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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  Mercedes Benz CL500 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By allan wexler - June 1 - 10:00 am

  The best car that I have ever owned. The most fun car to drive. Excellent styling. The seats are firm, but I think that this is due to the comfort control package which massages your back. Vey smooth and powerful.

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  My first Mercedes is a Winner! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Carla - May 31 - 1:20 pm

  I have to say that I didnt know what to expect, but I am so pleased that I chose a Mercedes this time around. I normally drive Nissan Maxima but have been very displeased with its stability and maneuverability (drove like truck!!). I heard how fun it was to drive a C-Class so I test drove the 2008 when they came out and was blown away. Great pickup and the steering is awesome. Im a bit of a "speedaholic" so this car works for me for its safety features as well.

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  Buyer beware! - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Paul Stephens - May 31 - 5:40 am

  Pros: I love the feel of this car when driving. Its solid with great acceleration. I also like the fact that you can put the car into the "hold" position (while stopped at a light for example) and the car will temporarily cut off theoretically saving on gas. Once you put your foot on the accelerator it kicks back into drive seamlessly. Its a quality made vehicle, and overall the drive and performance is great. Cons: For several years, I drove a BMW X5 and a Lexus RX350 before purchasing this vehicle. As one reviewer mentioned, it took concentrated maneuvering to get either the Beemer and Lexus into my garage because of their larger size. I bought the GLK thinking it was marginally smaller and therefore not as much trouble to get in and out of the garage. It took a while to notice that its not just marginally smaller, its tremendously smaller than either the Beemer or the Lexus. In fact, the interior room is so much smaller that I sometime have trouble getting in and out. The leg room in the backseat is a joke. My son is only 510", but I had to move all the seats forward when bringing him home after surgery. I couldnt get his size 11 feet into the back comfortably. Not only is there insufficient leg room, but theres no room to just put "stuff". You know- stuff - like things you would normally keep in your glove compartment besides the owner manual. Forget it. This is the smallest glove compartment Ive ever seen. The owners manual barely fits. If you have other "stuff" to put there youd better think of something else. Dont expect to have room in the side pockets or the pockets on the back of the seats either - almost non-existent. The armrest in the middle has some room but not by much. Im on the road a lot. While I drive I like to listen to audio books via my Iphone. I expect the bluetooth to pick up the book as soon as I get into the car. Thats the way it worked on the previous two vehicles. Not with the GLK. Sometimes my book starts automatically. Sometimes it doesnt. It drives me crazy when Im on a long stretch of highway and lose the signal. Thats happened more than a few times. Driving and trying to manipulate the small letters (I wear reading glasses and cant see as well as I used to) on the dashboard or with the little "wheel" to try to reconnect bluetooth isnt always easy. Just trying to see whether Im pushing the Navi, Radio, Disc button is beyond my vision and graphics be damned they are not all that intuitive. Its been a year since I purchased the vehicle. It has less than 6K miles on it. As I now contemplate trading it in, Ive found that the value of the car has dropped by at least 35% after only a year. I got 60% on trade for my Lexus - after 5 years! Turns out the GLK doesnt hold its value. Im disappointed in that, but you live and learn. Overall, the GLK drives smoothly, accelerates quickly but buyer beware theres a lot of little annoyances that may not make it worth the initial high cost.

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  Love Her - 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Love Her -MLA - May 30 - 7:10 am

  This is our 3rd Merc. All have been trouble free. We bought this SL from the orignal owner with 89,000 miles. She has gone 5,000 trouble free miles.The performace is surprising for an inline 6 cylnder. She is 10 years old and still receives admiring glances. She is a beauty!

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  Love Her - 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Love Her -MLA - May 30 - 7:10 am

  This is our 3rd Mercedes. All have been trouble free. We bought this SL from the orignal owner with 89,000 miles. She has gone 5,000 trouble free miles.The performace is surprising for an inline 6 cylnder. She is 10 years old and still receives admiring glances. She is a beauty!

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  Impressive automobile - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By tom tadych - May 29 - 4:30 am

  We had purchased a new 2007 Lexus 460 for around 70K in Nov. of 2007 and for various reasons were not utterly impressed. Terrible in the snow! Decided to buy a smaller, less costly, but still high end auto that would be great in the snow. Had my Land Rover LR3 in for service one day, saw the new 300 and test drove it. Wow! Loved it, bought it, drove it 2500 miles and enjoy this car more each time I drive it. Ditto for my wife. Have not missed the Lexus 460 one day. Never thought I would say that. The truth of the matter is we are considering trading the LR3 for a second C300AWD. Will wait for the new Audi A4 this fall before making the move. The Benz will be tough to beat!!

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  Wow! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Clotdoc - May 28 - 10:00 am

  What a car! Powerful, very responsive engine and great maneuverability. This is a very sporty four door sedan, for the family man who drives alone from time to time, who likes to take it to the limit!

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  Incredible Driving Machine - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By wetdream - May 28 - 10:00 am

  An incredible driving machine with superb mechanics. Unfortunately the electronics are sadly dated (10yrs??). Absolutely love driving the vehicle. Most fun in an automobile in years. Just wish Mercedes had looked at Japanese and/or American makes to see where todays electronics are. I have spent more time studying the manual than for all the many previous autos I have owned,combined! Why does setting radio presets have to be complicated?? Come on Mercedes make it a perfect auto with updated electronics.

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  THIS CAR IS THE BEST EVER! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By nobizlikshobiz - May 28 - 10:00 am

  AWESOME! IN EVERY WAY!

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  Liza - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Dreyfuss - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Love my 2004 C320 4Matic, handles great, style gets the eye from others.The little extras are cool, like the rear shade & cup holder. I love driving to work now, after 26 years its finally a pleasure! More models with Ash interior should be offered, they seem hard to come by and it is truly a womans color. Two areas to improve: 1- The A/C system is a little complicated/hard to finely adjust. 2- The CD player sound is awesome,and the steering wheel controls are great! However, the cartridge that holds the CDs in the glovebox is flimsy and hard to change CDs in & out of.