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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  Unparrelled German craftsmanship - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By kt33f-anb - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Driving toward the sun, head lights turn on by themselves, when sun comes down, dashboard illuminats automatically. Downhill traction control is real. ETS+ works like magic during heavy rainpour on freeway. Ergonomic interior design, quiet cabin even at 80mph. Second row seats easy but little heavy to fold. Deep bass sound throughout. Precise braking, engine torque comes out needed. Head start lacks speed like X5, it is typical Mercedez. I am 6 foot, 265 pounds, it satisfies my size, leg room, head room, shoulder room, as well as hip room. Even the cloth seat itself has lumbar support.

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  The New 2003 ML350 Inspriation Edition - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By ScottEsq - May 2 - 2:00 am

  WAKE UP EDMUNDS! The much-maligned ML320 is dead. Long live the ML350! Even though the automotive press dropped the ball on covering this vehicle, it is the wonderful replacement of the ML320. The 3.7 liter motor delivers 232 hp and 254 lb- ft of torque. My Inspiration Edition is as luxurious and comfortable as the E320 I traded, and has more power. It holds everything a family of five needs for a weekend trip to the lake -- something my E-Class simply couldnt do -- in any kind of weather. No rattles, no sqeaks, no vibrations. A wonderful sport light truck!

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  My ML55 AMG - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MBZdriver - May 2 - 2:00 am

  I love the way my SUV drives, it handles great for how big it is. It has 342 HP which is more than most cars on the road and is a real head turner. My Benz is faster than my sisters 2002 CLK320.

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  A Winner For Under $30K! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By edward.thaute@citize - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Caveat: I have only owned my C230 for 6 weeks, but no defects discovered so far. This car, with 6-speed M/T and the C5 and C7 packages including 17-inch performance tires, leather, and Bose stereo, is a blast to drive. Great acceleration in 3rd and 4th gear, comfortable cruising in 6th, superb handling characteristics. Blew an Audi TT off the line the other day - felt good considering the Audi costs at least $6-10K more. Only complaint - ABS not as effective as my previous car (Saab 9-3), and, despite ESP and traction control, doesnt handle real well on snowy or icy roads. Overall rating an 8.75.

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  This car cant be over $60,000. - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By smherlin - May 2 - 2:00 am

  I have read the reviews and cant believe that no one has commented on how small the new E500 is. I had previously owned an E320 and loved it. The car is supposedly an inch bigger everywhere but the trunk and backseat are so small that I could not use it to take customers in. I just traded this car for an S430.

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  R350 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By AT - May 2 - 12:16 am

  This is our first MB and we love this vehicle. It is very roomy, comfortable, and large enough for 6 men to drive and ride. The cargo space is more than adequate with the third row seats folded down. Folding and unfolding the third row is quicky and very easy. The V6 is enough for this heavy vehicle which handles surprising sporty. The nav system is very hard to get used to but once mastered is a must have. Also, must have Parktronic to park as it is very, very long. Have had dash rattle issues that were quickly resolved by the dealership. No mechanical issues whatsoever. A pleasure to own.

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  Love to Drive - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Rizkalla - May 1 - 6:03 am

  I have a C300 Luxury 4 Matic, Premium 1 & Multimedia packages, IPod Integration Kit. I have test driven Lexus ES and BMW 3 series sedan and found that this car is by far more enjoyable to drive. The C300 Luxury sedan easily wins in value and prestige for the money. 2009 model has 40GB hard drive and 3 memory settings for the driver seat, which includes the power wheel, and mirrors settings.

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  Very pleased - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By coadster - April 28 - 4:43 am

  Very solid, sharp vehicle. Feels like it is carved out of one piece of steel.

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  My first 5000 miles - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By Ron Greenspan - April 27 - 10:00 am

  I traded a 2002 M5 for this beast so I am very familiar with high performance cars. This is a true luxury car with blinding performance and incredible comfort. You can drive for hundreds of miles and still want to keep going. The seats are extremely comfortable and it has all the toys and technology you could ask for. Its a dream. It is not a sports car but does fairly well in the curves. The brakes are good but it is a heavy car so you have to allow for some distance to stop as compared to a lighter Porsche. The torque is immense and available at any speed. A deeper exhaust sound and a lower ride height would be my only fixes.

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  Really enjoy it!! - 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Michael Wagner - April 26 - 10:47 pm

  I now have 94K on the vehicle and it is still great. I have done most of the work on the car since I like doing that and German cars are very straight forward to work on. I have only had to do brakes and oil and tires so far. Having an intermittent issue with the air suspension now, but will figure it out and fix it. The system is pretty simple and Arnott makes a good replacement for it that has very good reviews. Went to the Continentals for tires...a little stiffer, but so much quieter than the Perellis. Ive taken it on long trips, and into the mountains skiing in heavy snow. It handles everything quite well. They dont makes chains for the 20" wheels, but didnt need them. Repaired the suspension, but went with the Arnott solution since this seems to be a weak point on this vehicle. Relatively simple to repair and replaced both front and back plus the pump at different times due to failures. I now have over 147000 on my GL550 and the only other repairs beyond normal maintenance were the internal gaskets on the front of the engine for power steering unit and oil filter mount (the metal unit the oil filter attaches to). These gaskets get hard and crispy and begin leaking. Also had one oxygen sensor fail, but also an easy fix. The garage mechanic can handle all of these fixes. The vehicle continues to perform well and still really enjoy driving it. I did go to the cross drilled rotors and ceramic brakes. Eliminated the brake dust issue and perform better going through the mountains.