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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  Worst vehicle - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By worst vehicle tom - August 24 - 7:10 pm

  After owning Lexus and BMW I was excited when MB offered the E500 4- matic. This vehicle has been nothing but a disappointment. The transmission is not smooth and overrevs. At times there is a delay when starting to accelerate that is unpredictable and dangerous. The braking system is noisy and very hard to adapt to in order to come to a smooth stop. The a/c system is a joke. When it starts to run on hot day it revs so loud people outside the vehicle stare thinking something is wrong. I have had this car back to the dealer numerous times and I am always told that is just the way the car is! I would never recommend this vehicle.

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  Comfortable Capable Cruiser; Unreliable - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Justice Charles & Co - August 23 - 10:30 am

  Traded in a leased MB ML350 and decided to downsize now that the kids are driving alone. Had several unresolved issues with the ML but decided to give MB a fresh chance. Overall, my wife and I enjoy driving this right sized SUV. Im 62" but I fit comfortably and the position is good although rear seat comfort and room is cramped. Large double sunroof is nice touch. Nice interior design but cheap/loose bits have surfaced in less than 6 months 7k miles. Fuel is acceptable at 17MPG average. Reliability has been horrific- two individual instances of electrical failure in the stability control system/ABS/ESP. Navigation sys was replaced. Climate control failure, was waiting 3 weeks for part.

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  None better, except for maybe the SL55 - 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By tomd - August 22 - 10:46 pm

  Driving doesnt get any better than this. The new SL550 is markedly better than the car it replaced (the SL500). Ive owned 2003, and 2005, SLs and the 2007 is a much better performing car

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  Good looking and powerful - 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Rob - August 22 - 2:16 pm

  This is s great looking high powered car that handles really well and has a classy looking interior

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  Love it. Hope to keep it - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By atlanta_dave - August 22 - 2:00 am

  Bought it used w 63,000 miles. Replaced the starter @ 70,000. 10x better than my grand cherokee. 5x better than my Denalli. The quality and solid feel make me feel like itll be around for many years to come. The domestic SUVs really felt worn when they had this many miles. This one still drives like new.

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  Exceeds Expectations - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By HoustonDriver - August 22 - 2:00 am

  Driving a 98 S500 for a number of years was a lot of fun, but nothing compared to the 2004 S430. More power than the old S500, better handling and a load of features make my new Benz an absolute pleasure to drive.

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  Need better Audio/GPS/Control System - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By DrJT2 - August 22 - 2:00 am

  I also have a new 2003 Lexus LX470 and an old LS400. I guess I can compare them pretty well here: 1. The S500 is a noisy car during acceleration. The Lexus is much quieter. 2. The GPS/Audio system on the S500 sucks; its very hard to operate unless you remember all the details and look at it while driving all the time. The GPS/Audio on the LEXUS is much easier to use and the touch- screen on Lexus is intuitive and easiser to use. 3. The audio system on S500 is not too impressive. Lexus audio is better. 4. The road handling is much more solid for the S500. 5. The exterior look of S500 is more stylish than the LS430 even for the new LS430 models.

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  Awesome car! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By atkinsonkb1 - August 22 - 2:00 am

  This is just a great car!

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  So far, so good - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By devbert - August 21 - 10:16 am

  I bought this car as a graduation present for myself in 2003. It was two years old with 25,000 miles. The only real problem Ive had is a noisy power steering pump. It quieted down once I had the fluid replaced. Ive driven it 88,000 miles over five years and have not had any repairs (although Ive had the power steering pump checked for the noise. More fluid fixed the problem). So far this has been the most trouble- free car Ive owned. Of course, the $90 oil changes are annoying, but they are only required once a year. The routine brake jobs (avg. cost $1,000 every 60,000 miles at a non-MB mechanic) are also excessive. But, thats what I get for driving a MB. Its been a good car!

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  G-Wagon - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By abingdon - August 21 - 10:00 am

  The G-Wagon is a superb all around vehicle. It is comfortable on the highway yet tough and powerful off road.It is an absolute joy to drive. The biggest drawback is fighting my wife over who gets to drive it (she has an Escalade).