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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  First Week Review - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By pkuyken - March 19 - 2:00 am

  After test driving several cars in this class, the C230 was my hands down choice. The visibility for city driving is very good, the car handles well, and as usual, Mercedes packs luxury with safety and sportiness well. I plan to drive this car 100000+ miles, I will update my review annually.

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  Once you go Benz, you wont go back - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Abdur Rahman - March 17 - 3:10 pm

  I love this vehicle. Its so strong. Lots of space for 5 people. multi directional seat positioning, steering wheel, etc. Ive purchased it with 61K miles now it has about 95K. Only did oil change. Recently one of the sensors went out due to heavy rain/flood and it cost me about $1400. Mercedes is expensive but you get what you pay for. Very good resale value. Very strong car. At 95K now needs axle job. Other than that never had problem. You also get 800 number for life of your Mercedes.

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  Still unbeatable - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MS - March 16 - 7:40 am

  When I bought it back in 1998, the ML was the king of the SUV hill. So hot it was, I waited for 6 months for delivery. After almost 8 years and 140K miles of service, its time for a replacement (mind you the truck is still going strong). The SUV landscape has definitely changed. A lot of new contenders, but no clear winner. You dont see a waiting list for any one of them. The whole SUV class seems to have softened. Where are the low range gears and the body on frame? My little ML has pulled many monster Suburbans out of the mud... in soccer field parking lots! After much searching, Ive decided to buy another ML. A 2005 version, not the new 2006, as its lost the true SUV spirit.

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  1st time Benz owner-initial impressions - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Thedr - March 15 - 11:00 pm

  Decided to make the move to a Mercedes for $20 more a month than what I was driving, preowned end lease C280 4matic with 30k miles. The car feels and looks as tight as when it left Germany so it seems. The ride is smooth, very responsive and quiet. Feels larger than it is. Interior design is "simply sophisticated", lots of functions with basic no nonsense finish, yet textured with the brilliance only found in a Mercedes. Shifting is smooth, good acceleration and with little engine noise. The car glides at 55 mph and above, so sweet. Interior cabin sound is nil. The sound system is second to none period(oem), as Harmon-Kardon is known for. Overall exceptional value preowned for a 3 year old.

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  ML 350 in Orlando, Florida - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By CENTRAL FLORIDA - March 15 - 2:56 pm

  Umprecedented riding for an ML Class. Impossible to compare to the previous ML, but the Air Ride is a must if you want to have fun. Almost noiseless at 70 mph compared to my previous Lexus RX 330 (04). The interior plastic is disapointing for a Mercedes. I paid 65K (fully loaded). The vehicle is a firm 4x4 under heavy rain. I have with the AMG package which is $4K more, but gives an amazing different appearance from the regular ML 350. More interior leather would help the poor plastic interior( a Chrysler feature). The music component and the rear entertaiment system are a plus to keep the children quiet. The cargo space is almost double of the Lexus RX 330. Gas: 18/22 so far.

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  Love this car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By artadvice - March 14 - 10:00 am

  I love everything about this car except the heater/air..it is so noisy and takes a long time to kick in. Other than that, its been a great car, zero problems in 55,000 miles.

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  performance, comfort and flexibility - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By C-Coupe fan - March 14 - 10:00 am

  The "C-coupe" provides an great combination of performance (with the 3.2 liter V-6), comfort with features such as the dual climate control and the flexibility to haul moderate volumes of cargo, such as a bike or an air compressor. The car also provides decent gas mileage of 25 to 27 mpg on highway trips. I love driving this car.

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  finally came in - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By agold - March 13 - 2:46 pm

  I ordered my c230k just before thanksgiving and took delivery on feb 22nd. A 1st time MB owner, I am more than happy with the car and for the $$$, it is an exceptional value. Auto, roof, wheels and cd round off the options and at well under $28k, what a bargain.

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  Performance & 40mpg. Amazing CDI E320 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Tampa MB owner - March 13 - 12:33 pm

  An outstanding combination of class, performance, and economy! The E320 CDI has it all. The vehicle is a pleasure to drive. It produces massive torque at below 2000 rpm giving the sense of tremendous acceleration with almost no lag. Cruising with this vehicle at 75-80mph provides a solid feel of the road while producing almost 40mpg. The car loafs along at this speed and you can cruise for 3-4 hours at a time without tiring. The car handles well on country roads as well as interstates. While not a roadster, the car easily handles most curvey roads well. Better handling can be had if you install higher performance tires versus those the car is shipped with.

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  Great Truck - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Al - March 12 - 1:40 pm

  Driving 400 miles every weekend to the cabin and back towing a variety of trailers has never been so effortless. Its been a true joy to drive in the snow, mud, and dirt. Figuring out when to raise the car and disable stability can get you out of trouble easily. I was a Suburban fan but this truck put the burb to shame and its a lot cheaper to run. Towing 2 big snowmobiles 75mph in the winter still get 17-19 mpg.