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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  Rocket strapped to your back!!!!! - 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By lawchick - June 17 - 2:00 am

  This is an outstanding vehicle. I have owned many mercedez and none have compared to it. This car is sexy, sleek and scary fast. My husband is an engineer and he says it is truly an engineering marvel - I just love the ride. I have two small children so I opted for the coupe - they have plenty of space and the car seat which disables the front airbag is priceless. Enjoy!!

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  ML500 Review - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By ericd - June 17 - 2:00 am

  As a tall person, the front and rear leg room is a plus and the short turning radius and good acceleration is ideal for city driving though the braking ability of this vehicle is slightly less than what I expected. On trips to PA in especially hilly areas this vehicle maintains its speed rather well. The navigation system would be great if you could use it with other cds in the changer-somewhat bothersome.

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  E430 Sport - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By eCLASSic - June 16 - 6:10 pm

  I was looking for a timeless vehicle and found a 01 Bril Sil eClassic Sport Edition with all options in superb condition. The drive train is solid and the interior cabin is virtually sound proof. The materials used throughout are of premium quality, unlike Ford. Acceleration is swift and sporty. Its a true gentlemans car and a dream to drive. Im very pleased.

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  Great Sport Sedan - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Stylish - June 16 - 3:40 pm

  I am impressed by the performance of this vehicle. The gas consumption was great also. Looks are definitely eye catching to many as I drove it on the streets and highways.

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  Its Not a Minivan - 2008 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Savage - June 16 - 6:36 am

  Due to the growing size of our family a car that seated 6 or more was in order. We did not want a minivan, already had an SUV, wanted a wagon or something that drove more like a car for our long road trips to the beach. This Crossover gives everyone their own room and plenty of it with a nice smooth ride. Bought used and it was well worth the price (new was out of our league), plus it has the Warranty so Mercedes service fixes almost everything.

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  Mostly Quite Pleased - 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By sammyddc - June 15 - 4:28 pm

  I leased this car after a few great years with an E-Class Sedan. It was basically perfect and I had a lot of trepidation about switching to a less practical car. I love my new cabriolet! Its got great steering and handling, a wonderful turn radius and the trim level is terrific. Otherwise, I love putting the top down on any dry day.

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  Bluetecs the way to go - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By David Jacobs - June 11 - 10:36 pm

  My 3rd Benz. 1990E class loved it.2000 S500,had trouble with it. Now this Eclass.So far great. I tend to go back and forth between Benz, BMW,and Lexus. I wanted good mileage, but more fun luxury and performance than a Prius, which I drove as well. I am dissapointed with the direction of the Lexus hybrids(poor mileage). It came down to the Lexus GS450h vs Benz E320 bluetec. Benz won this time around.

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  MY E55 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Papidos - June 11 - 2:26 pm

  What a car! The fastest and best performing vehicle Ive ever driven in 50 years. Cant beat the highway mileage too at 22+ mpg with this vehicle. Simply in a class by itself.

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  So far so good! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By sabroson - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Since I bought the ML500 in Sept/02 I have put on it about 18000 miles. So far I have had only minor initial problems that were corrected during the first couple of months. The truck is FAST. Road and Track tested it to be 6.7 sec 0-60 and I believe it. The only minor thing that I miss is the fact that there are no controls on the steering wheel for the radio. The other little thing is that the navigation system is CD based instead of DVD based, and therefore there are about 10 CDs for the US maps (instead of 1 DVD).

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  Simply the best ! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By BW - June 11 - 4:40 am

  It is amazing how mercedes has coupled the durability and mileage of a diesel platform into a quiet, high performance engine. The Audi, Acura, BMW are all nice but are no match for this vehicle.