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 M class - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Not a Mercedes, drives like a Jeep with a mercedes name

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  bugs - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By harvey - December 31 - 10:00 am

  The car is overengineered. The computer seems to bleed information on lights,mirrors,seats,etc. The electronic key is sluggish. The trunk is too small. Im glad I have my 91 190. I cant see the dashboard screen during sunlit hours. Still, it is fun to drive.How do I find Recall notices?

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  2002 C240 a month old! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By EXT.Warranty? - December 31 - 5:40 am

  I bought my 2002 C240w/C2pkg las month for 32750 otd. Since its only a month of time, I cant tell any defective yet. But I have a feeling that I SHOULD have buy extended warranties from dealer($2400)?

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  CPO E350 4Matic - 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Andrew M - December 31 - 4:56 am

  Bought this car CPO with 2 years and 20k left on the original factory warranty, and 1 year unlimited mileage after thats done. Paid less than 31k for a 65k car that is less than 3 years old. Having been driving it for a month with no issues. Great car and great value for the luxury youre getting. Ill never buy a Merc new, Ill stick to the CPO route due to the ridiculous depreciation. The best cars though!

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  ML450 - 2010 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By sergio4matic - December 30 - 5:30 pm

  I got the HYBRID Limited-Production ML450 because my son convinced me to. I am so happy he did. I get 20MPG on average and have the feeling im driving an ML550 which gets a mere 14 MPG. I sacrificed nothing, and in the city, it runs mostly on electric power.

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  2006 ML350 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By rika01 - December 29 - 4:26 pm

  I bought the car in May 05 and returned it within a week due to transmission problems at low speed. When in traffic there is a loud bang when upshifting or downshifting between first and second gears. I received the following comments from the dealer: 1. The vehicle is operating within normal limits 2. The vehicle has to adapt to the driving pattern of the particular driver and has a "memory" that can only be reset if the car is driven from 80mph to 0mph without braking and coming to a complete stop. 3. The vehicle needs software updates. After the 6th return I made a huge stink and they replaced the transmission. So far everything seems to be ok but I no longer have confidence in MB.

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  The Best one yet - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Carl - December 29 - 1:30 pm

  Let me look back on my Mercedes history from a 86 MB "E"to a 2003 MB "S" (all 4 Matic) This one is a real winner. Very responsive, excellent in the snow. Distronic is great. Mercedes has hit the jackpot with this one. I only hope the care is more "Service Friendly"

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  Very nice - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By hemi_torque - December 29 - 2:48 am

  We have one without the airmatic setup….Lightens the weight of the ML and eliminates any potential air springs issues in the future. It has blazing acceleration - when launched, even at part throttle, it can feel like you just got rear ended by a truck that forgot to stop. Youd have to see it to believe what cars it can out accelerate on a regular basis. Has a solid yet comfortable ride. Structure is very solid & tough. Engine & exhaust are tuned to be quiet & relaxed, and so dont be expecting high performance sounds. Has been very reliable so far. Its also a very safe SUV with great crash test results. MPG is actually not bad considering this level of power in an SUV package.

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  Luxury Rocket - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By williamC - December 28 - 10:00 am

  Not as aggressive as BMW, not as soft as Lexus. Great combination of performnce and Luxury in a super attractive package. Looked at this car because ticked off at BMW service over petty problem...now glad of it! Still, nothing quite handles like BMW, CLK comes close and is much, much more functional. PLUS< DEALER WILLING TO NEGOTIATE unlike BMW who always seem to have take it or leave it attitude, even with current owners(used to be 2 in our case)

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  Perfect Car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Lisa Lopez - December 28 - 10:00 am

  The Mercedes is a great car with great handling and will always be a favorite too many people. I love my Benz and it is at the top of its class.