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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  Comand System much too complicated - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Lisa - December 26 - 2:12 am

  I have had several Mercedes prior to this one. I loved my E350 and leased the E300 when that lease was up. I am completely disappointed with the entertainment system. I am somewhat of a techie so I usually enjoy playing with complicated systems. Not this one. I dropped Sirius and signed up for the Internet hotspot figuring that I would use iHeartRadio instead. Big mistake. The car kept losing the internet signal ("Connected; No Internet") even though I was in densely populated and internet active parts of the Northeast. It took too many scrolls and pushes to get a radio station - forget about changing stations even as the passenger. Changing between cell phones for Bluetooth is another disaster - everything takes multiple swipes, scrolls, etc... Ridiculous. Im dumping the Internet hotspot and signing up again for Sirius because it is the lesser of two evils. Even playing Amazon Music from my cell phone via Bluetooth requires too much work. Its a shame. I just leased a GLA250 (much less expensive starter SUV for my mother) and the entertainment package there is much simpler and much more basic. The good news is that both the driver and passenger can use it without thinking that they will cause a crash. When my lease is up in 1.5 years, Im not sure whether I will lease another MB if the Comand package remains as complicated -- and dangerous -- as it is now. The rest of the car is fine and lives up to the standards I expect from MB. The entertainment system, however, is a huge dealkiller.

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  Summer Ride - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Sean - December 23 - 3:53 pm

  I have a triple black CLK 500 convertible. It is very fun to drive with that V8 under the hood! It handles great and rides like a dream!

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  Getting close to a year..... - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Golfdog2 - December 21 - 10:10 pm

  Im just over 20000 miles and so far this has been a great car! The ride is comfortable and firm and everything works like it should (I didnt read my owners manual like I should have for a few things). I had an issue with the brakes but that was repaired and got a software update for the radio but thats about it for problems. The dealer service has been good as well. I understand why people like this car and Ill probably buy another one.

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  Elegant Car, Timeless Styling - 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By So Cal Sam - December 21 - 3:23 pm

  Besides the world class styling this car is also so smooth and powerful. The 302 hp engine and 7 speed automatic tranmission effortlessly propels the car down the road with such authority and grace. The convertible top works as advertised - a smooth mechanical ballet that takes you from quiet hardtop coupe to convertible in 16 seconds. The exterior and interior finish are well done and the entire feel of the car seems so tight and well engineered. The navigation system is easy to use and has a points of interest function that is very handy. The 2006 model year includes Sirius satellite radio as a no charge option and Im finding it to be a real bonus - incredible amount of choice.

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  Mercedes ML is a partial hit! 8+ - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By PSherlock0 - December 20 - 2:00 am

  This is basically a good SUV; at first I thought it was too small and uncomfortable and after 3 years I am learning to live with the size, but it is still uncomfortable ie, seats very hard and suspension stiff. Mercedes thinks (ha) that only off roaders buy SUVs. Detroit also thought their cars were fine twenty years ago too! At 95 miles per hour it handles like a sports car and feels quite safe (I was late going to the airport). Fuel economy is good considering the weight of the vehicle, about 5k lbs, and the size of the motor. Pulling our boat is easy and effortless and I am glad I had the trailer package.

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  Proud owner of MB C280 - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MercedesFan4Life - December 20 - 2:00 am

  I love my baby. Its got classical beauty, retaining the more traditional looks of its forefathers (not the funky looking headlights of later generations). Extremely reliable and built to last. This is not a race car but one designed for comfort driving (a requiste for those long hours spent behind the wheel in rush hour traffic). Smooth handling.

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  Great car - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By 42000 - December 20 - 2:00 am

  It is a wonderful car and fun to play with. It is very reliable. The fuel economy is better than I thought. Smoothy ride, xlent performance.

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  Mercedes SL55 AMG Review - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By hman - December 20 - 2:00 am

  Excptional car. Drives extremly well. The console is very techonolgly advanced. The car has a very powerful supercharged V8 engine. This car is probly one of my favorite cars, I like better that my Ferrari Modana.

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  Great car for a long time - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By ST - December 19 - 11:13 pm

  I still love this car, even after 6 years. Drives, handles great for a luxury sedan, and I tend to drive fast. Air suspension allows changing suspension for different driving conditions. It really works. Only problems have been electronic and happened in first 15K mi. None since; just normal maintenance. Car still looks and drives like new at 80,000 miles.

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  Too many problems for a real MB - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Arturo - December 18 - 8:03 am

  My second ML, realy enjoy the ride and the sense of security on this SUV. But unfortunately Im very disapointed with too many little things that were never solve by MB and too many big repairs that came right after the waranty expired (central locking system, rear wiper motor -how often do you use it?-, engine problems never solve by service department, heated seats burn my legs, speed sensitive volume on audio system,... etc, etc, etc. Tires and brake life is less than 22,000 miles. Overall great looking and confortable SUV, with too many problems for a MB