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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  Here comes the Sweetness! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MatthewMcCann - November 14 - 10:00 am

  I have been a MB fan since I was 22 and bought a 1997 E320. I had alot of problems with that vehicle. So I finally got a C230K Sport fully loaded. This thing is a fire-cracker! The Kompressor is really the key to this car and it is SMOOTH! Move out of the way Audi, BMW, and Infinti.

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  E500 Sport - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By vbryant - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Outstanding vehicle. The car is much better than the reviews suggest. If there were bugs early in the model year, M-B has fixed them all.

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  Love my cer - 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
  By Amy Newman - November 14 - 7:59 am

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  Outstanding Car from Benz - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Jman430 - November 13 - 8:16 pm

  I have owned numerous Mercedes but nothing come close to the jet-like acceleration of this Super Sedan. I had an 02 CL55, E500, S500, CLK55 but nothing compared to this car, power on demand and handle well in every situation. Sweet car!

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  Fun, Quick & Classy - 2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By aeroqman - November 13 - 6:36 pm

  I have been quite impressed with the car, fun to drive and quick enough to get you into trouble with the po pos. Would like to have seen a bit more comfort in the seats, my Volvo T5R was far more comfortable. The car is pretty classy for the price, would like to see a standard CD player, duh?

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  Even my husband loves this little SUV! - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By jrp74 - November 12 - 5:22 am

  Love everything about this car! Attractive, sporty, quiet, comfortable with intuitive controls, excellent safety features, and luxurious options--all at an excellent price! The rear seat is large enough to comfortably accommodate our 12-year old and 9-year old, and I find the cargo space to be more than adequate for what we typically use it for (groceries, runs to to the recycling center). Would recommend getting the keyless entry and ignition option, though--after owning an Infiniti M45 that had it, it is sorely missed.

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  The worest Mercedes-Benz I ever had - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By voice1 - November 8 - 9:46 am

  This car I bought new 1998 , as soon as it went over 95000 Km the oil add oil started , in a 300 miles trip I would have to add at least two quarts . Then the electronics started to fall , the headlight the tail light light bulbs almost every two to three week. Rust in the trunk around the key lock . I would say my 230 1988 or my 200 D 1973 were million time better built cars . I lost intrest in buying another Mercedes .

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  Better have a warranty - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Mark Miller - November 8 - 9:23 am

  I have owned this car since new. It has been a love hate relationship. The fuel economy is very good for a full size, 3 row, all wheel drive vehicle. I have found the ride and handling and body rigidity to be sub par. Reliability has been below average with an engine leak at 50,000 miles that required the transmission to be dropped and cost $3,000. One of the air bladders in the suspension went out at 55,000 miles which cost $1000. An emission sensor went out at 60,000 miles which cost $2,000. Fuel filter recall occurred twice. You will get to know your service adviser well. That has been my experience with my other European luxury cars. I like the character and comfort of the car over the Asian makes. Given the lack of personality with the Asian equivalents I may try domestic next because the warranty will be out soon. The extended warranty definitely paid for itself. Addendum Watch out for poor resale value. Thanks to VW (diesel gate scandal) as well as Mercedes long term cost of ownership, when I went to trade in my Blue tec diesel for a new BMW X5 5 months ago I was offered $20,000 for a vehicle in perfect working order (other than needing new tires), having all the maintenance records,very good cosmetic shape (garaged throughout its life) with 65,000 miles on the odometer. It lost $53,000 dollars in value over 5 1/2 years. Poor resale is a trend with all Mercedes. They are so expensive to maintain and repair as they get older. Mercedes please get rid of the unnecessary complexity (ie air bladder suspension) which makes maintaining these vehicles past warranty difficult. By the way I bought an BMW X-5 diesel (was on special due to VW again) and its drive train is unbelievably better than the Mercedes diesel. It is the first diesel vehicle I have owned (and that is many) that I cannot tell its a diesel. Getting 28-30 mpg in suburban driving in the BMW with AWD. I no longer own the GL. I can say that my neighbor has traded in his 2015 GL after 2 years due to multiple visits to the dealership for mechanical issues. This vehicles are more complicated than they need to be.

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  Love my car when it works - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By joerider72 - November 8 - 9:06 am

  DO NOT BUY! I currently average about $6,000/yr or $500/month in repairs to drive this car. The quality of the parts is shoddy, primarily due to poor engineering (its not engineered for longevity). The bottom line is that the car has WAY too much electronics that control and monitor everything. Those electronics do not have the life expectancy of the mechanical parts. Heres my list of repairs; front struts, rears are leaking, radiator, (damaged transmission - see TSB), control unit for tranny, suspension compressor, air hoses relating to suspension, tires because suspension was messed up. What I still need: brake accumulator, new motor mounts,new tranny or torque converter, rear struts

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  Best sporty smaller SUV - 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
  By terri - November 7 - 8:14 pm

  Great looking inside and out, very comfortable, great handling, LOVE this vehicle!!!! Quality purchase