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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  Excelllent SUV - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Ricky74 - December 16 - 10:33 pm

  Own a silver 05 special edition. Absolutely love this SUV. Previously owned a 02 ML320 and this one is even better. FAST engine, luxurious, and very capable of off-roading. Fortunately, this is still a true SUV with body on frame chassis. Everybody complains of how this vehicle is "showing its age" because its not of unibody construction. They couldnt be further from the truth. This is an SUV, not one of those cross over, overly dressed up,soccer mom, fancy station wagons. Would recommend this vehicle ten times over. Would recommend buying from this dealer even if out of state.

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  A real mans suv - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By lukaspeedracer - December 16 - 7:40 pm

  Ive driven several different SUVs and all were not what iIexpected at all, until I drove the battleship of all time. This ML55 AMG will do everything possible to get you from point A to B instantly with no hesitation, but it will cost you a little more in gas than most smaller engines. I am very happy on long trips with it. Its very comfortable and reliable. Drive it and youll see just what im talking about.

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  Welcome to Benz......... - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mel - December 15 - 2:33 am

  I went to the "dark side. Coming from BMW 3 series coupe, I decided to try Benz for the first time and wow what a great choice. I love this car. It doesnt have as much power and doesnt handle quite as good as my 335 coupe but damn this car looks good and it has adequate power and handling. Comfortable solid ride which a nice quality sporty interior. No car is even close at this price point in my opinion, bang for buck. My bimmer was $200 more per month!

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  ml 320 - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By ptomlin - December 14 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive, this first year model was not fully sorted out and has some small reliability issues. Once sorted out, it performs fine. Later years of the ML 320 were reputed to be better. It does do OK as a 4WD well and is nimble.

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  Terrific vehicle - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Cary Chip - December 14 - 2:00 am

  Superlative car. Probably safest car on the road. Very comfortable. Two complaints: lousy gas milage and stereo controls not well thought out. Stereo sounds great though.

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  Joes review - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Joe Pearson - December 14 - 2:00 am

  Reliable, fun to drive car with plenty of style and sex appeal.

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  The Best Station Wagon in the Market!!! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By YV - December 14 - 2:00 am

  No doubt Daimler Benz has come up with the best Station Wagon in the market this year as they have done in the past few years with similar models. Only the outside rear view mirror needs some enlargement and the drawer under the two front seats need to be repositioned in order not to become bothersome to the drivers and passengers legs. This compartment is TOO BULKY. These are the only observations. But even with them its a pleasure to drive this vehicle. Anywhere.

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  Real Pricing on a C240 4Matic Wagon - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Dasher - December 14 - 2:00 am

  If youre looking for a C-Series, you need to bargain harder than the Edmunds price. A C240 4matic wagon with leather, sunroof package, metallic paint and CD changer stickers for $39,040; the Edmunds TMV price is $37,336 and I bought this car yesterday in Denver for $33,700, including delivery and dealer handling. By the way, this is six grand less than a comparably equipped BMW 355xi wagon.

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  Nice effort - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By GS - December 12 - 11:36 pm

  Just traded my wifes Lexus LX470 for the new ML. Nice car. She found the LX too big for her to drive as she does not drive the freeways, so in a smaller segment, this is the best product out there.Not enough standard features for a 50k auto! Dont compare it with the LX470. Other than that, this car has more bang for the buck than any other SUV on the road!

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  Best For Home Use - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By pma - December 12 - 10:00 am

  Big problems with fuel evaporation system;replaced under warranty,now needs to be replaced again since fuelling is sometimes impossible and the gas indicator does/doesnt indicate,lights flash,etc.Brake discs should also be of much better quality. Seats are THE WORST over long distance of any Ive had in 40 years.My chiropractor made a fortune !