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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  Ill never buy another Benzo - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By DeanNY - June 27 - 2:00 am

  like the ride,handling,power and interior.Reliability is lacking.MB unresponsive to numerous correspondence.17k miles, brought it back 4 times.Was told thats why you have a warranty.i own a 12yr old BMW, brought it back twice/both times BMW main office called me. MB doesnt care. Would never buy another one. Service Pickup is a joke/have to wait 2 weeks for a loaner car.not worth paying a premium.build quality is below par for a MB.

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  ML55 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mark55 - June 26 - 10:00 am

  Sports car performance with SUV cargo capacity. The ML55 is excellant in all catagories. Gas mileage is better than reported (I have been averaging around 15)

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  ML320 cure for Jeep - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By dmdfct - June 26 - 10:00 am

  Former top of the line Jeep Cherokee owner. The ML320 has the cure for disatisfied Jeep owners. No SUV yawl. Solid, luxury ride. Excellent brakes which do not fade on windy coastal roads like Jeep. Interior is quiet.. no wind noise.

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  Excellent preowned luxury car. - 1997 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Heskett - June 25 - 9:26 am

  Havent had the car long but have made some extended trips. MPG was a little over 20 on these trips. Performance and comfort are excellent. Still a classic for MBZ styling. With good care should remain a symbol of classic style and quality engineering.

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  E320 at 195,000 miles - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By jbnj1 - June 23 - 1:24 pm

  ok at an amazing 195k on the clock this car just never stops amazing me , I bought this car about 1.5 yrs ago and my wife takes this car from nj to Lex va reguraly about 1000 miles round, I have no fear in letteing her do this with this car, I WOULD NEVER let her use any of our other cars ((3) all with less milage) to do this,,, this car gets about 30mpg , stops on a dime with akbono pads , and you can eat a bowl a soup in this car at 100-120mph and yes Ive run this car personaly on I95, I81, and I76 multiple times in the triple digits ,The BEST USED CAR Ive ever owned, this veh gets regular service , and when it was bought i recvd complete records, if you can do so too , buy it

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  No Dream Come True - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bernd - June 23 - 8:23 am

  This was my first car. Im in high school and even though Im young I love and research cars nonstop. It was my dream car until about a month ago. My sunroof cable broke and that was the only part that the extended warranty didnt cover. Less than a week later, my engine started shaking and the check engine came on. Took it in and there is a flaw with Mercedes and something in the cylinders can get stuck open and dont bet on your insurance/warranty place to cover anything. Cost for new cylinder: $5000. Too much maintainance, in shop too much, need a more reliable car so Im selling. Overall, I love the car to death but not worth the time in the shop

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  Can I get heat with that - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By BRP - June 22 - 3:36 pm

  Picked up our new C240 8hrs after arrival at dealer Thurs. Wasnt ready as promised. Heater wouldnt work. Called at 10am next day as instructed. Car ready. Arrive 12:30pm and pick up car. Minutes away from dealership, turn heater on full blast. Thirty minutes later arrive at my office and cold air still flowing. Therefore, can assume one of two things: dealer never fixed heater; dealer fixed heater and it broke a second time before driven off the dealers lot. Lemon?

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  Mercedes supercar - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By scarface - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I just got this car a few months ago, february 2004, and since the first test drive, I loved it. I sold a ferrari 355 to buy this car, and it was worth it. It is just as fast as the ferrari, yet infinitly more civilized, practical, comfortable, luxurius... This is truly the best car in the world, fast, comfortable, rolls royce level of fit and finish.

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  Nice ride! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By RON - June 22 - 8:03 am

  For my most recent cars, i have owned a Mercedes, a BMW and 2-Porsches as "fun" cars. When I saw this car in the showroom, I had to have it. For a 4-seat convertible, it has a usable backseat. The gadgetry (I have the NAV system) is a bit much to learn, but can be fun to look at. Performace-wise, it is fabulous. I did test drive the equivalent Lexus convertibale and frankly the styling was not for me. This car has it all, styling, performance, comfort, reliablity. Turns a lot of heads, including mine!

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  So far so good - 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE Class
  By lexi pierson - June 21 - 5:52 pm

  Very good so far