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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  Smooth and Quiet - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Terry Denisco - November 4 - 12:23 am

  Smooth and quiet was my objective in a luxury car due to hearing problems and headaches caused by a fun but loud and harsh sports car. Fotrunately I found what I needed. I would ordinarily not consider a six cylinder, good power and performance with a smooth ride engine, but I tried the E350 and was very pleasantly surprised. In town economy is outstanding.

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  Best Car for the Money - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By SJG - November 4 - 12:20 am

  Sleek lines, a real head turner on the streets. It has every ammenity in an entry level S class you will ever need. I recommend getting the sport package for that extra curb appeal ( and resale value ). Just a sweet car, inside and out!!

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  Great Car Twelve Years Later - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By prmx - November 1 - 7:00 pm

  Bought my 2000 E-320 with 150K miles on it..and it was virtually perfect in all respects. Ran and rode great from day one. Paid $7K "out-the-door" and Edmunds says a dealer "should" charge about $5000 for a similar car, but I have seen most, in very good condition, upwards of $9K, so I feel what I paid was a moderate "deal". Car run very well...Zero service issues excepting a driving light wiring harness, $150 repair by MB. When I purchased had three outstanding recalls...all fairly "cosmetic" (rubber door seal replacement, etc.) and MB dealer did without any cost. "Problems" with paint chips, CD changer, air flow sensors, ac failures others have reported are non-existant on this car.

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  Newly Satisfied MB owner - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By JMPnCLM - October 31 - 10:00 am

  I drive MB on business in Europe. Bought one of my own and love the car. Comfortable at speed, both here and on the Autobahn, and handling both at speed on interstate and in my favorite hairpins, is exceptional.

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  Little Benny Coup - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Doug - October 31 - 7:23 am

  One owner, 40 k miles, has never been in the shop except for scheduled maintenance. Not too many of the V-6 coupes imported, hard to find in USA. Fast, fun to drive and gets great gas mileage.

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  I LOVE MY FIRST CAR! GREAT VEHICLE ! - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By alfaking001 - October 30 - 9:26 pm

  This is my first car and it is stunning! The power is great the ride and handling is awesome. The build quality so far is superior we will see how that holds up in a year or so. The dealer gave us an excellent bargin and the service was spectacular. The transmission is so smooth. The interior is great nice restrained use of over the top materials it is a very nice balance of luxury and sport but..for my taste could be a little more luxurious. fuel economy is good . just filled it up and took a road trip averaged 31.2 MGP!!!!!!!! worst was 21.3 mpg and average with mostly city driving and occasional highway driving i get between 24-25 mpg overall and very well done and highly recommend it !

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  I love my Mercedes - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Nathan - October 29 - 6:40 pm

  Although I only purchased this vehicle one month ago I have been out on two road trips (over hill and dale) of 600 miles or more each. I have owned a number of quality vehicles over the past 35 years and SUVs in particular for the past 7 years. I have found the ML320 CDI Turbo Diesel to be far superior in every category to our 2000 Toyota 4 Runner Limited (gold edition).

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  Love it - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Loven the mb - October 29 - 9:26 am

  We bought this car with high hopes, well it has by far passed them all. We bought it new and it has never failed. Only regular maintaenance and oil changes. It now has about 100k on it and it still run strong. I now upgraded to a E500, but my daughter just got her license and she got the C230. Oh and the mileage is great! I get around 33 on the highway and 25 in town. I would buy this car over and over gladly.

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  Fanstic car - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Dee - October 27 - 2:26 pm

  Bought the car new in Feb,2007 because of great deal. My 3rd MB just love it. Great for road trips so comfortable especially love the 2nd row seats having same room as front seats. Have not had any problems with car just regular check ups.

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  My Brand New Toy! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Robert - October 27 - 9:46 am

  Ive only had my brand new black 2006 C350 luxury sedan for one week but wanted to give you my very first impressions. I bought it on a whim, giving up a car I loved (BMW 325i), so I was more than a little hesitant. However, my initial reaction is Im currently very pleased and hope it continues. The car is roomy, beautiful inside and out, and the 268hp engine gives it plenty of get up and go. You can hardly feel the steering its so smooth. So, Ill write again in a few months to let you know if the love affair continues...but my first impression is that this is a very nice car!