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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  $110,000 LEMON - 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By ratanlal - November 1 - 5:26 pm

  New car stalled 4 times. After pulling over and waiting for a few minutes car would start up again. Took it every time to a dealer. No problem found. I hear grinding sound, Dealer says normal. never heard that in any of my 20 other cars I have bought before. Soon as warranty expired, there was a problem. During test Dealer claimed that the Compression cable broke. Cost $2000+. I still hear noise and (sometimes) gears shift at a very high RPM. Went to get Smog test. They said they could not get steady RPM of 2800 to perform the test. This week the door handle broke. Cost $500. I would say that MBZ has VERY POOR QUALITY. Buying MBZ 1984-2007. NEVER AGAIN.

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  My C Class - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By morganlf - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Well I finally bought a Benz- and I am not happy. Its ok and the All wheel drive has worked out -but I sure miss the performance of my 3 series BMW! As for the intriour the Beemer blows the Benz away- the C Class has leather "inserts" what a joke and the stereo is some no name - no match for the Harmon Kardon I had- and the engine- so sluggish I took it back in to the dealor - but is has no horsepower and even the E Class they loaned me could not compare to the BMW. I switched for the all wheel drive since we have been getting a lot of snow- but the gas mileage is very low.

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  First Benz.... Might be Last Benz - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By TM - September 15 - 3:34 am

  8K$ car (GL550 -2015- Only gave blue tech as trim option via Edmunds review? pull down window)). Sales was outstanding. Issues with the Transmission/Tires/window seals/AC mold issues all within the first 4000 miles. Spent over 2 weeks in the shop in under 5 months of ownership. Once the sale is made you deal with the abyss of service and quality issues. This is the most disappointed Ive been in a new car purchase in over 25 years.

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  Overpriced Chrysler - 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By JW - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Road noise got to me, steering lifelless and too light.Good dart if you floor it & wait for 1 sec, otherwise, tiring in both S & C mode. Daft ergonomics. Steering column gear shifter and foot parking brakes are MB signatures that should be killed in the 80s. Signal stalk should be where the cruise control stalk is. And the turning knob for wipers is so Chrysler/Ford. Thirsty. Dash designs looks like a cross btw a Honda/Camaro - cheap. Cheap also applies to rear air vent plastic housing. BMW/Audi beater it is not. Maybe will give a 300M run for the money. Oh, sorry, wrong price bracket. Nav system display & voice command out of sync and that lifting intonation at end of sentence - AARG

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  Worst vehicle - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By worst vehicle tom - August 24 - 7:10 pm

  After owning Lexus and BMW I was excited when MB offered the E500 4- matic. This vehicle has been nothing but a disappointment. The transmission is not smooth and overrevs. At times there is a delay when starting to accelerate that is unpredictable and dangerous. The braking system is noisy and very hard to adapt to in order to come to a smooth stop. The a/c system is a joke. When it starts to run on hot day it revs so loud people outside the vehicle stare thinking something is wrong. I have had this car back to the dealer numerous times and I am always told that is just the way the car is! I would never recommend this vehicle.

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  Shockingly Underwhelmed - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By trinacria - August 1 - 7:36 am

  Ive owned 10 vehicles over the last 25 years and the CLS550 is unquestionably the biggest disappointment. Bottom line - Ive got an $80,000+ luxury vehicle with all the bells and whistles that drives like a 1972 Fiat. Despite being in the shop 3 times in the first 90 days, the vehicle continues to violently rattle and vibrate, the "premium sound system" sounds like a transistor radio, and the "climate controlled seats" are nothing more than a weak fan with an imperceptable effect. Two thumbs down!

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  Disappointment - 2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Rich - July 28 - 5:06 am

  I traded in a 1991 Honda Accord for this vehicle. I thought i was buying a quality vehicle that I could drive for a long time. Within the first month of ownership, the vehicle had to be towed and problems continued from there. The vehicle was very costly to maintain. At a 100,000 miles , the transmission had to be replace for $5,000. There were many costly repair for the ten year ownership(it was a struggle but I try to keep my vehicle for ten years. I had no where near these problems with the Honda I traded in when I purchased this vehicle. I have now purchase another Honda Accord 2009. I will never buy another Mercedes.

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  prohibitive price premium for prestige - 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By T MInor - June 12 - 11:36 am

  costs approximately 20k more than comparably equipped AudiA8L

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  Will Never Buy MB Again! MB=German Lemon - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Eunice - May 24 - 2:00 am

  First and last MB I will ever buy! Since I bought the car, I noticed that the car pulls hard to the right. Its like MB built the car crooked. Whats even worse is that MB tried to make me pay for alignment!Service has been poor and 2nd rate compared to Infiniti & Lexus. Even after alignment, car still pulls to right. CD player failed 3 times, battery was replaced, left speaker fell off, gas mileage not as great as advertised, climate control failed. Car is too heavy for the engine especially when accelerating from a stop & transmission jerks when shifting from 1st to 2nd at slow traffic speeds. Amazing how a $60g engine is less refined than a $20g Honda.

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  Smoke and Mirrors - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By SHANE - May 8 - 2:13 pm

  If you want to waste $30,000 then this is the car for you. I traded in a KIA Rio and thought I was taking a huge step up but I was mistaken. In the 6 months I have had this car it has been in the shop 7 times for various problems including alignment problems, electrical glitches with the ESP system, transmission and the lost goes on. The car is full of squeaks & rattles. I wish I had been smarter and purchased a car based on its actual merits not on the logo on the hood. Save yourself $10,000 and countless trips to the dealer and buy a Honda or Toyota. Mercedes is only a name now. There is NO quality behind the shiny hood emblem in my opinion.