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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  why not to buy a sprinter - 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By Brian Parks - April 1 - 2:59 pm

  I bought a Mercedes RV and no one ever mentioned the word sprinter. Now I am told that most Mercedes dealers do not service sprinters. I live near El Paso and have to go 250 miles for warranty or recall service. This is the worst decision of anything I have ever bought

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  Mercedes Benz doesn’t stand behind there vehicles - 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By George Koval - July 19 - 6:57 am

  If I could give them zero stars I would I bought a new 2017 2500 cargo not even 1000 miles I started having misterious starting issues ( not engaging the starter it left me stranded for 20 minutes) brought it to the dealer they couldn’t recreate it so they did nothing then around 5000 miles the transmission started to shift hard and bang into gear brought it to the dealer they did a reprogramming of the trans module said it was fixed but I got it back and it was worse brought it back to the dealer they replaced the valve body again said it was fixed picked it up test drove it with shop Forman still not fixed they ordered another part and was told that it wasn’t available none in the world so they had my new van for 3 weeks got Mercedes Benz involved they shipped the part all the while I’m not working while they have my sole business van they got the part and installed it again said it was fixed I picked it up only to find it wasn’t fixed so now I’m angry so I take the service director for a ride he documented it wasn’t fixed sent emails to the Mercedes Benz customer care team where they informed him that as far as Mercedes Benz was concerned it was repaired and that they were not going to do anything more IE fix or buy it back as it’s still under warranty they basically have refused to stand behind there vehicles and make any reasonable attempt to get my van fixed and me back to work where to date it’s cost me over 20k in lost revenue so now I’m left with per suing a lemon law suit and I see this is there MO they don’t care about there customers only the Benjamins

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  New Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 Clunks like a Junker - 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By upset - February 16 - 10:37 pm

  Special ordered a Mercedes sprinter 4x4 van. Spent another $11,000 in options to make it some what comfortable (total $70,000!) After 10,000kms clunking in the drivetrain started to happen badly during start and stop and throttle on throttle off (All day Driving!) Took it to the dealership who said it was normal ?!?! ... As in "its a commercial vehicle, that normal". Took back again because it was starting to clunk and thump and clang! Dealership used some green glue on the output shaft or something to that nature, (They didnt provide details when asked either through lack of knowledge and training or more likely told not to discuss with customer) Non the less the green goop treatment lasted a couple days and the van was back to its clunking, thumping, knocking and clanging (NO EXAGGERATIONS!) So I take it back to the same dealership and they take it for a few days where they summarized with a single test drive that the clunking was in fact still there but considered normal. No “fault” found. So in utter disbelief from this abusive and deflecting attitude i called customer service head office in TO. After a Lot of rubbish and 2 weeks passing, some rep from Mercedes western Canada calls me from a blocked number! LOL...it gets Better!!! Says hes gonna fly out to drive the vehicle in a couple weeks and never does. Sends the western Sales rep instead? Based out of the same dealership that I was having a problem with. So right from the get go this guy is confrontational and condescending and Confirms on a test drive all the clunks are normal and says so in front of another dealerships Service manager and Shop foreman. Says "its normal because its a commercial vehicle" and also "i might be tricking the computer during gear changes." He also asks me, "is it drive-able and runs? i say "yes" and he says "then there is nothing wrong with it" Lmao! ... NO WORD OF A LIE!" ($70,000) SOooooo i let this other dealership have it for a week and they say that they checked the specs but the Mercedes engineer department that calls the shots on the phone, says "there isnt any specs" So they give me my van back and i think there is another knocking sound in there that wasnt there before! LOL That make a total 3-4 very distinct clunks, clangs, thumps and knocking. It only has 27,000kms on it now and it is so bad that i am going to get rid of it since Mercedes wont fix it and after 1.5 years i will be out about $15,000 if im lucky. Keep your eyes on youtube as i will be making a video that better explains the issues that will be supported by documents and first, second and third mechanic shops diagnostics. The Bottom line is that i feel like a whipped dog now, and I have wasted a tremendous amount of time, energy, patience and Money! To try and get them to fix a very distracting, annoying and obvious drive train clunking that wasn’t there for the first 10,000 kms, or when I test drove it, or when I asked various salesmen about any drivability concerns with a response of reassurance that it had a warranty. So at no time was it disclosed to me up to the time when I signed the contract that the van I would purchase would develop maddening clunking issues after it was broken in that would be explained to me as normal, no matter how bad it is because the vehicle still moves. So if you’re a sucker this van is for you?

• Mercedes Sprinter Garbage 2500 JUNKER VAN - 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By Frustrated AV Guy - July 29 - 7:10 am

  1 year in from a NEW CARGO VAN purchase and only 30k miles with 10 X Shop visits and more than 30 Days in the shop for Check Engine Light, Transmission issues, steering column replacements, electronics issues, Blue DEF issues. This van runs 16 MPG and is a DOG on the road. Mercedes hides behind their Tri-Star Badge and SELLS JUNK unreliable vehicles and does not stand by their product. Very frustrating Business Killing Machine. Now the thing has black sealant leaking out from the roof supports in the cargo area - told Normal as AZ is HOT. Seriously, GO FORD !!!

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  Too bad if you buy from mb - 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By John - January 3 - 5:56 pm

  Very very noisy inside. Brakes make a big noise. spring is too soft. Repair is way too expensive

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  Best car on the road - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By My G-class - December 31 - 9:20 pm

  Every since the late 80s when I first saw the car at a friends house (european version) I new this is a car I had to have. not wanting to pay the $130,000 that it cost then I waited till MB put it out themselves and have not been disapointed. No other car can hold a candle to the styling and off road performance of this monster. They havent had to change it since the 70s (something must be right)

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  Pure fun to drive - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Terry Millman - December 30 - 2:50 pm

  The ML350 is great looking and fun to drive. I have the appearance package with the silver grille and 19 inch wheels and the tube side rails.

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  save your money and buy one. - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By seagazer - December 29 - 2:00 am

  this is a great car must drive to appreaciate it. solid as a rock, and safe.

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  Mercedes Benz G Wagon - 2003 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By ajm@mcrobertsinc.com - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Great vehicle, after the dealer removes all of the door rattles. For a hand made vehicle, Mercedes Benz needs to put effort in delivery of a rattle free vehicle, including wind noise. The dealership took care of all issues. Hopefully Mercedes Benz will take note of the money they are paying dealers to take care of factory issues. The more miles it has the better it drives, i.e., loosens up.

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  SLEEK - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mark MacDougall - December 29 - 2:00 am

  I love it! From now on I will only buy mercedes. Its a nice solid ride, very safe, and luxurious, although the price, in my opinion, is too low for a mercedes.