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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  44,000 miles and stuck in 2nd gear - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By sousame - August 23 - 7:38 am

  I have babied this car! freeway mostly easy on the gas pedal ext... first the trans would randomly be stuck in 3rd gear as im driving. I would have to stop turn the key off then restart. I was going to take it to the dealership soon but now i cant even do that it wont shift into anything but 2nd or reverse or park. very very very disapointed in this high dollar vehicle. will be even more so if there is not a recall on this. i didnt blow my bank account and pay cash for something that wont even last me 44,000 mile.... will update soon with my results....

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  I Wish I Could Reverse Time - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By dave - August 23 - 5:36 am

  I bought this car thinking it would be a huge hit and I would be one of the first to have one. It seems like I am the only to have one. Personally, I think it looks great. I luckily avoided black because it looks like a hearse is that color. I got the 350 because the 500 was that much more money. This car has extreme steering vibration at high speeds. This vibration also comes with a deep noise that does not sound too good. Yacht length rear doors make nearly imposible to avoid denting a car in a parking lot. Head-lamps keep flashing, door handle does not work at times and reverse lights sometimes fail to work.

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  Fun to drive - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Someone - August 22 - 6:36 pm

  I love the Mercedes r350. it is fun to drive and perfect for any family who wants to fit more than five without sacrificing performance

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  Best Car Ive ever owned! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Steve B - August 22 - 6:13 am

  I love this car, it is not the fastest car I have ever owned but is more than fast enough. It is not the best MPG car I have ever owned but gets far better mileage than any other car I know of with similar performance. It turns heads even though it is a 5 year old design, I love the Mars red color. I havent had it long enough to really evaluate reliability, but have talked to several owners who have had now significant problems including one whos daughter has been driving one since she got her license and with 156k on it still loves the car. Mine is a one owner and has only 40k miles on it, it looks, drives, and smells like a brand new car. My Mileage has averaged about 20 city, 30 hwy.

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  Spend more up and get a bigger Mercedes - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Doug - August 22 - 6:03 am

  I had this as my first car. The car is very attractive. I have had numerous problems such as, alternator, batteries, serpentine belt. I would also note that I upgraded the drive train, supercharger belt, and the exhaust. This improved the gas mileage on the highway to 33-35. I would also like to note the faux leather placed on knobs and buttons have begun to fall apart. Outside of that the car is cool, also all of mercedeces cars during this time had trouble with fiberoptics, which were just being introduced. This could explain the "ghost" that seems to plague most mercedes of the early 2000s. I would recommend buying domestic because they are cheaper to repair

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  BEST CAR EVER! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Mica - August 21 - 5:06 pm

  I just received the CLS 500 as a gift from my parents, Im 17, and I absoutly love it. Before this car I had the Volvo xc90 T6 AWD. After only driving SUVs and now having a sport coupe, I dont think i will go back. It is extremely easy to handle and you will definetly get noticed. With its sleek design people often mistake it for a 2- door coupe. In addition to its easy handling, its interior is very comfortable and practical for example its "in-ground" cup holders. They truly are what you might call "million dollar" cup holders becuase its simple...they cant break!!! But honsetly its an awesome car with a lot of thought, time and effort put into it.

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  maintenance nightmare - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Wheres the Quality - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Our ML320 has been in the shop 20 different times. The last time was to replace the rings. It was burning 2 quarts of oil in under 2000 miles.

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  fun! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Hamelin - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Great car, handles well, fantastic brakes, the panoramic sunroof is awesume, but tight when closed. excellent build quality.Just a fun car, has many amenities like his bigger more costly brothers. Also a plus that there is not a million out there. Always gets attention, and looks.

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  Wonderful Q Ship - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By C32 go - August 21 - 6:06 am

  My 2002 Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG is a wonderfully smooth and powerful car. To the uninitiated, it appears like any other C-class sedan, but those in the know understand the AMG badge. It is roomy enough to have two car seats in the back, yet tidy enough to park easily. Though not as single-minded as an M3, it is a lovely alternative to those who need 4-doors.

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  THIS IS A TRUCK - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By ROUGHRIDER - August 19 - 2:00 am

  You cant criticize a good off road vehicle for being a good off road vehicle. If you bought it just for the looks or for the trendiness you will probably will get tired of it. But if you appreciate the confidence of being able to face whatever the weather report throws at you (even if you never ever go off road), you will not get rid of this warranty on life. Plenty of power. Just a bit rough on the potholes (you are not supposed to drive 80 mph off road)...