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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  Mercedes is not of the quality it used to be - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By scholla - March 17 - 9:32 am

  For the last 35 years I always had at least one Benz in the garage. Currently have a 2007 550s and a 2012 350ML. Bought both new/first owner. 550 s -19,000 miles - Air Condition not working. 350ML - 6,000 Miles - electronics defect: give wrong error messages and no error messages. Now, the ML is at the shop because the engine may have to be replaced. Local dealer in Palm Beach says MBUSA asked them to perform "more tests to identify the problem". (Car is in the shop already 3 days.) Two issues here: (1) MB now sells cars that do not work properly, even after short use. (2) How MBUSA deals with the problem: They make little/no effort to make things right. This is no longer a good make.

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  all style, no substance - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By sandra miller - March 13 - 3:33 am

  I liked the styling and the Mercedes-Benz brand. I owned an E320 and thoroughly enjoyed it but my 2000 M-Class has been nothing but trouble. Ive spent $5,000 in 12 months on repairs, brakes, rotors, leaking seals, pumps, etc. Curently, it wont run without stalling and the dealerhip cant seem to find out what is wrong. Theve had it for four days!

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  2002 CLK 320 Long Term Review - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By CBP - March 10 - 5:56 pm

  I have owned my CLK 320 coupe for 3 years. The car is now at 39,000 miles. The car started out well when first purchased but is now falling apart. The engine valve rocker arms have been replaced 4 times and are still loud when the car is cold. The front seat track has been replaced as well as both rear seat latches as well as the outside temperature sensor and all of the instrument guages. The tires wore out at 14,000 miles and the ignition wires had to be replaced at 33,000 miles. The undercarriage is now making a loud rattling sound like marbles in a bucket.

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  Dont Buy - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Ed Ray - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I had one problem after another. Sorry engineering! Things that should never break broke with little use. My parents had one also and had to have it towed 4 times.

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  2009 ML-350 - 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Will - February 13 - 9:46 am

  Ive had the ML-350 for 4 weeks now with 1000 miles, performance is acceptable. I have been disappointed with the car. Few days after owning the vehicle, started the vehicle in garage, noticed two problems, 1. white smokes (only happened once). 2. Notice an engine knocks on cold start (listen carefully- make sure radio is off). Squeals noise coming from steering column and passenger driver. Drive Seat moves (under my knee) during acceleration. Rough idle. More wind noise than my Ford SUV.

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  Mercedes Misses the Mark - Very Poor Technology - 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By silvercab - January 23 - 12:55 am

  I recently purchased new 2012, Blue Tooth system does not work. I get error messages covering the Nav Screen every day. MB Customer service told me I need to choose a compatible phone from the MB approved list (apparently something the dealer should have mentioned in advance). Initially, MB were very accommodating and said they would reimburse my out of pocket expense to get a "MB compatible" phone. I now have their phone and I still get the same error messages. MB customer service says, "there is nothing more we can do for you" and "many 2012 customers are experiencing the same problems." In addition, ParkTronic does not function properly and power seat broke twice.

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  Exetremely Disappointing - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By allysonp1 - December 5 - 3:51 pm

  The front brakes had to be replaced at 24K miles. At 40K miles the back brakes had to be replaced. Prior to this, I drove a Lexus for 60K miles before the brakes needed to be replaced. We will be going back to Lexus and I hope I never live long enough that I am forced to purchase another Mercedes-Benz. Dealers have only been marginally helpful and say this is reasonable wear - might be but isnt for a Lexus.

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  Shouldve, Couldve... - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Oops - November 30 - 2:00 am

  Bought it in August, and its been back in the shop 3 times. It was delivered with wheels off balance. Rear sunshade doesnt retract on every try. Auto lose sunroof doesnt always work. This car has rattles coming from the center dash, trunk area, driver and passenger side roof lining. Dealer cant find the rattles. The visor mirror cover is made of cheap plastic. The steering is WAY TOO sensitive off center at freeway speeds, way to heavy at parking lot speeds. This thing will not track straight on the freeway. The doors dont close with the MBZ thump. The transmission lingers in the lower 3 gears. This is not a good deal.

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  Oil pump problems - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Hans - November 27 - 3:13 pm

  Listen in the morning at start up for a whining noise. it is the oil Pump because very few mechanics change the front of the trans oil, there are two oil plug for the transmission. Mercedes will replace the oil pump even the vehicle is out of warranty because they know there is a problem . 06 and 07 E350 .

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  Either Ive had a "lemon" or people close eyes on MB problems - 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By nyfo - November 27 - 1:42 am

  Purchased it pre-owned from a dealership under factory warranty with 39k miles on. Sold me on practicality of a sedan with a FAST ride possibility. Next day at 6 AM I was awakened by the fire crew banging at my door. My neighbors called them because of a large gas spill underneath my car. Got it towed, fixed, in a week - the same story. Fixed, then the check engine light went on. Upgraded software - tranny started "jump" shifting from the second gear to the first. Long story short, out of 6 months 3k mi of ownership I spent 8 weeks driving Hyundai offered by local MB dealership. Glad it was under warranty: I asked to see the repair bills and they summed in over 10K paid by MB over 6 months.