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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  Regret this choice! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By BeemerShopper - May 28 - 10:00 am

  150 days of ownership, 29 of those days in the shop. I get to live through a slow and painful rebuild of my new car. Doors removed/replaced, all window & door rubber replaced to stop howling wind(still to loud for a conversation) rear door handles replaced, wood trim delaminated, headlights not adj.,glove box door and latch replacement(2), door pocket replaced(Fabric felloff),sunroof leaks,hood misaligne(cant be fxd)bad brakes, auto adj. for seat/strng wheel does not work, teleaid does not work, instrument cluster replaced, wipers replaced (BANGING across windshield) buzz/rattle from every corner. Dont buy this car.

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  Perfection - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Bruce E. Cook - May 28 - 10:00 am

  German engineering has reached the ultimate level. The Mercedes 500 SL in the 2003 model comes as close to perfection as is possible. After driving this car for ten months, I believe that this is the finest car Ive ever owned. Every aspect of the automobile is a thrill to look at and to drive. It has the look and the feel of what a $100,000 plus car should have for the owner. Well worth the price.

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  6 Years of Maintenance Headaches, but still Own It - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Jim A. - May 27 - 7:46 am

  Original owner, vehicle serviced 100% by Mercedes repair/maintenance facilities in San Francisco & Monterey CA. After 50,000 miles, the maintenance problems began, and they are common to many other postings I have seen on the web. Engine oil cooler seals go ($4,000), front wheel bearings leak/go ($3,000), AdBlue Heater goes ($3,000), vehicle loses speed and requires multiple repair visits to finally repair fuel system problem ($2,500), plus regular maintenance that has averaged $1,500 per visit. Vehicle has locked me out twice, battery has unexpectedly drained on several occasions requiring jump-starts, "Check Engine" light goes on way too often, requiring dealership visits. Vehicle itself is a pleasure when its working properly, but those intervals are getting shorter and shorter. Bought the diesel for power, efficiency and reliability but its not turing out that way.

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  R350 engine problems - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Andrew - May 26 - 10:00 am

  Not many potential buyers know that the R350 with the v-6 engine has a faulty balancing camshaft gear that is prone to failure. The gear is failing impacting the timing of the engine. In order to repair it the entire engine needs to be taken out of the car and apart. Cost over $5,500. All V-6 M272,and V-8 M273 engines between 2004 and 2009 have the potential problem that results in the extensive repairs. MB USA is not honoring the repairs and there is a class action complaint in process. Think twice about buying a used Mercedes Benz. You may be for a $5,500 surprise even if the car has 50,000 miles on it.

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  Good looks - Inferior Quality Electronic - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By ChildsPlay - May 26 - 10:00 am

  My spouse & I both own SUVs. He drives a Lexus GX470 and I the GL450. The GL450 is a competent vehicle with ample cargo capacity for transporting our large dogs & medical equip. However, I have had to make numerous trips to the dealership to remedy electronic and suspension issues. I do feel very safe inside the vehicle. However, I must admit that my husbands Lexus seems to handle the snow better than my GL and his vehicle has been completely problem free. I have trepidations regarding the cost of maintaining and repairing this vehicle once the warranty expires. The Navigation system and bluetooth integration are vastly inferior to the Lexus.

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  Fantastic Diesel - 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By FallsWine - May 26 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle replaces our 2008 E320 Blue-Tec and what an improvement. Mercedes has made great improvements in cabin design and layout, improved the voice command control and greatly improved the navigation and radio manual controls. To top it off were getting 38 to 40 mpg for combined city/highway driving (much better than EPA estimates and better than our 2008) and theres more than enough power to pass anything on the highway. This is a really great vehicle.

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  Great Car Lotsa Fun - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By IvanUSA - May 26 - 6:00 am

  This is a an exeptional vehicle, hardtop convertible roadster. This is my second one with AMG package on it just not supercharged. I highly recomend this car to every one

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  Faulty Traction Control (ESP), Loses Power on Road - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Vinod Patel - May 25 - 8:50 pm

  The "esp inoperative" message pops up frequently,

  even when the weather and road conditions are warm, dry and clear. When it occurs, the car seems to loose acceleration (power) and slows down (rather very quickly on roadway sloping up). Pressing the gas pedal would not speed up the car immediately; it would after a while. When this occurs, i pull over the car and turn it off & on to get rid of the "esp inoperative" message. This has happened on high speed expressway as well. It felt very dangerous and unsafe since a truck was approaching closely behind. I was fortunate to pull over on the shoulder and turn off/on the car. This appears to be associated with a faulty part, sensor or software that needs to be fixed by the car manufacturer. I bought this car brand new in October 2014 and it currently has 5940 miles. It was serviced by dealership in October 2015 for 12-month maintenance. This problem is very dangerous because the SUV  loses power while Im on the road. This problem should not even occur once. It is a life threatening issue.

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  It Saved My Life - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Chelsea P. - May 25 - 3:20 am

  I got in a bad accident just a few days ago while in my 96 Mercedes c220. I was at a gas station waiting to turn left. While I was waiting to pull out a semi came by that had tractor rims. One came loose, because of an insecured load and also the driver didnt notice the suv in front of him get ready to turn right into the gas station. 7rims bolted together that weighed 1,000 lbs each struck the driverside of my car and caved it in. The rim weighed at least 7,000 lbs (not including the momentum added) that not only crushed my side of the car but also pushed it and lifted it a good 20 ft. I have no idea how I made it out of there but I thank god that I did. It saved me

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  Great Car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By EZDEL - May 23 - 3:56 pm

  Handles great, Fun to drive and outstanding sound system.