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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  Terrible Service from Mercedes - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By tracy97035 - May 24 - 8:36 am

  In 2012 I researched purchasing either a Mercedes or Acura. I had exceptionally great service with Acura in the past but chose Mercedes and assumed their service would meet the same expectation. I was wrong. I ordered running boards over a year ago and still have not received them. I now had to take my rubber drivers side mat into dealership due to a recall and am told not to hold my breath for the new one. Mercedes called me to say I would be put on their "preferred" list...but still have not received these items and they could not give me an eta on them. Waiting over a year for parts is insane. I wonder what the future will hold when I need service/parts ordered. I looked at Acura today..

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  The 2009 MB Blue-Tech screams! - 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By VegasGoesBlue - May 24 - 8:26 am

  I have had this truck for around a month now and I am very impressed. It flat moves and is stable doing so. I purchased it to replace a 2002 C class MB that I loved but missed having room to haul anything. So far its two thumbs up! Anxious to take a road trip in the next 2 months. Vegas to Denver should be a good test. Maybe a bit of off road testing hopefully. The gas millage isnt anything to write about at this point but its only got 1000 miles on it. It feels like a Benz... Thats the best part!

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  Decent Entry Level Benz - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By benxguy - May 24 - 8:13 am

  Bought with 50000 miles and worked fine for 2 years. Needed $1500 schedule B at atbout 75000k but that solved the acceleration problems. Had to fix the crank sensor at 76000k and no one really knew the problem cause. $250 for that one, then the engine light at 80000k was the air sensor- not a big deal but cant get car inspected with an engine light on. Air sensors are $500 from MB but got one from ebay, plopped it in and problems went away. Now at 104k and have had no issues..oh yeah, watch front springs they break at 90k. Replaced those as well. Power seats work when they want to and now fuel gage is not working all the time- problem comes and goes so unknown cause. Get trans fluid chged!

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  2002 Mercedes E 320 w/Elegance Package - 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Pete - May 21 - 7:33 pm

  My first ever Mercedes. I am more than pleased with the car. I would caution buyers who are looking at buying a higher mileage car to take the car in for a transmission oil and filter change. Mercedes says it isnt needed, but mine did. Be sure to only use Mercedes-Benz transmission fluid. Older Mercedes cars are good cars for do-it-yourselfers who are willing to do the research to learn how to work on them. Internet makes this easy. Dealership service is expensive, but seldom needed. This is the best engineered car Ive ever driven or owned. The fit and finish is perfect. I was astonished that such an aparently heavy car gets such good gas mileage (22 city / 29 hwy).

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  Nice at first, but... - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By BP - May 21 - 7:20 am

  Bought this car new in 2006. Was torn between the 650 BMW and the CLS500. Both seemed to purr but thought I would go for the lesser horsepower but try for the Mercedes badge. Test drove each for a weekend, and found the BMW to be more appealing, faster, and over all a better head turner, but thought the MB was a better buy. Lets just say I had the Mercedes for 2 months and traded it for the BMW 650. The MB sqeaked, knobs cracked, just poor quaility I missed all this at the begining during my test drives. I guess if I wanted a Chrysler product, I should have bought a Chrysler. Never again. I learned my lesson on this one. Maybe once they stop sharing parts on $20,000 Crossfires, I may be back

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  This is one smokin vehicle! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By carnivora - May 20 - 10:00 am

  Picked up the 2004 Designo model CLK 500 Cabriolet. Best vehicle Ive had the pleasure of driving. Smooth ride, amazing acceleration power (clocked it at 0 to 80 (not 60) in 7.2 seconds. THATS smokin. The design of the "designo" model is second to none. I must admit I feel guilty getting into this vehicle. So I went and sponsored a child at Feed the Children. Really!

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  Get out while you still can - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By yogamama - May 20 - 10:00 am

  The M-class is a disaster. My car arbitrarily stalls since the day I rolled it off the lot. Unfortunately, the only time it does this is when Im entering a busy road and need pick-up. Repeated trips to the dealership revealed nothing...except a waiting room of other angry M-class owners experiencing the same problem. Computers been updated three times. My friends with C class cars are having similar problems. My guess is that Mercedes tried to make a lower priced vehicle for the "masses," and unfortunately, sacrificed quality. There are many SUVs out there for the same price-without the kinks.

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  owner - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By javier cubas - May 20 - 10:00 am

  excellent suv very nice drive

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  our c32 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By jhalz - May 20 - 10:00 am

  speedtronic tranny isnt useful for manual shifting - up or down. Kompressors whine can get pretty annoying if no stereo on. Faster than my blown 95 Carrera. Staggering high end speed. Straight line performnace is the envy of many a sports car. Very compliant ride over bumbs, giving the overall driveability a great compromise between sport and luxury. Handles neatly, although turn in not as crisp as id like. very good brakes. very comfortable. very content to cruise around town at 25mph and get great gas mileage or to tear it up on back country roads. keep ESP turned off unless its wet, out.

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  Great entry point to AMG - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By jshoes - May 20 - 10:00 am

  This is the best small sedan from Europe. Easy car to drive fast. Comfortable ride despite performance. Nice size for the city.