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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  Amazing,fun-to-drive car! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By doc rinaldi - October 20 - 10:00 am

  car is SAKS 5th ave. special ed...gets more comments,nods and thumbs up than any I have owned.considerd/test drove bmw m3,m5,540i-6spd,mb 500E,02 c55..the clk500 beats them all in terms of balance of performance-looks- comfort-handling..it is three cars:luxury coupe,fast every-day driver and scary fast sports car when you ask it to go

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  Dream Mobile - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By chejkb aedjbj - October 18 - 12:20 pm

  This is a great car. When I first got it i was amazed by the looks of it and how it performed. When i got into this car for the first time i went from 0-60 in less than 6.0 seconds. it felt soo smooth though.

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  Happy! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By happy - October 18 - 9:46 am

  The greatest car on earth, really. I dont work for Mercedes-Benz, I am just a really pleased and happy owner. Have not had one problem even though I thought I would have many, but I was suprised. Some friends have an E- class, and they havent had any problems too!

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  Scary Fast and Barely Sips Fuel - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By JerryS - October 17 - 6:03 am

  Cars dont get much faster and more fuel efficient than this BlueTec diesel car. There are almost 400 foot pounds of torque and almost 40 miles per gallon. Why buy a Lexus or Toyota or BMW when you will be slower, and consuming more fuel. Plus, the other cars value will drop like a rock in a few years. I am pleased, very pleased with the MB E320 BlueTec. This is epitome of engineering and pizzazz!

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  Great car - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Winnie - October 16 - 7:50 am

  This is a great car. The drive is just as tight at 310,000 miles as it was the day I drove it off the showroom. It is such fun to drive.The handling is very predictable and secure. Whenever I drive a new rental car even with newer "bells and whistles"it pales in comparison. My only regret is that after 11 years Im going to have to get another car.

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  Benz05 - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ppbw - October 14 - 2:40 pm

  Everything runs excellent. Winter snow tires are the only problem Ive encountered. The 05 model need a wider wheel for the front tires, for that reason, I added the spacer for the front wheel snow tires.

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  My Birthday Gift - 2010 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By casey65 - October 13 - 10:25 am

  We have been in the Benz family since 2001. This is our second ML. We owned the 2002, and traded it in 2008 for C300 "a red hot mama"! We did not know how much we missed the ML until a Chicago winter!!! We traded that "red hot mama" in 2014 for a 2010 certified ML350 with all the bells and whistles. We love everything inside, and out. Another Chicago snow hit, and we didnt miss going anywhere. As a former owner of 3 Volvos, I can feel the safety in the ML350 as I did in those Volvos.

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  G500 Series - NOTHING BUT MONEY HONEY - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By delnita - October 13 - 10:00 am

  love it LOVE IT love it LOVE IT i wish i could win one

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  love it - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By atheavenly - October 13 - 10:00 am

  very pleased exchanged my e class for the s class

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  Great Truck - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By AMGML55 - October 13 - 10:00 am

  This is a great truck...PERIOD. I looked at getting an X5 4.6, Toureg, Cayenne, MDX, Rx330(so bland)and even a Navigator. No comparison. This is a sports car in an SUVs body. Gas mileage sucks, but you have 342 ponies to play with. Ive had to bring it in for a couple recalls and some minor things, but the dealership has been great. No regrets.