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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  Huge disappointment - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By whatalemon - March 16 - 1:23 pm

  This was my first and probably last MB. $32000 was paid and within 2 years the AC system was replaced twice. Electrical systems are a constant headache. Front right blinker stopped working and was redesigned (not recalled due to ongong failure)and then one day started working correctly again. Quality of the product is poor. I had hoped for an experience like my last car, a Toyota. Drove the Toyota for 200K miles. I would not recommend a MB to anyone.

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  Deceptive advertising - 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By peter durkin - March 16 - 11:23 am

  Under key standard features it say hands free blue tooth interface. This is not the case. With even the upgrade number one you can not make voice command dialing. The hands free part is a joke. They expect you to spin knobs or scroll buttons on the wheel why you are driving which is not possible. read the part under build your car, it really is a scam. My E class had the voice dialing in the number 1 upgrade. This car is 15,000 dollars more the E class and does not have the standard features of my wifes new Malibu. Second issue even when you buy the M-Brace you can not get directions down loaded to your car. You had to buy upgrade number 2. There is no way for you to know that based on their web site. My last 4 Cadillacs this was standard stuff more then 10 years ago. Now that I got stuck with a car I do not find functional there is no way to change out the control head that offers this option at any cost.

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  nomorembc - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By nomorembc - March 15 - 2:23 am

  I ordered the C240 months before the Dec 2000 delivery. During the first 2 years, the car had all kinds of minor problems that kept me returning to the dealership around twice a month. The rear light bulbs were out every week, the speakers were replaced twice, AC, windows. Between 20k to 65k, the car was a joy to drive, and was pretty much problem free. From 65k on, the AC was a problem, the check engine light, the coolant light, the digital dash, the battery, the noise from the steering. I had spend over $5k fixing items outside of normal maintance, and the car just keep coming up with new problems. This is the most unreliable foreign car I have ever own.

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  2003 e-500 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By peter coury - March 14 - 10:00 am

  2003 e-500 has a very mushy ride, out of touch with the road, interior is way too light colored but few interior color choices, confusing controls, ordinary styling, has been robbed of mercedes qualities. out of touch with the driver, Ill drive my 1999 E-320 thanks, now thats a mercedes. would not buy again!

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  Dont buy this car...!! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By fomopopo - March 8 - 2:00 am

  This was our first MB purchase, and our last. We have had every malfunction you can think of.. SOS, radio, tire presure, pulling to the right, and broken molding under front seat (check yours). I should have bought a Lexus. Dont walk away from this vehicle, run. Weve had little help from the MB headquarters, and the dealership is overwhelmed with malfunctioning vehicles. Ours has been in the shop 5 times in the last 9 months.

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  Mercedes S- class - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By scooter of manhattan - March 1 - 2:00 am

  Not great with repard to service response from dealer or manufacturer, many delicery flaws not dealt with and neither manufacturer nor dealer take responsibiltiy -- a real frustrating catch 22 for a vehicle of this cost and supposed caliber.

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  lots of problems - 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By bob598 - February 27 - 5:03 pm

  This is my 9th S sedan...........its very tough to love.

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  Not what you expect from a Benz - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Len - February 23 - 10:00 am

  Bought this ML new the first month the radio went! within a year I had to replace a power window switch, Rear pillar panel, and the top of the center armrest. within 18 months transmission leaked.The second winter the front heated seats quit. Not at all what you would expect from a Benz.

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  MBNA Corp has no regard for customers out of warranty - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By car_maven_1 - February 23 - 4:24 am

  I was happy my C300 Sport 4matic while it was under warranty. A few technical problems (mostly w/navi) but otherwise good. Recently, at 53,00 miles and 46 months old, my inside door handle broke making it impossible to exit the car. It is $1200 to repair this plastic part (must replace entire pannel)! The dealer said it was out of warranty and suggested calling MBNA corporate. Both the agent assigend to my case and his supervisor were rude and could not care less that this would have been covered 45 days earlier, or that it was my familys 13th Benz. I told him I would never buy another - he didnt care. At least the dealer agreed to split the repair cost. Next time Porsche!

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  2001 E320 Sedan - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Teresa - February 22 - 10:03 am

  This is worst car I have ever owned. Every time I turn around something is wrong either with the electrical system, a/c, engine overheating or the windows wont go up. Oh and of course the cylinders keep going out. The check engine came on once again today two out of six cylinders are not working. I need another full time job to keep the car on the road. Not mention the $50+ oil changes. I wish I had my Infiniti I30 back. It never left me on the side of the road!