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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  Great performance in a beautiful package - 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By westcott - February 19 - 12:26 pm

  Have about 2000 miles on my 2008 E63 and have enjoyed every minute of it. Late 60s engine performance in a luxury sedan that is so quiet you sometimes wonder if the engine is running. Really like the styling. A sporty look while still retaining its MB historic look. More options than one has time to learn in one year. I am still reading the very hefty manual but every day controls are intuitive and easy to navigate without a manual. This is my first Mercedes and I waited for the 2008 model in Iridium Silver Metallic to pull the trigger. Everyone should own a car like this once in their lifetime. A perfect blend of sports car performance with the prowess of a well respected luxury sedan.

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  Will buy another one for my hubby! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ppbw123 - February 19 - 9:53 am

  This is the first MB Ive owned. Ive enjoyed every minute and every situation of driving this car. Now that the snow tires are put on, the MB winter driving proved much fun and saver than my other light-weight car in the house!

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  Awesome, but no improvement over previous - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By dan - February 19 - 3:53 am

  Great car. Feels very solid and tank like as should any Mercedes. I should advise any interested buyers to highly consider the more expensive E500 wagon cause 221 hp isnt going to keep this two ton wagon up to speed with any Porsches. All in all a still excellent buy (not cheap though). My previous 2000 E320 wagon looked almost exactly the same even though there was a redesign last year. Very comfortable and relaxing to drive for long and quick trips. navigation system isnt that complicating, ride quality is amazing, and 4MATIC works great in foul weather. My rear window just randomly stopped functioning but other than that reliability has been decent. I timed a 0-60 run of about 8 seconds

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  1996 c-220 - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By j stringger - February 17 - 10:00 am

  very nice styling bought it for 12300 so far so good ...car is very quiet and runs like a top (87000 miles on it)

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  E300Td - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Chief - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car with 45000 miles on it. Absolute diesel rocket ship, amazing economy. Superb drive.

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  What a Blast - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Olav - February 17 - 10:00 am

  this machine is absolute fun to drive and sometimes you regret getting to your destination because the ride has to end.... Grantet you could get some good deals for $55,000 and people at Mercedes could try a little harder to be professional especially in the parts department.

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  PERFECT 10 (Forget the BMWs) - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MKNMOVIES - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Dont buy this CAR! I love it soooo much that when I see another one it just drives me crazy. Fast, confident, sure footed, amazing design and is by far the best Car on the road. I spent Four months test driving everything in its class. I was careful about buying my car. Soon it was clear. Nothing else even came close. (Not even the BMW 5 series)

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  Power and Looks - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By JLA - February 17 - 10:00 am

  A great looking car with power to spare. A little expensive and maybe a little smaller than youd like but with the Mercedes reputation for quality. I have not had to put a dime into the car for 3 years and the Mercedes dealers are a gems. You get treated like a SL500 owner. Definitely worth upgrading from the 240. I own a BMW 325 also. No comparison. With the 325 you have to upgrade to get close, with the 320 its all standard. Even then the power comparisons for the BMW fail big time vs the Mercedes.

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  persoanl experience - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By puttmutter - February 17 - 10:00 am

  a fantastic 2nd car. fun to drive, but trunk to samll for two golf bags.

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  Tire eater from hell !!! - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Doctor Tire Eater - February 16 - 11:15 am

  I bought this loaded 2015 c 400 with 9oo miles from the local Mercedes dealer on December 31, 2016 for $41k. A good deal, but...It eats front tires to such a degree that I now regret buying it. As usual for the C 300 class, the front tires are smaller than the rear so you cant rotate them. At 8500 miles the front tires were worn out. These Continental run flats cost $675 for two of them. The luxury and power are seductive, but the relentless depreciation and high maintenance cost make me wish I would have just bought the juvenile Subaru WRX or super juvenile ( according to my wife) WRX STI. I like driving in the mountains twice a week but the maintenance costs of my C 400...really all Mercedes...make me regret purchasing them. If I drove in the mountains daily, I probably would only get 5,000 miles out of them!