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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  Very good - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By grboucher - August 3 - 2:00 am

  Too small storage space in trunk. Expensive service and parts when using Pompano Beach Mercedes location: more that 2.65 times the cost at other Mercedes location in Canada and 65% more that non-Mercedes repair shops who have access to genuine Mercedes parts.

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  Good Car, Little Problems - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By andrewk - August 3 - 2:00 am

  Overall this is an excellent car, but it seems to be bothered by small, nagging problems with reliability. Over 7500 miles several small problems (none are close to being critical) have come up, which is a little disappointing. But, compared to the positives (decent power, crisp handling, excellent brakes, solid feel, safety, luxury), the shortcomings (rattles, notchy 1-2 shift) are easy to overlook.

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  Shockingly Underwhelmed - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By trinacria - August 1 - 7:36 am

  Ive owned 10 vehicles over the last 25 years and the CLS550 is unquestionably the biggest disappointment. Bottom line - Ive got an $80,000+ luxury vehicle with all the bells and whistles that drives like a 1972 Fiat. Despite being in the shop 3 times in the first 90 days, the vehicle continues to violently rattle and vibrate, the "premium sound system" sounds like a transistor radio, and the "climate controlled seats" are nothing more than a weak fan with an imperceptable effect. Two thumbs down!

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  Best car Ive owned - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By jackie samich - July 31 - 2:46 pm

  Regardless of what the Edmunds report finds, this car was hands down more luxurious, roomier and better designed than the Audi A4 and the Infiniti G35. The body is distinctive and the ride tighter and still fun. A great car.

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  Practical Luxury - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By JB - July 31 - 2:20 am

  16 Months ago the third child came along! We need a Minivan. Im not gonna drive it! You gonna drive it? No way! Brought the ML in for scheduled visit and this "Huge Wagon" is sitting in the showroom. Wow!! Some what like a minivan. (Just dont call it one...the sales staff gets offended). It is so car-like you forget youve got the whole family with you!! The girls love to sit in the way back and look for birds and planes! The little man sits high in the second row and sees everything! I love the shift lever simplicity. Dash is elegant yet simple. Nav wonderful. Gas mileage is what I expected. Comfort and quietness among the best. If you can afford it, you cannot beat it!

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  Granite Gray 230K - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By mickey25 - July 31 - 1:46 am

  Truly a phenomenal vehicle. The dealer really tried to sell me on the automatic 230K on the lot, so glad I got the 6 speed manual. Not only is the manual smooth, you are able to use that supercharged 4 cyl. to its fullest potential. The rear quarters are a little cramped, however I bought this car to drive not to ride in. My son has enough room for his car seat and other misc. items in the rear and myself and the wife are quite comfortable up front. I traded in my 03 Navigator so I knew going in I was losing space, but definitely saving at the pump. Overall I highly recommend this car!

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  transmission problem - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By drs777 - July 30 - 8:06 pm

  i been around mercedes since 1968 starts with 190D, 300SDL, S420, S500 which is fair and now this S550 is worst in all 22,000 miles the transmission is slipping on me compared to my 2000 S500 besides a rough ride it gave me 99,000 miles before the strut broke, Mercedes should recall this problem i had to restart the ignition to get the transmission going

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  My Benz - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Tanja - July 29 - 8:10 pm

  My ownership experience with this car has been outstanding from the day I purchased it to this day (almost two years). It is beautiful, reliable, easy to maneuver, and very quiet. Absolute joy to own!

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  This is a great car! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By marcEG - July 29 - 10:00 am

  Purchased my C240 in December 2002 and have driven it about 3,600 so far. The ride quality and handling are excellent - significantly improved over the last C-class I drove (1998). Although some might say 2.6L engine may be a little weak, overall I find the acceleration fine. For the price you get a well equipped vehicle with loads of safety features - some of which arent even offered on the competition. So far only one very minor problem - the outside temperature gauge was reading the incorrect temp. This was fixed in one short visit to the dealer.

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  Launch Edition 2003- Outstanding Vehicle - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By giffSCPA - July 29 - 10:00 am

  After 13,400 miles and 14 months of driving in all kinds of weather - snow, ice, sun, I find the car performs in an outstanding manner. The cars brake by wire is great. Also, all traction features make car fun to drive. Total reliability in first 14 months is outstanding!