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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  Thumbs up CLK class - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Thumbs up CLK class - June 14 - 3:13 pm

  Mercedes has taken the CLK to the next level. Purchased a 350 coupe w/sport suspension and have enjoyed the car from day one! Suspension is a nice balance between sporty and smooth...it doesnt beat you up. It is a blast to drive and has an elegant design. Performance and handling compares to BMWs and Porsches weve owned. Access to the rear seats is a little cumbersome, but if I wanted easy back seat access I would have gotten an E- class.

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  Never again! - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By schumacr - June 14 - 12:10 pm

  I love the drive of the car but the problems we have had have been way too much. Just had one of the catalytic converters break just 1.5 weeks after the other broke. Mercedes wont fix it due to an 8yr/80K warranty (weve had the car 5 years and it just went over 80K miles). A mere $1600 just for the part! This is the straw that broke the camels back. Too many other quality issues to mention. For 60K, youd think youd get WAY more quality. My 97 BMW has had far fewer problems. Lexus or BMW - you get my money next time. Mercedes? Never again!

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  Better than expected! - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By richord - June 14 - 8:53 am

  We owned a 1999 E320 4matic which served us well but I swore I would never buy another Merc after all their quality problems. Ours was spared the problems. But I read the reviews about the E350 and test drove one. I bought the E350 4matic with the P2 option and sports package. I drove it 1000 miles over the holidays, through rain and snow and it was great! the steering is responsive and even in snow with the low profile all season tires I felt like I was always in control. Feedback was great. This is one of the greatest handling and comfortable cars Ive owned including Porsches! we also like the styling on the car with the sports package it looks hot.

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  Last German Car... - 2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By freddys555 - June 13 - 5:10 pm

  I have been a long time driver of German makes. From BMWs to Mercedes, I have owned over 6 German made cars. I have never been more disappointed in the quality and reliability. Most recently, my 2011 S-Class Mercedes. Although new with 8,900 miles, I have been back to the dealer 5 times for A/C malfunction, check-engine light, GPS malfunction and much more. No matter how polite the service department may be, this is the last German car I will ever purchase again. I am disappointed as I will miss the exceptional performance but I do not have the time nor patience to keep bringing back my German cars to the dealer. My wife has a Lexus 460 with over 48K with absolute "zero" problems...

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  Benz-no-More? - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By benznomore - June 13 - 4:39 pm

  Keep in mind that my C230 - 2008 has only 62,000 Kms, is driven lightly and garage kept. Yet...time to move away from Benz once and for all. To date: both electric side mirrors replaced ($700 each), both gas tank pumps replaced a couple of times (fuel gauge still goes out once in a while), side mirror full of water (looks like fish tank), tire blown sidewall, amongst others and just today car would not start leaving all scratching heads..$$$$ Not to mention Benzs outrageous cost of ongoing service...$500-$800 each annual visit.

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  Expensive Lesson - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Ticked Off - June 13 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle less than a week ago, and because of my work schedule couldnt drive it for three days. The first day that Im able to drive it I go to the gas station to fill it up and the power steering goes out, I wait 3 hrs to be towed. I contact the dealership who tells me I also have a leak in the rack and pinion long story short I have a $7,000 bill on a vehicle I purchased 5 days ago and havent even driven 150 miles in. I cant use the warranty I purchased because there is a 30 day wait period. I want my trade in vehicle back.

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  Great car - 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Fay Cleghorn - June 13 - 5:40 am

  Great car, engine is quiet. One negative, I do not like the position of the navigation system. Some of the questions is N/A as I only have the car three weeks and am only driving 5 miles to the bus station.

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  Ray of Torrance - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By ray jimenez Suzuki - June 12 - 1:13 am

  This is my 4th Mercedes Benz in 5 years and happy with all of them especially the S550 class equipped with optional versatile features. I have had problems with the computers once in a while but Mercedes take cares of them well. My daily driving experience is great but you have to watch out the gas consumption especially I am driving a 4matic all wheel drive. Watch out the auto gear shifting as sometimes shifting goes to lower gear when shifting to "D" mode.

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  1999 sl 500 - 1999 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By dissatisfied - June 11 - 12:56 pm

  Although a fun car to drive, the quality and workmanship leaves a lot to desired. Surprisingly good gas mileage for this car. The chassis bolts had to be retightened after 45K miles. the knobs on the vents broke off. the plastic cover around the sun visors have broken and oil leaks from this area???? Trunk must be opened with key 75% of the time because the button in the car and on the key doesnt work. speed control lever fell off. Driver door arm rest disfigured just by resting arm on it. Part of grille fell off (not caused by accident). Replaced water pump at 55K miles. glove box opening mechanism broke. Didnt have as many problems with my old Ford Pinto.

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  I cant even Lie about it.. - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mike in VA - June 11 - 6:40 am

  To be perfectly honest I was going to leave an excellent review, Why? Because I need to get rid of this absolute failure of a car! But I thought and came to the conclusion: I cant even lie about this piece of junk, I wouldnt be able to sleep at night. I bought it used in 04 with 22K, still under warranty, within 2 months the transmission went out, they replaced free with a new one, not too bad right? WRONG! then (no warranty) due to the tranny problem (or visa versa) the torque converter and radiator went bad: $3500 2 catalepsy converters: $1100 ea 2 alternators: $1000ea 2 mass airflow intakes: $900ea 5 SETS OF TIRES AND 4 BREAK JOBS (with rotors), they dont give us enough room to list all failures