary and Secondary Battery Failures: $550 to repair *Blown underhood fuse panel: $450 to repair. *Standard maintenance for the year: $800, and that was skipping the spark plugs due at 60k which would have been another $600. Insult to injury was the depreciation in just one year: close to 40%. It has gone away and I am back to a nice, reliable, Japanese Infiniti. No need for 7 passenger so I also downsized. The only way this truck makes sense is if you can either do the work yourself, or have no worries about significant unexpected repairs. Wanted one for 25 years and after a year with the Benz, I suggest if you want a 7 passenger SUV that can tow, save yourself the heart wrenching experience of a GL and buy a GMC Yukon or Lexus LX570.

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  Do not buy an R350 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Pete - October 19 - 3:50 am

  We purchased our car used from a Mercedes dealer, it has been in the shop 9 times in 8 months. Tail lamps melted, rear hatch locked shut, air vents all broke. Temperature controls were stuck on a temperature could not change. Plastic on seat rails has broken multiple times. Bad wheel bearing, rattled catalytic converter, broken latch over spare tire, misc trim pieces needed to be realigned. We loved the car initially but after 8 months of loaners for a week at a time in some cases we have vowed to never buy another Mercedes. We have had several Mercedes prior to this one and this car has been a major dissappointment. I would encourage anyone not to buy this car. Do your homework!

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  Too expensive to maintain!!!!! - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Rich - October 12 - 6:36 pm

  I have never written a review on a car until this one. It has been soo expensive to repair I felt I had to warn people not to buy the car. The rear windows use some sort of plastic strap to make them go up and down and they dry rot. They have broken 4 times in my ownership and it cost $600 each. Service is 300-700 every 7,000 miles. Every time you bring it in for service there is something new that will cost you another $500. The most recent issue is they said the rubber boots around my axles are cracking and they want $1,200 to fix it. Thats right not that the axles are out just the BOOTS and it is going to be $1,200. I am buying a LEXUS or ACURA next.

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  Problems and more problems!! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By PDE - October 7 - 10:00 am

  Love the styling, handling and performance, but Im not sure I made the right buying decision. I have had the car (with only 15000 miles) in for repairs four time so far. All the problems have been with the electronics systems going bad and having to be replaced. Thes have included... stability control (twice), alarm system (twice), sunroof (twice), rear sunshade, infrared keys, rain sensing intermittent wipers. I have owned the car for less than a year and a half! With a Yugo, I would expect this, but a Mercedes?

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  Went for looks - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By itchy - October 4 - 12:46 pm

  As in most of the other reviews, just about every light has burned out. Some have been replaced many times. Its kind of exciting if the car can go between oil changes without some other issue needing to be addressed. The fear of an expensive repair always looms. We bought this car because of the classic look. We still like the look, but drive our Hondas when we truly have to be someplace.

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  I wish I never wasted my time - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Maria - September 25 - 2:00 am

  This car really sucks,.The radio gets louder and lower on its own,windows make noises,sunroof button isnt automatic,front ligther went on fire,radio controls are really far away from your seat so you have to move foward to change the station & Im preety tall61 so you cant blame it on my height,when I start it, it makes noises,coolent tube fixed twice after 5 months of buying the car, I had to fix it 2x, my brake pads wore out after 7months,Check engine light is always on, Gas Gas Gas need I say more? The gas is soo horrible I would I could curse at it. I can keep on going but I would hope you get the message that the car really sucks bad

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  44,000 miles and stuck in 2nd gear - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By sousame - August 23 - 7:38 am

  I have babied this car! freeway mostly easy on the gas pedal ext... first the trans would randomly be stuck in 3rd gear as im driving. I would have to stop turn the key off then restart. I was going to take it to the dealership soon but now i cant even do that it wont shift into anything but 2nd or reverse or park. very very very disapointed in this high dollar vehicle. will be even more so if there is not a recall on this. i didnt blow my bank account and pay cash for something that wont even last me 44,000 mile.... will update soon with my results....

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  I Wish I Could Reverse Time - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By dave - August 23 - 5:36 am

  I bought this car thinking it would be a huge hit and I would be one of the first to have one. It seems like I am the only to have one. Personally, I think it looks great. I luckily avoided black because it looks like a hearse is that color. I got the 350 because the 500 was that much more money. This car has extreme steering vibration at high speeds. This vibration also comes with a deep noise that does not sound too good. Yacht length rear doors make nearly imposible to avoid denting a car in a parking lot. Head-lamps keep flashing, door handle does not work at times and reverse lights sometimes fail to work.