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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  Teutonic Genius - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Bill - February 4 - 10:13 am

  This is my 5th MB and it has been a pleasant surprise. It is a superbly designed, extremely safe, highly functional multi-purpose vehicle. At 28 - 30 mpg on the freeways at 70+ mph, who could complain. Any comparison with the Pacifica is dillusional at best. Recommendation to mfr: make memory seating standard, especially at this price!

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  A star is born! - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Jack Carnevale - February 4 - 4:23 am

  I have owned Mercedes for more than 30 year and have always enjoyed the ultimate driving experience. I thought I had reached the pinnacle in 2001 when I purchased my new S55. I imagined keeping the car for at least 10 years. Then along came the S550 and changed my driving world. I took delivery on Feb. 14 and have enjoyed driving all of the 600 miles that Ive racked up on the odometer. Comfort, performance, grace, style and a luxury experience that I have not experienced in any other car. I am probably the first in my area to take delivery of this extraordinary vehicle. The comments Ive been getting are extraordinary from old and young alike. My love affair with Mercedes is reconfirmmed

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  Finally - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Cozmicdiabolic - February 4 - 1:10 am

  Ive owned nine BMW, 3 Audis and just about everything else a driving enthusiast would want in the price range of less than $60k. This car is by far the best I have ever had. Let me explain why. Ill start with the M5. Power, grace and superior handling. The E55 tops the M5 in every category except handling. The trade-off is comfort. The E55 changes gears quicker than the manual M5 so it provides the best of both worlds. I could go on, but in short, this car is great! I change cars every six months due to lack of satisfaction, but this one is a keeper. It changes gears like a Porsche, Its comfortable like a Benz should be.

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  Incredible - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By MBrider - January 31 - 10:30 am

  As an engineer I have always appreciated mechanical quality. I have had Land Cruisers for last 15 yrs, which are great, but this car is no doubt an engineering marvel: quiet, spacious, luxurious, incredibly well built, fine looking, great mileage, no rattles. I have premium 1 and 2 packages. They work perfectly and are incredible.

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  great car - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By CarolinaPeachCC - January 31 - 10:00 am

  Have owned this car since new (48 miles). Last 95 in the states with options we wanted. Car drives today(96K miles)like the first day i drove it home. Had some reliability problems during the warranty period but the dealership was great. No problems since (knock on wood). Hard to justify getting something new, afraid it wont meet my expectations. Im a mechanical engineer and have been around cars all my life. Very solid build, great engine.

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  excellent car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By billpa - January 31 - 10:00 am

  this is a great car. looks mild, but step on the gas and this baby takes off. At first it seemed like too much power until you get used to it

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  Perfect! - 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By twistercell - January 29 - 3:42 pm

  What a great car! Avg of 3.8 sec for 0-60. Most other drives dont expect a car of this size to be so fast. Great look, great drive. Gas milage seems to be around 16-19 for average driving. Breaks are awesome! But expect to pay to replace them, not cheap. Your head hurts if you slam on the breaks.... it stops that quickly!

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  Great car if you can keep tires on it. - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By sae185628 - January 28 - 9:36 pm

  I bought this car when it came off a dealer lease. It has been a pleasure to drive and gets great gas mileage 26- 30mpg. It is stylish and easy to navigate the controls. The only downside I have seen is replacing the tires every 10,000 miles. It doesnt matter if you put Michelen or Kumho, you get the same results. I have had it aligned and the mechanic says this is an issue with all Mercedes and BMW. You sacrifice comfort and cornering for tires. The brake dust is horrible, you constantly have to clean your wheels.

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  SUV from Utopia - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By KARL_MD - January 28 - 4:40 am

  What a vehicle. The complete package, from styling and performance to comfort and luxury. I have only had the black-on-black beauty for several days now, but I can state with certitude that there is no other full-size SUV that comes close to competing. I considered and test drove the 2007 Tahoe, the Armada and the Durango. I am glad that I did not settle for anything short of the GL 450.

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  A Solid Triple - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By aaflank - January 26 - 1:43 am

  Very smooth, solid, comfortable and quiet (almost eerie-quiet with audio system on). Previous car was a BMW 545i and its better in almost all respects. Particularly surprised at how quick it is and how well it handles in sport mode; would really give my 545 a run for its money. Also like the feel of the power steering better; much more variable; does not feel as "heavy" as BMW steering at low speeds. My car has just about every option except driver assist. Only major disappointment is the Night Vision system. The infrared camera is really just a grainy B&W camera; theres nothing infrared about it. My eyeball detects deer and animals much better than it does; almost distracting.