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 little suv, BUT..... - 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By gby - November 5 - 6:15 pm

  We own a 2013 rdx tech and I must say its a great value ,But after buying the 2013 glk350 It surely puts the rdx to shame in refinement.The only thing that bothers me is that the glk could use a bit more space to compete better instead of forcing people to go for the ML. Also, there is nothing like the smell and feel of leather and its a 2100 option on the glk. It doesnt work for me that a luxury brand like mercedes would come up with a gimmick like mb tech fake look leather so they can ask for 2100 for something that should be standard in this brand. The smell of the mb tech is not pleasing and smells cheap ( sounds weird). We sill take the rdx for shopping due to more space .

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  Love my C 300 - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Larry - November 4 - 3:43 pm

  I stepped down from two ML 350s I miss all of the space that I had and the room in the rear seats. Three people in the rear is very craped, but it is a much smaller car. Performance is great. Great acceleration and handling. Gas mileage is a real treat aft3r my ML 350. Getting in and out is more difficult but I can deal with that. I got the LED headlights becauser the standard headlights were very poor. Quality is like a MB should be. Truck quality is inferior. Back up mirror is way below my ML. but it works. Waning systems is inferior but lane changing warnings are excellent. I do not like the run flat tires but that is the way it comes. I have a three year lease and am already thinking that I will go bigger next time for more room for passengers. No problem with butttons or cotrols. Bluetooth was a problem for a while but I think that problem is solve.

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  e320 - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By ronka - November 3 - 10:00 am

  nice car - runs fine - is ok to buy used - proud owner

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  Bob,s MB - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By thebobM - November 3 - 10:00 am

  Minor mechanical problems at first (auto trunk opening, auto leveling device). Only major is brakes go out at 23,000 miles all covered under warranty. Good local service. Head room much less than older S class models.

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  I Wanted to Love It...... - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Giovanni Ferrari - November 3 - 10:00 am

  This was my dream car after reading the previews. I really wanted to love it and keep it for a long time. It was a car that I had to "reach" to pay for but I thought it would be worth it. Boy was I wrong! First the good. The car is fabulous to look at and drive. It handles very well for the level of comfort it provides. The steering could be more communicative like BMWs but overall it was a pleasure to drive. Unfortunately it has had way too many problems. It has been at the shop too many times. Ive sold it recently, because I couldnt stand it any longer.

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  Poor navigation system in ML2013 - 2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mitch408 - November 2 - 11:51 pm

  I bought ML350 with Navigation system. My wife drives it. I spent some time to get familiar with its navigation system. It looks like the Navigation system is poorly designed, no touch screen and typing in address takes a long time, sucks ! (compared with 2005 Toyota Camry V6 XLEs navigation, Googles navigation, and my portable one, 2013 ML350 is the worst). Sure, it gots voice command control, but it is not as easy as inputing addresses, which is what I expected about vioce control.

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  Great mileage & looks but - 2010 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By TD - November 2 - 8:00 am

  The mileage is stunning for a car of this size; were getting about 500+ miles per tank, and thats mostly city driving. The car looks great, too. BUT, the COMMAND system (nav, radio, phone) is pretty AWFUL. Our Acuras nav system is far more pleasing and 100% more intuitive. Even the nav voice is annoying.

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  Great Car!!!! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By MarkC - November 2 - 7:20 am

  So far so great. What a Vehicle. The space is positively shocking. 6 full size adults could fit in this car effortlessly. It drives like a sedan not a truck or minivan. The R500 has power to spare. Chock full of amenities. We are very pleased so far. And our dealership was great. We said so long to our over-sized SUV and have not missed it yet. This car will probably change the SUV or crossover market.

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  Not very happy - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By NJdriver - November 2 - 3:46 am

  The vehicle exterior appearance looks impressive and thats why I bought it. Unfortunately when I picked up the vehicle it had a problem with the transmission one week later. The transmission bucks going down to 1st gear when you slow down. Had it in 3 times to be serviced and it is still not perfect. They cant seem to get it right. The interior has a nice layout. The other shortfalls are: lack of cigarette lighters in the front seat area, the leather is not very good quality, the back window does not open up. Good qualities: Nice navigation system, good legroom and headroom in the front seat area, lots of compliments on the appearance.

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  Choose wisely, and youll be rewarded. - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By pentaconsix - October 25 - 2:00 am

  With the youngest W124 now at 15 years old, youll have to be picky and discerning when buying on. I found a 95 with only 78,000 miles on the odo. The car has been a joy to drive & own. Try to find one where the previous owner has already done the major repairs: trans rebuild, head gasket replacement, wiring harness replacement. Mine had all those items already done. The looks of the W124 has aged very well, looking neither vintage or new though. The engine performance is still good by todays standard, but not as peppy as cars all seem to accelerate with more pep. My E320 has been reliable and starts up with just one turn of the key every time.