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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  How could mercedes benz let this happen. - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Jack Dooley - August 8 - 2:00 am

  The only good thing about this car is the comfort factor. Everything else seems to be below average. I now know I would have been better off with a BMW, Lexus, or Acura. This will be the last MB for me. The build quality has dropped to much in recent years.

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  C450 AMG - 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Alex - August 4 - 6:49 am

  Climate control is crap, set it at 60 and hot air is blowing. AC needs to be always ON. Transmission is poor, jerks a lot! I mean A LOT! Interior started cracking within 2 days / 100 miles! Cant believe it! Cmon! My Genesis Coupe lasted on NYC roads for almost a year / 10k miles before i started hearing creaks! Hyundai Sonata 2015 is still silent after 2 years of ownership! Command Entertainment system is not touch, just completely garbage. Trunk is smaller than in my previous Genesis Coupe. OEM wheels are joke, easily get cracks. Its a great car but not for 65k MSPR. I would price it at 45-50k max. Would never purchase a mercedes again.

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  DISAPPOINTING - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By NJFL - July 19 - 2:00 am

  This is the second SUV I have owned, and my first MErcedes Benz. Unless I can afford the S500, it will be my last Mercedes Benz. It is a very unreliable as parts that I have never even heard of break down with minimal notice. I have been at the repair shop so often that I know every service agent by first name. THis is a very disappointing car for the mercedes benz logo. It has destroyed almost every degree of respect I have for the brand. This comes close to being the worst item I have ever owned.

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  Fun to drive but get ready to $$$ - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By oneill ki - July 5 - 4:38 pm

  I bought my 2002 c230 used with 70xxx miles and have had nothing but problems heres a list: 1.water pump went out and car overheated costing $1400. 2. Sun shade/ roof wont open or close $1200. Rear Diff seal/ leakage in suspension causing rear tires to wear rapidly $1400. Drivers window will not go up or down (still broken). Horn stopped working (still broken) Seats have a short in wire causing battery to die (still broken). On the flip side the car is fast and fun to drive. The people at Mercedes actually know my face when I walk in for repairs. I almost wanted to invite them to my family Christmas party since Im there so often weve built a close friendship.

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  Going back to Infinity Lexus or Acura - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By James Stropoli - July 1 - 8:03 am

  The S500 is an absolutly beautiful car from the exterior. The interior is not completely comfortable. The car has been a maintenance disaster! Ill not own another Mercedes.

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  Never Again - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mphs - June 30 - 11:53 am

  At 60K miles, tranmission failed. Cost to repair - $7 thousand dollars. Mechanic (other than dealership) opined that he did not know why MB had not recalled them. He never drives a MB made after 2004. A total piece of junk that has put me back finacially several yrs.

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  Nice car with lots of bells and whistles - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Frank Catalano - June 19 - 1:28 pm

  Lots of technology but the interface falls flat... most of the functions of the car require you to look away from the road in order to activate them or shut them off. I also own a BMW and their technology is (most of the time) centered around the driver and are much easier to use.

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  Car on "mute" - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By kleyva - June 5 - 9:26 pm

  From the mystique of the Mercedes-Daimler-Benz corporation comes a middle-of-the-road midsize sedan that does not surprise the owner in any way. This is my 1st MBZ, I have never driven one before owning this one. Fairly comfortable, very good looking exterior, with adequate power. All of this in consideration of the $30K plus price tag. When you buy the symbol of quality and luxury, that is exactly what you get– just the symbol. Purchased CPO and added 2 yr warranty.

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  Disapponited - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Amara - June 3 - 4:25 am

  I bought this car in July and in less than one week the dashboard started rattling. Few weeks later, the check engine light came on with less than 80 miles. The car was with the dealer for more than three weeks and several trial-and-error attempts were made to repair the check engine light. Finally, they diagnosed the problem and it was repaired by replacing some computer parts and some other parts in the transmission. This should have happened in any brand new car, especially in a luxury car. I have driven two loaner cars of the same model and they all had the dashboard rattling which is a manufacturing defect. This is my first Mercedes Benz and I am very disappointed with its quality and reliability. I had a 2014 BMW 528i and several Japanese cars and never had check engine light coming on.

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  Expensive - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jsmiles - May 29 - 3:06 am

  We bought our 2000 Mercedes in 2006 because we got it for only $14,000, but this thing is horrible in reliability. The catalytic conveters went, and we could not drive it for three months. Also the car is very expensive to maintain, $80 for oil change, $600 brake changes, $30-$60 for gas. The car is a nice drive, and the interior has a nav whitch is an asset. It also has a third row seat whitch is useful. I would not recommend this car if you dont have a lot of money, but if you do, good luck.