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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  Design Problem - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Jolly Roger - August 7 - 5:06 am

  Excellent ride with better than expected fuel economy. 22Mpg @ 80/85 MPH. Problem is attempting to parallel park. There is no way to see the front end when parking, you just have to guess how close you are to anything that might be in front of you. Difficult to find a vechicle in stock with Parkatronic, unless you want a black interior.

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  definitely not a Toyota - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By bdkman - July 28 - 2:00 am

  Nice ride, comfort & decent traction,reliability is lacking.I have had Japanese designed & manufactured cars for the past 10 years or so so I was expecting the Benz to be comparable - not so.The car is plagued with little annoying problems that I wont tolerate.Like an old set of Christmas lights I never know which light will not be out next. Sunroof broke just out of warrany $300, engine gives off a nice blue smoke cloud when it starts, CD changer broke(CDs entombed inside, various unexplained glitches in the stability control electronics & in the electronic throttle control. Low fuel pressure trips Engine Light too!

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  EXCELLENT AUTOMOBILE FOR THE PRICE - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By CMASPLUND - July 27 - 10:00 am

  EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN EXCELLENT. ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER. EXCELLENT HANDLING AND BRAKING.

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  AWESOME - GAS GUZZLER - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By SF California - July 27 - 10:00 am

  Awesome handling around the corners; great acceleration; quiet and smooth yet sporty ride; interior well-designed for ease of operation; looks great (sport package); guzzles gas (about 15MPG combined!). Opt for the 320 if MPG is important.

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  fun to drive - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By jonlands - July 23 - 10:00 am

  The car is fun to drive.Reliable in bad weather.Gas mileage is terrible.The second row of seats is not that comfortable for kids in their car seats. Great styling and solid steady handling.Cargo space is OK

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  Uberwagen - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Daryl - July 21 - 10:00 am

  This is two vehicles-in-one for our family. My wife loves using it for driving the kids around, shopping, whatever. She especially likes the on- the-spot braking. I love taking it on camping trips. It has tons of room for all our camping gear (family of 4) - especially when I shift the back seats forward to increase the cargo area. No other SUVs I looked at (at the time) had the same blend of cargo capacity, handling and ride. You do feel like you are driving a tall euro sedan - cornering is quite remarkable (due to ESP) for a vehicle so tall. We have had a few minor issues requiring dealer service but overall have been pleased with its reliability.

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  Not that bad for a 10 year old car - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By K.W. - July 16 - 8:33 am

  Okay, I read a lot of complaints about this car, but its not really that bad if you take care of it. Maintenance costs are fairly high if you dont know how to do simple maintenance yourself. Its not only the labor that is expensive if you have to bring it in, its also the parts. The best fuel economy Ive gotten on this tank is 27mpg driving from Minneapolis to Chicago in the summer. If youre trying to be frugal, dont buy this car. Otherwise, I pray every day that nothing breaks on it. Meanwhile, I really enjoy driving this E320 4matic. Just take good care of it, do all the maintenance in advance and itll run fine.

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  An brief unbiased review - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By xiaoz - July 15 - 11:18 pm

  Pros: *Very nice fit and finish for the exterior and especially, the interior. *Smooth ride, quiet cabin, no vibration noises. *Excellent Harmon Kardon sound system *Good driver all around visibility. *Good head room and leg room. *High resolution command or navigation screen that maintains readability even with sunlight shining directly on it. *Quick and effective blindspot warning system(a must have option) *Bluetooth connectivity is easy for the use of phone and audio devices. Cons. *Average performance: engine works hard for acceleration, heavy car feel during quick maneuver. *Time consuming use of the MB command controller(address entry for navigation)

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  It owns the road - 2007 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By Julesh - July 15 - 5:50 am

  in 07 the G was upgraded with xenons and a 7 speed transmission. It looks like a huge car, but its actually smaller than full size suvs like the Expedition, Navigator and Escalade. It is quite tall though. You either like the look or you dont. Inside, the interior is top notch. The controls are easy to operate, but the car needs steering wheel mounted volume controls. You have to reach over a ways to get to the radio. Plenty of foot room, lots of cargo room. Get moving and the doors lock with the sound of a 12 guage cocking, the car turns very tight, handles well at low speeds, on the highway it loves rough roads. It doesnt handle too well on turns at speed, its a huge tall SUV after all

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  Perfect mix of sportiness and luxury - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By blaupunkt - July 15 - 2:56 am

  Just upgraded from a 2010 Acura TSX which is an amazing car, however my only complaints were that the 4 cyl offered too little torque (only 170 lbs/ft) some road noise and despite the handling was pretty good I had to battle between the FWD and its heavy nose while cornering. While looking for more torque I made the resdesigned C250 my choice. 201 HP, 229 lbs/ft torque, RWD and 7 speed blend decent performance and a quiet cruiser. This is not sluggish, its fast enough for all around driving. Its not a performance machine like the 2012 328i, S60, Regal GS or G37, not as powerful as the TL but not boring as the A4s CVT tranny or the IS and CTS floaty ride. A perfect blend for me.