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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  100% fun sexy car to drive - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By zeezo - December 7 - 10:00 am

  its all there the car is lovly to drive it has a lot of gagets to play with ,nice AMG stiling

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  good suv - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By steve270cdi - December 7 - 10:00 am

  I am from scotland and have the ml270cdi, I have read all the problems with the old model and do not like its look inside or out but the facelift modle is very good and mated to the auto mated to the 270cdi is one very smooth drivetrain. I have the rear spare wheel holder that makes it look very tough.Like an suv should.I just wish I could have had the 400cdi. I get 33 mpg and found the x5 easy to dicount. I need the low ratio gears and also the $6000 price differnce. Anyway love the car.`,

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  Cat Food Cans - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By flyspech - December 6 - 9:49 pm

  Its May 2011 and my 01 E320 has just 36k orig mi. on it; looks new inside and out. I anticipated owning this car until I couldnt buy tires to fit it. In May of 06, its 5th bday (the warrantee now as good as the paper it was printed on), we lost the right catalytic converter, in 6/08 the air conditioning just stopped, 4/09 the left side cat rattled us back to the shop, but today is special; today starts a week long diagnostic attempting to discover why neither infrared key will operate the ignition. Our 01 E320 is a great car to wash and keep in the garage. It especially looks good in the driveway. If my wife felt the same as me; itd be pressed into lots of cat food cans.

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  MB Quality is Back - 2008 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Review by Owner - December 6 - 1:33 pm

  After having a couple of MBs with quality issues we are extremely pleased with the rock solid, problem- free S550 we have now had for several months and 3,000 miles. We waited 6 months to get an S with the ABC option but ABC provides such a great combination of ride and handling that it was worth it. COMMAND is very easy to use (I have never opened the manual) and allows for a dash that is free of button clutter (particularly compared to Lexus LS). You can get gas mileage well into the 20s on the highway but it can degrade to below 15 mpg in urban driving. But you feel so great in this vehicle that you hate to have to get out when you reach your destination

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  Great Car!! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By none - December 6 - 7:50 am

  Smooth Luxury Ride. Plenty of room. Not too many gadgets. The AWD is a big plus in our part of the world. Easy to use Navigation

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  Exetremely Disappointing - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By allysonp1 - December 5 - 3:51 pm

  The front brakes had to be replaced at 24K miles. At 40K miles the back brakes had to be replaced. Prior to this, I drove a Lexus for 60K miles before the brakes needed to be replaced. We will be going back to Lexus and I hope I never live long enough that I am forced to purchase another Mercedes-Benz. Dealers have only been marginally helpful and say this is reasonable wear - might be but isnt for a Lexus.

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  C230 best value in its class - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Shelli Dawson - December 4 - 5:40 pm

  Alot of people dont stop and think that yes, you can buy a late model Mercedes for under $20,000. But on a 98 C230 with fairly low miles (40,000) at a price at $18,000, I think it is by far the best value car in its class.

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  Stylish Sedan - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By alegrats - December 4 - 5:53 am

  Have owned the CLS500 for almost 3 years and has been everything i have expected - great sedan for family of 4 with school aged kids - a lot of head turning looks with this car - just enough truck space for active family - only complaint is the challenges in accessing a drive up ATM through the smallish side window - every facet of this car speaks quality

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  One of the BEST - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Chris H - December 3 - 10:00 am

  This car gets 37 mpg on the highway and 27 in town - better than most light weight hybrids. It drives better than the gas 320. Excellent car!

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  Maxima, Accord or Benz? Stupid Question - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By C230 Fan - December 3 - 10:00 am

  I seriously considered the Accord coupe and Maxima, until I realized I could drive a Benz for the same price! This car is awesome. A great intro to Luxury. Looks and feels like a $50,000 car.