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:

• 

  Love It - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By sonnia - August 9 - 10:00 am

  Got it in NJ and drove it down to Fl and back again. Loved its nice smooth ride and its push button ease in switching it back and forth to a convertible. Its nice and roomy when the top is up no feeling of being cramped and when the top is down -easy greasy. The front passengers are very comfortable though in the rear its a tad windy.

• 

  Who Needs a Hybrid? - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By JRLind - August 9 - 10:00 am

  Excellent Car--Great Drivetrain. American drivers wont believe its a diesel. This car seems too good to be true. It is quiet, economical, luxurious and powerful.

• 

  happy to own one - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By terry aldrich - August 9 - 10:00 am

  With excellent reliability, a firm but pleasant ride, fuel economy at 29.2 miles/gallon at 72 mph on a 12 hour trip, and a beautiful presentation, of course, "Im happy to own one".

• 

  Very happy with my c350 4matic coupe - 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By syslog - August 7 - 11:02 pm

  Upgraded from an Infiniti G37x. A bit more money, about the same performance but everything else blows my infiniti away. I got mine in black with the AMG package and it looks stunning. Get quite a few compliments. Being a techie, I love toys, and this car is chock full of them. The build quality is amazing. Everything has a vault-like solidity to it. Drives and handles great, I pretty much put it in "S" mode as soon as I start it off. Wish there was a way to leave that on permanently.

• 

  Back in the Benz - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By BensBenz - August 7 - 6:26 pm

  After owning 5 Mercedes I opted for a change 3 years ago (Lexus GS430) as quality issues plaqued the brand. I have just brought myself back into the Mercedes fold and I must say..this vehicle is AWESOME!! Performance, fit and finish, styling is perfect. The car is solid, comfortable and fun to drive. This car is a KEEPER!

• 

  Great Car! So Luxurious! - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Nat - August 6 - 4:56 am

  I love my car! It has almost 70,000 miles and is still in amazing condition. The car is so fast and the interior is so luxurious. The engine is powerful and the car is fully loaded well beyond other cars in its class

• 

  Special experience - 1997 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By carfemme - August 5 - 6:08 pm

  I have owned this car for 6 years. Bought it used with 90K mileage - had been in love with the look of the vehicle since I first saw it at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1997. When I found a nice used one, I bought it. Needed some work to restore it and I did that. It is a very fun and comfortable car to drive. Costs more than the norm to repair it, but it is an experience you just cannot find in a normal car. I use it for highway driving and know that I will have the performance and safety that I need. It also happens to be quite beautiful.

• 

  The E550 Coupe is sweet! - 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By jeffezell - August 5 - 5:42 pm

  I purchased the E550 coupe in early December 2011. I absolutely love this car. I feel like I am driving a car that should cost $20-$30 thousand more. Great acceleration. This car will go 50mph to 80mph like a bullet. Passing slow pokes on 2 lane roads is instant and extremely fun I get looks and compliments everywhere I go. The interior is very well built and high quality. The seats are made for driving and are quite comfortable. The console could be a bit larger but I have no real complaints about this car. The back seats are basically nothing but a place to put a coat or purse. Unless you have a couple of 6 year olds the back seats are a nightmare, but I bought this car for two.

• 

  A Balance Between Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By TC - August 4 - 12:23 am

  I never would have paid the MSRP for this car new, but as a 2 year old lease return with less than 15K for 50% of MSRP, it seemed reasonable. The balance of performance and luxury/comfort is very impressive. Its very comfortable as a luxo- cruiser, but only a short throttle stab away from a rear-end sliding beast. Ive had BMWs and S-version Audis before, and this time I looked at used AM Vantages (poor warranty) and M6s (sorry - just not very attractive), and considered 911s as well(yes, its more of a sports car), but as a daily luxo driver in urban traffic that is still capable of lots of hard-top down, rip-snorting fun, this is a very tough car to beat....especially for 1/2 off!

• 

  What a beast! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By scovit - August 4 - 12:03 am

  What a car...If you want unbelievable performance and the highest quality small sports sedan, this is it! Driving down the road is a unique experience, a "wolf in sheeps clothing"! Those who know about this rocket burner give you an unsolicited thumbs up! Those who dont know about this car just stare at it wondering if it is "something new". But it can be quite tame around town, kind of a duel personality! Ive driven them all... BMWs, Audis, other Mercedes, This one drives with an edge rarely seen in a production car. What do you expect? The engine is hand built. The others dont offer that!