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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  The best car Ive owned.... - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By tzracer - July 26 - 10:00 am

  Absolutly the best car i have owned to date, i have had 18 others so far, looked at a4,g35,325s,jetta,accord,altima and many more, this car has the most complete package, the best 4 year value and the shinny MB star

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  ML 350 Meet Expectation - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MBFan - July 25 - 8:33 am

  Purchased new Special Edition 2005. Vehicle still looks great and drives very well after 5 years. Plan to keep it another 5 years. No major problems. Needed new tires after 20K miles. Dont kid yourself MB still sets the standards. Dont have to worry about safety for wife and children. Unfortunately for other brands we will continue to buy MB, next one in 2014.

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  Benz CLK350 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By D GIbbs - July 22 - 6:50 pm

  This is my first Benz and I wish I would have purchased one sooner. I have had BMWs and the Benz is by far a better built automobile.

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  Very nearly perfect - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By expdek - July 21 - 8:14 am

  Having owned a variety of minivans and large SUVs over the years, we were looking at the new Dodge Durango. A trip to Carmax to check the trade value on our van allowed us to walk the lot and we were taken by a GL450. We wanted new, so went to the local MB dealer and drove the 2011 GL450. End of story, we were sold with the ride, handling, luxury, and style compared to anything we had ever seen. The dealer encouraged us to try a GL350 diesel, and that really made the deal so much better, to have this kind of performance with this kind of fuel economy.

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  E55 AMG model - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By St. Clare Corp. - July 19 - 10:00 am

  Very responsive and reliable. Has great appearance. Really powerful car with safety features matching engine capacity. Comfortable, sporty and I like the functionality of the car. The car has distinct character.

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  Amazing vech again by mercedes - 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Bahkis - July 19 - 4:03 am

  have money

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  Wow, but it stinks - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By jcj001 - July 14 - 2:00 am

  This is the latest in my car habit. Before this I had an 02 Carrerra, an 02 M3 convertible, an 01 Vette Coupe, a 99 430E, and a 97 540i. This is by far the best car that I have owned. The interior is great, and the command system is quite useful. The exterior is simply marvelous. I have the smell problem as mentioned in other reviews. MB of Annapolis sold it to me knowing it, then promised to fix it (had the car three weeks after I only had it a week), and it needs to go back in. They refused to give me my money back. MB of Annapolis has seen its last dollar from me, and I would recommend anybody else staying away from them too.

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  2006 ML350 - excellent SUV - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Dan Crick - July 14 - 1:33 am

  The 2006 ML 350 has more than enough power especially when bolted to the 7 speed automatic transmission. I do not know why anyone would purchase the ML500 after driving the ML350. Acceleration is adequate to any task short of the drag strip. The car is extremely quiet even at high speeds. The Harmon Kardon stereo is the best factory set-up I have heard and is significantly better than the Bose systems I have had. I do not like the cruise control stalk as it is too close to the turn signal stalk. You must also pay close attention to options as they can be confusing. Overall an excellent SUV and MB provides lifetime roadside assistance at no additional cost!

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  Great - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By heidi - July 12 - 10:00 am

  This car is the best car I have every Purchesed. Buy IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  not a ml........ thank god!!!!! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By NaPZ - July 12 - 10:00 am

  tough, nice, tough, tough..... a unique 4x4 that is definantly in a league of its own