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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  Buy a Volvo Wagon - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By kend - July 20 - 10:00 am

  Very comfortable, excellent turning radius, spacious rear seating. Sacrifice reliability and quality for luxury. Loud brake squeak from day one Mercedes advised would diminish with use and it has not. By 15000 miles the window washer pump, a/c fan, CD changer, vanity mirror/light, cup holder all had to be replaced. Owned a Volvo wagon wished we had purchased another (Volvo T5).

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  A Worthy Successor - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By huntzinger - July 20 - 10:00 am

  I drove a VW Scirocco for 11 years, partly because I could not find a suitable replacement. The Scirocco has been gone for 7 years and I think Ive finally found its worthy successor. I wanted a Teutonic vehicle comparable to the Scriocco, plus a bit more: equal utility & performance, less interior cabin noise (NVH), slightly more back seat head & leg room. Plus good vehicle safety systems (head/side airbags, ABS, etc). The other cars on my short list were the Audi A4 Avant, BMW 325i Wagon, and the VW GTI. Each had their pros/cons. But I found that the C230 was "rightsized" for me - not too big, not too small, and because I skipped buying all but two options, a good value.

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  Best ML Yet - 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Hank - July 18 - 11:26 am

  We bought this to replace the 1998 ML320 we had for eleven years. The old one was great and gave outstanding reliability, but it was time to replace. This ML320 BlueTec is a great replacement and it has lived up to its advertising. Great mileage and comfort with all the gadgets you would want. Very solid feel on the road with plenty of room for storage. We have other diesels in the family and this is one of the best. It is quiet and soot free with good mileage for the weight of the vehicle. On the road you dont even know its a diesel. Fantastic improvement over the older diesels.

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  Great engineering - Best in its class - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By olddoc - July 16 - 2:33 pm

  The car is technologically incredible. The 350 engine has plenty of power in all situations. The 550 is really an overkill. Blind spot works perfectly. Lane assist is well engineered. All the driving and safety electronics including night vision work as you expect them and superior to BMW, Infiniti and Lexus. Really! HK sound is a perfect 10. Navigation, phone and voice command are good but not great. About the same as my BMW 550, but not as good as Lexus and Infiniti. Gas mileage is what it is. Its a Benz, not a Honda. Plenty of luxury inside. Panoramic roof is great, but the mesh cover is really a bad idea. After driving the car for a month, you really appreciate it does,

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  My ML - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By shoremnj - July 16 - 12:00 pm

  Took delivery 12/31/05 and put 3,000 miles on it so far. It is a pure pleasure and quite the vehicle. It is built very well, smooth and quiet on all road conditions.

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  Acceleration with music - 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Alf Erickson - July 15 - 3:06 pm

  The machines near 500 horsepower combined with its sophisticated sound system (with Sirius radio)means that you never have to go home, if you dont want to.

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  1st Benz after 3 infinitis - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Edgarnem - July 15 - 9:46 am

  I just leased a new 07 E350 with permium and sport pacakge. This is my first Benz and I love it. The sport pacakge is smooth and tight at the same time. Has a very nice feel to it. The 7 speed auto is very smooth, but downshifts late and sometimes does a little gear hunting.

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  Great car - terrible technology - 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
  By Steve - SE PA - July 15 - 6:27 am

  I have owned a black 2018 GLC300 for three months now, and it is a great car - comfortable, good performance, lots of nice features, looks classy. Gas mileage is very good - much better than I expected. My only niggle with the ride is that the car can judder on bumps - I have the upgraded wheels, and I have read in other reviews that the larger wheels can be detrimental to the ride - I can attest that those reviews are accurate. Not a huge deal, but noticeable. Another niggle on a car at this price point is that the park distance control sensors are not included on anything but the highest package (I got premium package 1, not 2). Again, not the end of the world, but a bit surprising - I made the mistake of assuming that it was there. However, the reason I would not buy this car again is the horrendous technology and interface system for the radio, nav, and media devices - I feel like I have gone back in time 10 years to before the iPhone. Perhaps that seems like a silly reason not to buy a car, but since all of the cars at this level are so similar (BMW, Merc, Jag, Acura, etc), it becomes a bigger deal. Compared to the others, it is terrible. Voice recognition does not work for the phone, and it is so clunky for nav it is not usable. I will get by using my iPhone - with google maps and siri I dont really need the features on the car, but its disappointing. So - depends on what your priorities are - car is great, but if you want some technology from this decade, go with a BMW or some other car (my wife drives a Mini, which has the BMW tech, and its great). Last note for those in SE Pennsylvania - MB West Chester was fine during the purchase process, but I am surprised that there has been no follow up at all - when I compare that to the follow up from Ottos Mini (those guys are great) or other dealers from whom I have bought a car, a bit surprising. I havent needed to speak to them, but do think that a lack of follow up reflects the management of the dealership (perhaps it was me or this is a one off). All the best in your car search.

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  NEW OWNER LOVES IT - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By DRJFORTLEE - July 15 - 2:00 am

  A great experience, incredible ride, tons of power and lots of fun.

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  Move over Rover....Benzo is taking over - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By Bobby B - July 15 - 2:00 am

  Had a 01 range rover Hse great looks but built like junk. The G500 is rock solid and reliable. Although comparable in price the quality is so much better. I love the look, although most think that it is a big box, thats what I like. If it is so bad, then why does it always end up in the front of every valet lot in town....hmmm. I have put 22 inch wheels on it which has helped with the handling around corners.