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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  CLS-500-A Real Beakthrough - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Dick Thompson - March 5 - 9:40 am

  The 2006 Mercedes is a true breakthrough automobile. In design, comfort and performance , the CLS 500 has broken some very exciting new ground. It drives like a sports car, has the comfort of a much larger model, and performs admirably in all driving situations. The rear seating area is actually quite comfortable. The only limitation is slope of the rear roof line does make entereing the rear comprtment more of a challenge than in other 4-door sedan models.s The interior is not quite up to the standards of Mercedes, butit is acceptable. I would recommend the vehicle to anyone interested in a unique driving experience. It is an excellent addition to the Mercedes line.

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  First Mercedes-Benz - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Alex - March 5 - 2:20 am

  Im used to the comfortable hohum driving experieces of Japanese cars. For a long time Ive driven Lexus, but decided I wanted something fun to drive, comfortable, safe, and powerful. This car fit the description almost perfectly. I got the AWD model for Connecticuts uncertain winters. The car begs to be driven fast. You can fine tune your suspension from comfort to sport which ever you desire. A deterent for German cars seem to be its terrible reliability, so far nothing yet! Well see how the rest of the year progesses. Its nice to have the only one , the car turns heads all over. The vehicle was equipped with the premium and appearance packages, electric trunk closer, wood steering wheel, and voice control.

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  New Mercedes fan for life - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MBZ4LIFE - March 5 - 2:00 am

  After extensive research and calculation, I realized that the C230 was the car for me. Its plenty quick; and the luxury it affords distracts you from caring about 0-60 times. I found a Sport edition fully loaded (heated seats, rain sensing wipers, CD changer, etc) w/ only 39k mi and paid less than $22k at a dealer! I suggest anyone in Southern California check out Penske Motorcars in West Covina.

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  annual - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By EJD - March 4 - 11:23 pm

  I enjoy the car very comfortable on trips with plenty of room. Electronics maybe too complicated for the MB Techs, because they dont always get the problems rerpaired the first trip. NAV system could be more user friendly, and more modern features. Overall great car

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  Betzy - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By bob - March 3 - 10:26 pm

  Best car I have owned and almost fun as a 356. Gas mileage 24 to 26 local, 29 to 31 interstate. Very neutral handling. Have had a couple electrical problem but it just gave a warning on the display and I had them fixed. Vision in reverse a little confusing caused by the glass between the tail lights. The 2.3 liter Kompressor is the most powerful and torquie four banger I have driven. Comfortable on trips. Got the glass roof but it started making noise. Dealer fixed the noise but wish I got one without glass roof. Love it.

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  A better car than I expected... - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By usapete - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I had owned a 2002 Mercedes C240. All the news and great reviews on the new Diesel model caught my attention. I went for it. The 2002 C240 was a great car. I did not expect any car could get better - but the 2005 Mercedes E320 CDI Diesel is fantastic!

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  Awesome car for a great price! - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Marbelly Walker - March 1 - 5:18 pm

  I got this car as a demo car with almost 8,000 miles for a great price. The car has a lot of space and it looks very nice.

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  BMW Beater - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Vin - February 28 - 2:00 am

  I have has this for 2 mouths and it is great. Every time I get in a feel like i find something more exiting to do. The V* is amazing with smooth acceleration, it ride is a perfect cobination of luxury ride and sport ride.

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  Mercedes Hit A Home Run! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Chofgarden - February 28 - 2:00 am

  After only a month Im in love with this vehicle, it does EVERYTHING well.

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  Great Drive - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Chi-Town - February 27 - 4:00 am

  Purchased 2010 this in November and love everything about this car. This does not drive like a large SUV. Its definitely an improvement our ML (2002). Ride is quiet and interior is well appointed. Need to get used to the Navi- so far I prefer my Garmin- although just one button and the Navi turns on and appears on a large display. Need to do something about the rear seat entrance. Sliding seats would be great as the other reviewer indicated