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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  what a mistake - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By jsiegel - September 3 - 2:00 am

  never again

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  Chrysler side of the Family - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By JAFO - September 3 - 2:00 am

  I own an SL500 and was impressed with the quality and craftmanship so when I need and SUV the ML was a logical choice. That is what I used to think. This think has been in the for service 6 times for electrical and cosmetic issues. My SL never has been so I am not unreasonable or a motor head that covers it etc... Overall do not buy this car for the money you can have an BMW X-5 with out the headaches!

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  Not the Benz I used to know - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By sam mira - August 30 - 2:00 am

  This is one example where "they dont make them like they used to." Mercedes has clearly discredited their name and reputation with this SUV. Clearly not assembled in Germany; more likely in a Chrysler plant. Reliability and maintenance costs clearly the biggest draw-back to this car. Resale value is also very poor as not many people interested in buying these cars back, including the Mercedes dealerships. My recommendation is buy a Lexus.

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  the worst car i have owned - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By hal6 - August 10 - 7:07 pm

  To the point; I am a professional driver-driving instructor. Have owned too many cars to count-mostly high performance; Porsches, Bmws, Audis. Bought this vehicle for size to transport my baby gandchildren. In 16k miles had to have the front brakes/rotors replaced 3 times. Sticking throttle never repaired. Very unsafe. Numerous electonics failures-over 20 times in the shop. Unable to repair the vehicle properly, including the sticking throttle. When I requested a trade assist for another model, M-B corp. refused-advised "thats whet the warranty is for". Obviously will never own another M-B

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  2001 ML Disappointment - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By tomresource1 - August 2 - 3:28 am

  I am a die hard Mercedes Benz customer, having purchased many of their fine automobiles over the past 35 years. Notwithstanding, my experience with their ML product has been disappointing at best. Presently, we own a 2000 E320 and a 2006 S500. In recent years we have also owned a 2000 SL600 and a 1997 SL500, along with a 2002 S55, 2004 CL500 Sport, 1998 C230, 1993 300E and several 2000-2002 S430 / S500 Mercedes products. We also owned a 1999 ML320 that was a disaster on wheels and until this past week a 2001 ML320 that was one of the worst vehicles that we have owned to date.

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  Lemon Law Mercedes - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bruce Flannery - July 24 - 2:00 am

  My wife has always wanted a Mercedes- Benz, so we purchased a new 2002 C-320 in October 2003. During the first month it has been in the shop on 2 separate occasions for multiple repairs for approximately 2 weeks. All repairs have been electronic in nature. This is a very sophisticated vehicle and I find many of the features very distracting when driving. The dealership has, at no charge, provided Mercedes-Benz loaner vehicles, extended the warranty 1-year and refunded our first months payment. I have owned many vehicles during my life, and this is by far the poorest quality car I have ever purchased.

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  Avoid this thing - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jch - July 22 - 2:00 am

  Poor design and poor execution sum it up. Transmission shifts roughly and balks at downshifts, rear seats impossible to get up, windows very slow to raise, CD changer rarely works right, HVAC doesnt like to change temps, very uneven and wobbly ride which is incredibly tiring, tiny gas tank in a gas guzzler, etc. etc. etc......

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  Not Happy - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MNK - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I am not happy with the vehicle. It started rattling noises after just first month and since then has been to the dealership for almost 7 times. Those noises are still there and they have been unable to properly identify the problem. The opinion is that this is normal to have it in suv.

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  ugh - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By junnah - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Multiple design flaws and even more build execution flaws: seats that go back and wont come up, groaning suspension, air vents to the windshield that do nothing but create condensation,poor quality paint, impossibly complex climate controls, even more impossibly complex key to seat setting control requirements................all exceeded by a service department that really doesnt seem to know what theyre doing, loaner cars with NO gas and rarely cleaned, blah blah blah. The sales rep (Calvin) was great; he is, unfortunately all too peerless. Im off to pick up a Lexus GS300; never should have strayed from the proven Japanese brand.

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  Not the Mercedes I previously owned - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By ruth20 - July 14 - 4:23 pm

  Over $6000.00 in repairs in one year. Suspension, computer, and had to order a new key fob after the two that came with the R350 wore out, $180.00 for a new one, and it is made quite well and will probably outlast the wagon Had a 94 S500 and it didnt need anything done until it was 11 years old. Thought they were all made like that one. No, now if you own a Mercedes, you better have deep pockets