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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  Love this R350 4matic - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By ITboater - December 29 - 6:13 am

  Bought this R350 with 49k miles, mid-range options. Had 4 MBs before, but stayed away during the bad period of 96-05. Hope it is reasonably durable. My wife is ecstatic with this car! She is 411 and can fit behind the wheel in comfort, as can I at 510. My 92YOA age father thinks its great. I love how it drives. It is sneaky fast. No car could go down my rough road driving loop as fast, but on freeway it flies with no effort at all. When you want to hurry the 7 speed trans override buttons are great to hold a gear or downshift. Nice touch is the gear stalk...cool. Mileage vg so far, 15-17 city, 23-23.5 freeway at 75, 25-25.5 side roads. Very quiet, per my sound level meter.

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  Mostly Good - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By slg - December 29 - 3:46 am

  This is my second MB. Very pleased w/first and mostly pleased with this one (E320, 2000, sedan). The problems are the automatic door locks (I have had them fixed several times only for them to disconnect or something again; second - the cassette player - fixed once, worked a short while - broke again. Other than that pleased - however, I drive it very infrequently.

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  97 E320 - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Peter - December 28 - 12:40 am

  Great car so far. Powerful inline 6 that gets high 20s mpg on highway. No problems yet

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  My second new turbo diesel - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Ron T - December 27 - 8:40 pm

  My previous E-300 (99) was driven 87000 relatively perfect except for a ew electrical glitches and bad window carriage interior hardware. This CDI model gets better fuel mileage, is quieter and is more comfortable. All over Id rate it a 9.8. I wish it had 4- matic, but I was told that it was not available in the CDI model. The worse single feature is the radio/cd which cant hold a candle to the system in my 1999 model. Kardon vs Bose...

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  This is it - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By SUSAN KNOWS - December 27 - 1:20 pm

  I am a car person. That is what I do for a living, that is what I wake up in the morning for, to deal with vehicles. This car was well researched before the purchase. and yes there is no absolute when purchasing such a type of vehicle. They will have weak points and strengths. This vehicle has very few weak ones. It is simply fabulous. I am proud to own one. I am not new to the Mercedes scene and I know they are built to last but It is nice when they look good and have the functionality in one package. Whenever I get in the car which is a kidless car by the way, I turn into another mode. I block out all other things and set myself free. be careful you will be tested, be strong!

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  The best C. - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By CRay - December 27 - 2:50 am

  This is for 2008 MB C300 Luxury. I traded in my wifes 2006 BMW 325 (I am glad I got rid of that disappointing car. So noisy my god the chevy 2500 diesel was quiter - no kidding). Love this C class though. Smooth, quite and fast enough for me (I am mid 40s). It does everything in Merced way. I owned the previous C (2003) and didnt like that one either. But his one is defeintly a winner. Thank you Mercedes to built this.

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  The ML Experience - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Speedi - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I wanted an SUV that would last me for 10 years -- and up to this point, I admit Im a little worried. Granted, its only had 1 mechanical failure in 33k miles, but I have also replaced the brakes once. On the other hand, while the interior is a little dated, the SUV is built like a tank and is fun to drive. The ML430 is VERY peppy with the 24V V8. Would I buy another one? Thats the real question, isnt it? Yes, Id buy another one. The ML tends to get better each year I look at them.

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  Mighty Fine Vehicle - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Sacha Prins - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my 2000 ML320 (old model) for a 2002 ML55 (new model) last may, and I must say that besides the obvious performance gain, the quality of the car (interior, rattling, overall quality) has also improved a lot. Im basically a very happy camper, and besides a recall involving the powersteering everything has been fine. This car and the dealership I bought it at live up to my Mercedes-Benz quality expectations. I dont quite understand the static the other reviewers give the ML55. The only thing against the car would be the fuel milage.

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  Nice, but shouldve bought a 911 Turbo - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By fievel - December 26 - 10:00 am

  The car is great, except that I really wish the car had 6sp manual transmission. The auto tranny doesnt do the engine justice at all. The car runs surprisingly slow compared with all the hype I had read. I guess my expectations were too high.

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  SL55 AMG - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Angus Tone - December 26 - 10:00 am

  This car is a dream to drive its performance is unmatched in its class. It does a faster 0-60 than the ferrari modeno and spyder. This car exudes class and power if you have the funds i deffinetly advise picking one up