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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  poor build quality - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By wc - March 31 - 10:00 am

  I never thought I could write a review after only putting less than 2000 miles on my brand new 2002 C320. I guess I was simply one of the most unfortunate MB owners(but fortunate enough to be able sit here and write this review). In the past 3 weeks, I had two very scary experiences. The car engine suddenly died on the freeway in two separate incidents. There was no warning nor malfunction code. The car had been in two separate dealers. Numerous parts had been replaced. As of today, I am still not convinced that the problem is 100% solved.

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  Very Poor Electonics Undermine Reliability... - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Jim - March 22 - 10:47 pm

  ... and Customer Satisfaction/Retention. All electronics in my GL63 are terrible with Navigation and Voice Recognition poorer than any car I own. Unrealiable, Inconsistent, Quirky, freeze and just dont work. Dealership makes excuses but they are terrible. Voice recognition is the worst of the 5 cars I own. Can not get into vehicle as auto door unlocking doesnt always work. Navigation will take you to Mongolia often and I have no confidence in. Options, electronic just dont work more than half the time. Taken to dealership numerous times but they seem resigned to there is no fix. I dont think they even log in my visits any more. My second but last MB. Others are better. Just not enough for the money $130K. Sticking to American and Japanese as I have experienced better reliability and value. MB has been a disappointing brand for me. Looking elsewhere for my next car purchases.

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  Frustrated long time MB owner! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Frank Wendt - March 19 - 7:53 am

  Three major problems resulting in overnite service: Emergency brake release came completely out of dashboard; could not move vehicle. Harness for seatbags defective and had to be replaced. Starter key went "dead" after 17,000 mi. Could not reset clock for daylight time, nor could three dealer service personnel! Confusing option "sets" on steering wheel. etc etc

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  Unhappy & frustrated to date - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Can YOU explain? - March 16 - 10:00 am

  3 days after purchase, my power steering pump failed nearly causing a fatal crash. The teleaid system and rear assit mirror adjustment were also found defective from day one. While a new power steering pump and teleaid system installation seems to have corrected the problem, the mirror still does not work and will go a 3rd time for repair. Its not fun to drive because Im constantly driving it to the repair shop. BTW... this is not a cabriolet (only choice given).

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  What quality?? - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By - March 13 - 2:00 am

  Purchased vehicle as a Starmark pre- owned vehicle with 28k on the odometer in April of 2002. Since then Mercedes has spent approx $10k on repairing the vehicle. Everything from new transmission to power window motors steering issues and a very faulty air conditioner plus plus plus. This is my second and definitely my last Mercedes. Previous vehicle was a Q45 that ran 245K miles without a hiccup. Mercedes quality trails the Japanese cars by a long mile!

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  2010 E350 4Matic Sports Sedan - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By MbRaaj - March 9 - 5:53 am

  Nice Exterior Styling, Expensive Options, needs improvement on performance and handling, good interior, sound system could be better, seats need improvement.

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  Buy a Corvette or Porsche - 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By f.thomascain - March 2 - 12:36 pm

  Although I love the looks of the car both inside and out, it lacks many things. The handling and horsepower to weight ratio are disappointing. My Corvette Z06 will run circles around this car. Many of the controls are hard to use and antiquated. A true sport car should have full instrumentation, not idiot lights. It also has very high maintenance costs and small petty things that make it a regular at the service department. You would think Mercedes could afford to include maintenance costs for what you pay. They also lose half their value in just a few years, so that is another thing for some to consider. It is a pleasant enough Sunday cruiser but for the money it is very disappointing.

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  Wach for Air Conditioning BAD BAD - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Monica Galli - March 2 - 10:00 am

  Air conditioning poor especcialy in the back,dealer and corporate office would not deal with the problem..Car made that way keep it or sell it.Bad Costumer service care, if car as a big problem.hanced four pannel of doors.Crack Plastic cover replaced,dashboard controll replace it,and three time main brain box for opereting window and doors for malfunction,replace it.

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  Ugh-first and last Mercedes for me.... - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Gemini - March 2 - 10:00 am

  Love the power of my 19997 E420, but hate the fact that every little electronic part is failing: the ECU ($2000+), the little fan over the mirror ($200), the seat adjustment working backwards ($???), the ignition key cylinder ($200), the mirror control ($///), the stupid cup holder.... Going on sale this week...

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  Very Disappointing - 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Franklin - February 25 - 12:36 pm

  Although I love the looks of the car both inside and out, it lacks many things. The handling and horsepower to weight ratio are disappointing. My Corvette Z06 will run circles around this car. Many of the controls are hard to use and antiquated. A true sport car should have full instrumentation, not idiot lights. It also has very high maintenance costs and small petty things that make it a regular at the service department. You would think Mercedes could afford to include maintenance costs for what you pay. They also lose half their value in just a few years, so that is another thing for some to consider. It is a pleasant enough Sunday cruiser but for the money it is very disappointing.