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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  Great Car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Flameboy - December 28 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car to ride which is reliable. It loks nice and is comfortible. The best part about it is the navgation system, ventilated seats, and the strenght of the car.

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  Fountain of Youth Found! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Janus - December 28 - 10:00 am

  The Kompressor model will shave 10 years off your age the moment you hit the gas pedal. Warning: If you test drive it - youll buy it! This sporty model is not your grandmas car. Quick out of the gate and responsive to corners. If you like getting horizontal through turns -this car is not for you. The ride is oh so smooth-no gritty feel of the road as with the BMW. This is a well thought out car in terms of storage. Ample glove compartment even with a 6 CD changer and a large truck with 2 built in side pockets. The hands free Harmon Kardon stereo system and built-in phone are accessable without thought.

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  SL600 - Yes! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By JohnS - December 26 - 11:23 pm

  Fun, fun, fun to drive. Good handling, nice looking. it gets lots of looks. A true, comfortable, sports car.

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  Its Awesome - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By John - December 26 - 7:20 am

  The tyranny of choice out there with luxury SUVs. I did my homework - test drove a lot - researched too many - whittled it down to two. I think this car is the real deal. Fun to drive, great looking, performs magnificintly. Im incredibly happy three months later. This SUV is awesome!

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  Beauty - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By desolateraid - December 26 - 4:33 am

  This car just looks beautiful from outside. I play hockey and have and the steering column break and had the power steering fluid leak a couple times when the weather was under -40. Other than that, drives fast, guzzles gas, but looks good which is the most important right. I love how the seats fold flat. Seriously perfect. We are the 1st owner and love the ride. Gets you from point A to point B in style

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  Nothing to Complain About - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By jbarbour - December 25 - 4:36 am

  With over 167,000 miles on my 2004 and synthetic Mobil 1 oil since the beginning my car is my second home and more reliable than most of my so called friends. Commuting, traveling, or just cruising is a delight in my C230 nicknamed "Jett" (supercharger). My first Mercedes when I turned 40 and will not be my last. Would love to get the 4-door version in the future. Buy it you wont be disappointed, if you take care of it.

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  FUEL PUMP - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By SCOOTS - December 24 - 2:00 am

  I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR TWO WEEKS. The fuel pump went at 34k miles. This happened driving the car back from purchasing it.... Mercedes warranty covered the car, but now my wife has lossed confidence in the vehicle. I hope no other problems occur. The car drives nice, for a truck

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  Is this a MB or a BM? - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By mshoe - December 24 - 2:00 am

  all the articles that say MB reliabilty has gone down are correct. its also too small of a car for the price.

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  Better then the X5 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MBAnthony - December 24 - 2:00 am

  Buy it!!! Better then the X5 anyday and you dont have to wait 2 months for it. Buy the new 350. It is faster then the X5 3.0

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  I love my M-B ! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jovo Charuga - December 24 - 2:00 am

  Excellent ride, smooth tranny, quiet engine, superb handling & cornering. First class exterior and looks like scaled down, much more expensive S- Class. I have it for two weeks now and no problems so far.It has far superior ride and exterior design than Audi A4 and Volvo S60 that I also test drove.The interior is not as sophisticated as Audis but much better than Volvos.The engine is strong enough for quick take-offs from the line and has enough reserve for additional kick when passing at 75 mph. Auto-tranny is as good as it can possibly be. Suspension is perfect balance between sporty feel of Audi and cruiser feel of Volvo.