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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  Excellent Auto - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Dave - August 26 - 12:26 am

  The car looks great and has a fantastic ride, The kids love the dual dvds and the satelite radio is easy to use for us. The ride is smooth and it handles very well.

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  Benz after others - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By mike - August 25 - 10:06 pm

  I love the new S550.The interior is well layed out and compact. You dont have buttons all over the place. The ride is gorgeous as youd expect, and I dont find anything out of place or an afterthought like the Audi A8. The monitor is built in the design not like a cheap afterthought. Face it, not many of us who own these cars go mad around race tracks, so comfort, drivability, looks, interior layout are more important. They still have to have the element of fun to them and the Mercedes sure does. It came down to BMW7 S550, A8 and IS460. being familiar with all, the S550 was my clear winner with the BMW750 close behind.

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  In Love with my GL 320 CDI - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By pollyspop - August 25 - 9:00 am

  Traded from a Yukon XL. I pull a 4000 lb boat and wanted to go greener. 23 mpg my first 2000 miles compared to 15 mpg with the Yukon. And all this Luxury! I bought the Premium 1 pkg, Trailer Hitch (which is very unabtrusive),19" wheel pkg,I-Pod Plug, Side rails and chrome fog lights. Power and Acceleration are Not an issue with this vehicle. I know there will be a larger diesel engine soon...I will not need it. I find the Ultra Low Sulfur fuel everywhere.

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  love it - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By john smith 6969 - August 24 - 10:00 am

  best car for these price no lex. no bimmer can beat this car i love it

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  Wow - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By boethius - August 24 - 10:00 am

  Love the gas mileage and performance on the highway. We tested about a dozen cars in the same price range before chosing the C230. The car drives like a 35K vehicle!

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  Best car of the World! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Jeff - August 23 - 3:03 am

  We were looking for a vehicle which could accommodate a 7 member family. We love the R-class and comfort of Mercedes. Its absolutely quiet inside and got decent accelaration for such a vehicle. Overall I give it a 100% score

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  Great Experience - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By swankshop - August 22 - 6:43 pm

  This car(truck) is smooth to drive, relatively nimble, quick, stylish inside and out, fuel economical, solid, sufficiently large and luxurious. It has all the gadgets and some time studying the manual to operate these gadgets is a must. On a recent trip from Ontario to Myrtle Beach and return, 3561.88 KM including mostly highway with speeds 65 to 85 mph and some local driving, we burned 307.44 Liters of diesel resulting in 32.73 mpg(imperial) or 27.25 mpg(US). The vehicle has just over 3000 miles and mpg should improve in the next year. There have been no faults large or small found. I consider myself to be easy on vehicles and found Saabs, Volvos, and Chryslers of the past to be excellent.

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  Love our Benz - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By atwell4 - August 21 - 10:43 am

  We waited until retirement to purchase a Benz. Ive wanted one ever since I can remember. My husband and I both love this car. Weve not been disappointed with the purchase. The ride, handling, and everything about it makes us wonder why we waited so long. It looks good on the outside and feels good on the inside. We selected the black/black. This combination looks really good, but it does dirty quickly. Oh, well, guess thats the price one has to pay to drive the car of ones dreams. People think we paid a lot more than we did, it looks that good! And an added bonus: were getting plenty of extra exercise parking far away from other vehicles in parking lots!

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  Very Fast 500hp - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By DJ - August 19 - 2:11 am

  Very Fast 1st Super Car that was produced

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  Cant go wrong - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Daver - August 18 - 2:43 pm

  This car has made driving fun again. Great handling, firm solid feeling, and an excellent build quality. After driving BMW and Lexus, there was no comparison to the overall driving experience. Better than advertised fuel economy. Only complaint is a some what noisy HVAC system.