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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  R320 CDI - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By diesel dad - August 21 - 12:36 am

  Most bang for your buck for a Mercedes by far. Had ours for a month and quite pleased other than the lumbar adjustment is a little lacking with its the manual lever (akin to something on a 80s Honda). The bluetooth module is also $500 bucks from the dealer and really should be included as well as the available seat adjustments on other models. Another gripe is the navigation; really not as intuitive compared to other less prestigious manufacturers. The diesel has good acceleration and is unbelievably quiet but youll pay a little extra for it up front and at the pump but hey its four wheel drive. Im one of those that love the looks and interior styling and hope they dont change it.

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  The Ultimate Luxury Sedan - 2005 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Greg Rhea - August 20 - 5:10 am

  Great styling, wonderful performance, spacious interior. A must have if you want to drive an awesome sedan with nible capabilities that has safety features that are second to none. And you will always get front row parking from the valet.

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  2002 Mercedes Benz Sport Wagon a Nearly Perfect Ve - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bob C. - August 19 - 10:39 am

  Ive owned my 2002 C320 Sport Wagon for more than 6 years, and after owning over 125 cars in my 50+ years of driving, I can honestly say this has been one of my absolute favorite cars. It combines useful room inside (though the aerodynamic rear roof slope can intrude), excellent comfort, and absolutely outstanding fuel economy, and reliability, resulting is low cost of ownership in my case. The car just "fits" my typical stature (6 feet tall of average proportions), and is fatigue-free even after many hours of driving. If I have any gripe at all, its the absence of Bluetooth for cellphone use (The car came with a factory supplied telephone that would now be unlawful to even use in motion.), and does not have aux inputs for audio devices, or a USB connection for digital media. It also lacks GPS navigation, though in honesty I prefer a stand-alone GPS because it can be updated at no cost. Fuel economy of 32mph highway and 26mpg suburban on regular fuel (Premium is recommended, but unless one lives in mountainous areas, or is a lead-foot, regular is just fine) is outstanding for the safety and comfort offered. In my 6+ years of ownership, the car cost me nothing in repairs (not a single parts failure), though I recently replaced a number of parts and did a transmission fluid change as a preventative measure figuring nearing 90,000 mi a new accessory belt, belt tensioner, water pump, and spark plugs, along with new coolant and transmission fluid were a sensible measure. The car still looks, feels, and handles like a new car, with no degradation as mileage has progressed.

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  Great Vehicle - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MLC - August 19 - 2:00 am

  I have thoroughly enjoyed driving this vehicle for last 6 years. It has been reliable, comfortable and useful. The dealerships I have dealt with have been great. I feel very safe driving this car in high traffic urban areas and cross-country. Handles excellent in all weather. Very few repairs have been needed in 6 years.

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  THE BEST CAR EVER!!!!! MERCEDES FOR SURE - 1997 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By karpathos77 - August 19 - 2:00 am

  I bought it with 110000 miles. I still have not done anything to the car but change the oil every 5000 miles and change the spark plugs. It is smooth over bumps. This car gets great gas milage. On a full tank with normal driving you can get anywhere from 450- 540miles on a full tank. The interior looks like brand new. Like the car has never been sat in. Lots of leg room. Engine always runs smooth with no wineee noise. it can go 155 miles an hour no problem. The car is the most stable car in the world. It should have been a race car. If you are in to looks and big wheels this is your car.

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  Best ever - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By Rainmakerlrm - August 19 - 2:00 am

  My first benz was a 1968 I bought used in 1975. Ive owned many more since, occasionally straying to Porsches and even a Maserati Quatroportte in the 1980s. I recently traded my 2001 500sl for the cl600. My wife has a 2002 s500. The cl is the best benz Ive ever had the pleasure to drive. The performance and ride are nothing short of amazing. Im spoiled forever.

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  Built like a rock... - 2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By armano - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Everthing is solid. Doors close solid. Ride is tight and solid. Even the rear view mirror is solid. Great build quality! Only problems are with electricals. AC quit, so it went to dealer for repair. Three times. They did everything under the sun to repair. Recharge, replace, test, re-test. Finally, it came down to the dash mounted AC on/off switch. Gas gauge also goes wacky now and again, shows empty. Restart the car and it has corrected itself so far.

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  My best investment yet! - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By V Man - August 19 - 2:00 am

  This is an outstanding car. Ive had no problems with it. The ride is so smooth that I find myself constatly having to check the speedometer to see just how fast Im going due to being blown away by the smooth ride. For a 2000 model, its awesome!

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  My First - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By RW107141 - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Having grown tired of the SUVs and pickup trucks Ive driven for the past 12 years, I started shopping for a new sedan. I wanted high quality, fuel efficiency, driving comfort, and that something special. After test-driving the C230K with auto transmission, CD changer, heated front seats and the sunroof package in exterior black, I was sold. The Mercedes Benz of Alexandria sales team gave me a good price for the automobile and a surprisingly good price for my SUV trade-in. Today, for the first time in 18 years, I hopped in the car to take a drive just for the fun of it.

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  Great Car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By dro1 - August 18 - 10:00 am

  The 2.3L is fun to drive, has good hp and torque over a rather large rpm band. The Editors reviews have cupholders getting as much weight as the engine performance. No, the cupholders arent too functional (although their "ejection" mechanism is cool), but Ill take the cars performance/value ratio over the cupholder/big gulp ratio.