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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  Long Live the Mercedes Brand....Not!! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By KJ - August 12 - 1:23 am

  Nice looking SUV w/great power and handling. Quality leather interior and sound system. Plenty of room for SUVs in this class. Goes downhill from here. Squeaky brakes that dealer says is s MB problem and they put on free lubricant for 1 yr then you are on your own. Dunlop tires are inferior for a 50k SUV. After 20k miles and a loud ride, dealer says you need new tires and not to replace w/Dunlop. Stiff gas pedal takes a lot to get used to, dealer says they made the cable to short. Dealer nor MB Client Services will stand behind brake/tire issue. Agree with another reivew that MB will be dead in 5 years unless radical changes are made

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  Stay away from the ML320 - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By bd2595 - July 19 - 1:40 am

  I drive an older Mercedes Diesel and I have for years. I purchased this 2007 ML320 less than two years ago with just under 70,000 miles and the problems began. First, it has electrical problems and has burned out several brake lights in the two years. Then the rear hatch locking mechanism broke, over $400 to repair. Then it would not accelerate and we had it towed, there was a turbo valve issue, over $1400 to repair, then the alternator went out which required complete reprogramming of the car and was over $900. About two weeks ago just before a huge snowstorm it shredded not one but two serpentine belts. Now its in for a transmission problem. STAY AWAY these cars are junk.

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  Overpriced poor body design - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By djjs31 - July 6 - 10:00 am

  This car is at least 20K over priced and the body style looks like a mercury topaz.

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  seats - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By phoebe - July 4 - 10:00 am

  this car is fun to drive if you dont have to be in it longer than 30 minutes. the seats are like sitting in concrete and i actually borrow friends vehicles for a longer trip. after they drive it, it is no longer easy to frind friends that want to drive a mercedes for a day. please... mercedes please find better quality seats. a big dissappointment and will probably make me trade it in sooner than expected. in what models, do the seats become comfortable?

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  Contacted Mercedes USA for Help - They Dont Care - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ANTHONY - June 22 - 10:25 am

  2015 C300 4MATIC leased end of Jan 2015. As of April 2015 my car has been in for service 6 times. Im having several electrical issues most of them are recorded on video. I have contacted Mercedes Benz asking for help in either getting me another C Class or a different model Mercedes. As per Mercedes Benz they will NOT change my vehicle at all. I ma to remain with this messed up car for three more years. Mercedes USA agrees that the vehicle has been in for service many times but have not found anything wrong with my car even after I am showing them videos of whats going on. DISGUSTING SERVICE!! THEY WILL TREAT YOU LIKE A KING UNTIL YOU HAVE ISSUES. I WILL BE TAKING THIS COMPLAINT FURTHER

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  Lame as the others say - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By SKS - June 16 - 10:00 am

  In three years, Ive been to the dealer for many issues from the SRS light (twice), CD player, seats slide, Sunroof chatters, Brakes go out at 25K (undersized I feel), driver window switch, ESp light, etc. Tires wear out around 28K. My carfax report can tell it all. Very disapointed in a 45K MB, would have been better off in a Denali, Tahoe, or Ford. Friend has two ML and no problems?? Go figure.

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  Not impressed with this car - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By drudge - June 16 - 10:00 am

  We finally decided to get rid of this car after 23,000 miles and three major trips to to shop. When we bought this car and paid the amount of money one would expect for a Mercedes, we expected excellent quality and that is NOT what we got! The car is nice, has good design and rides well. But we cannot understand how the doors couldnt quite close right, the transmission as bad, and numberous other electrical and mechanical failures keep the car in the shop. The only good part of this story is that it was covered under the warranty. The bad news is someday somebody else will own if afterwards and have to foot these bills!

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  STAY AWAY - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Juan - June 10 - 1:33 am

  Purchased in March of 2006 w/98,000 miles on it. Now I have 190,000 on it. Only got stranded once out of town. You better have some deep pockets for this bad boy. 1,000 on suspension just for the front driver side and the passenger is going any minute, leaked oil rapidly since day one, put oil in like buying gas! Lights always need replaced at 20-30$ a pop. Need radiator 700, need tie-rods 7 once the body starts to rust goodbye! Got my money worth by using it for work, if not for that would be angry. Plus this model looks so outdated since new models have came out... Got me a 2003 BMW 530i and it runs circles around this car in every category. Go BMW, if you got this car sell it now! Today!

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  Delivered unit not equal to the test car - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Daniel Fraser - June 9 - 2:33 am

  The car wanders & needs to be constantly corrected - the steering is dead/sloppy in the center position. Steering wheel will not return to center and must be pulled back. The engine idle is rough & goes up and down and causes a vibration in the cabin at the low idle point. Braking at times hits a sticking point that can be pushed through but then the brakes comes on hard and fast. At 5000 miles and multiple trips to the dealer I recieved no help from the dealer or MB USA. I asked them to purchase back the car the answer was NO My advice - dont purchase this car. It is not the quality product I expected. The dealership was pompous when I tried to explain my concerns and dissatisfaction.

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  too many gadgets too little service IQ - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By flatout - May 24 - 10:00 am

  Great Car, poorly built. The engine is strong, very strong but its pushing a rolling sevice call. Dealership is unable to deal with complex technical problems and simple drivetrain issues.