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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  Best small luxury sport sedan, a few warts - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By wised - September 11 - 9:15 am

  This is without a doubt the best C class ever made. It handles superbly, particularly one you ditch the run flat tires, is very powerful, rides in excellent comfort, plus, its beautiful to behold inside and out. If you want to "enhance" an already very powerful car even more you can have Renntech tune it for an additional 50 hp making the AMG version only necessary for strict race track duty. The downside of the fist year have been a few trips to the dealer; the wonderful sounding Burmester system died once, the air suspension suffered a broken sensor and finally the handsfree door handles also failed. The powertrain however has been bullet proof for 10k miles. European cars in general tend to have teething issues and this car has been no exception. The C400 has been replaced with the C450 which includes a factory AMG "tune" of the engine and transmission and another few extras. Hopefully the few electronic gremlins are also now better too.

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  Great Car - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Joel - September 10 - 3:50 pm

  2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C300 Sport Sedan has met all of my expectations for a sport sedan. The performance and look of this car is terrific. I have a C300 Sport with the 6 speed manual transmission, Premium 1 & Multimedia packages, IPod Integration Kit, and the 18” AMG wheels. I have driven many cars of different make, model and price range. The C300 Sport Sedan easily wins in value and prestige for the money.

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  Good, happy, could always be better. - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ALB - September 10 - 5:43 am

  I purchased a preowned c230 last summer. It was low miles and had only 16k on it. I drove all the other cars in the class, BMW 3 series, Lexus IS, and Infinity Gs, and A4. MB is the best balance of performance and luxury. It doesnt handle like a 330, and leather isnt as nice as an IS, but I love this car and love MB (have since purchased an SLK). It is very fun to drive, not like a 335 manual, but it looks great, corners well and in comfort mode get decent gas mileage. I did have to fuel pump replaced under warranty at 22K, didnt like that too much, as I felt betrayed by the car I love, but it happens. If I had to purchase again, I would purchase the same car in red rather than silver.

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  Best Decision Ive Ever Made - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By socalyachter - September 9 - 9:43 pm

  From start to finish, my buying experience was AWESOME! I was a very satisfied Lexus owner (SC300). But when I test drove my E320, there was no way I was going home without the car! I did drive the E500, but didnt feel an appreciable difference between a well-equipped E320 and the more powerful E500. I expected the E500 to be substantially different to justify the price ... but the sales guy and I agreed that the E320 was the best value. Seasoned MB owners will know that the way the car "hugs" you, the smooth acceleration, the smooth downshifting, the responsive engine... gosh, just everything is such a pleasure! Sorry Lexus, but I think your styling is rather dull ... MB rules!

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  Almost Great! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Jorge - September 8 - 7:13 pm

  This is my first Mercedes. Everything is great except for a few things. The seat back contours are designed/built for very skinny people. Even a Mitsubishi I had with wrap around seat backs, were adjustable. The dial temp controls arent very accurately adjustable (the 2002 Avalon I have are digitally adjustable with rocker up/down 1 degree increments). Ride & handling are superb for a convertible. Body is rigid with almost no twist on tight turns. Engines today should not require premium gas. The menu system is not very user friendly. And I just found out that the Nav. system is only updated every 5 years. Good thing I have portable Garmin units (which are easier to program).

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  So far so excellent - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Yu_turn - September 8 - 10:00 am

  After 27k miles, I havent had any problems. The C320 has lots of power when you need it and drives very smoothly. I got the sport package and the car handles very well around the turns.

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  Best of Both Worlds - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Dr. Geoff - September 8 - 8:56 am

  Having your cake and eating it too! The E-Class is the perfect highway cruiser, soaks up the bumps and smooth as butter. The diesel is phenomenal with gobs of torque off the line and still plenty of passing power from 50 to 90 mph range on the highway. Just drove this baby home 300 miles and got get this 36.8 mpg for the trip about 80% hwy and 20% city driving. Mercedes has it going on - forget hybrids diesel is fuel efficient and practical and proven for over a 100 years! Wasnt impressed with Lexus (dressed up Toyota) and BMW lacks luxury and pampering I was looking for (too spartan inside and weird looking outside) Audi came closest with A6 but alas no diesel in US yet! Drive it - Sold!

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  Got mine a week after they hit the road - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By stan - September 8 - 8:13 am

  I love it. Handling is amazing.The whole feel of the car, and I say car, feels so much better then the old ML. Go out and get one!

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  CLS 550 07 - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Vijil - September 7 - 3:13 pm

  CLS 550 is truly a fun car to drive. Airmatic DC (air suspension), by all means is the best. The ride is smooth and sporty at the same time. Airmatic will automatically lower the suspension at highway speeds to improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle. CLS has a very powerful engine, enough power for most people. I can only wonder what the 63 & 65 (AMG) has to offer in terms of power. The car is so unique in terms of its exterior styling, there is nothing like it on the road. The audio, Harmon Kardon/ Logic 7, has exceptional sound quality. CLS is a beauty with the beast inside.

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  my thoughts on the GLK - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By chubby_cheex - September 6 - 2:03 am

  So far so good! The car has a handsome exterior and interior. Its nice inside, but not cozy like an E class. I dont mind however because you cant have it all. The acceleration is a little bit of a disappointment, but I can deal with it because the handling makes up for it. The car feels fairly tight in turns, smooth, quiet like youre in your own world, and solid. Oh, and the headlights look pretty nice even without having the bi-xenons. That was a pleasant surprise. Overall its a good value for being a baby Benz.