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 vehicle - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By fhgfj ghckhjyk - February 13 - 7:16 am

  this is the best car ever. period.

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  Great but why latent design defects? - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By JPouchet - February 12 - 11:50 pm

  My first Mercedes and it has been a fine car. Our dealer is nothing but first class. I enjoy driving this car so much that I had to buy my wife her own new E 320 (2004) as nothing really compares to driving a MB. Considering the new 2006 ML 350 as a replacement but recent nagging latent design defects and poor support from MB USA are making me look at BMW. The steering wheel leather is falling apart, the headliner has pulled away from the C pillars, and the rear window regulators/motors have gone out several times. And this car is always garged, no one rides in the back, and is treated like a baby. It should hold up much better, like a Honda or Toyota.

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  Used to love the car, but so unreliable... - 2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By meg711 - February 12 - 8:21 pm

  I used to love the car until recently, but I now cannot wait to get out of my lease. It is the perfect size for me, comfortable, easy to navigate, and have everything I need. However, I clearly got a defect car with a bad ignition system. The car is only 15 month old, and I got it as a brand new. I have less than 5,300 miles on it. Everything was fine for the first 1 year. Then in this April, I drove 30 miles away from my home, and parked on the side street for coffee. When I came back, I was not able to turn on the engine, and MB Roadside Assistance told me that the key didn’t recognize my car. I had to wait for 3 hours to get my car towed. It took 2 weeks for MB to replace the igni

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  She saved my life, no joke. - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By MBfangirl - February 12 - 6:36 pm

  If you are looking for an older vehicle with power, looks, and safety out the wazoo, look no further. Seriously. Day before yesterday I was in an accident on the freeway in my E320, not even the 4MATIC version. I was doing 75mph, my car flipped up a hill, and rolled back down it. I crawled out the sunroof with a couple bruises and some small cuts. No concussion, nothing. If I had been in ANY other vehicle, I would be dead, absolutely. I LOVED my E320 with all my heart, and it makes me so sad that shes literally a pancake in the towyard. I will never drive another kind of vehicle again. One hundred percent serious. If youre looking for a MB, but dont want to buy yourself or your kid a new one, find a 99, 2000, 2001, because they are just as magnificent and SAFE as a new ones! And they will still last a long time, even with 200k+ miles. Mine was driving wonderfully still at 252k with very basic maintenance.

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  The Best - 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Barry Hyman - February 12 - 2:00 am

  I totally enjoy driving this car. It handles like a dream. Any questions the dealer has taken care of promptly. A better "fun" car you will not find.

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  The perfect car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By lovemye320 - February 12 - 1:30 am

  I had been looking at the sport sedans such as Infinity and Acura, but although they were fast, they lacked rear seating capacity for 3 kids. Also the interiors appear to be cheap and not too appealing (especially if you like the luxurious look while still maintaining the sportiness). I fell in love with this car the moment I looked inside. It looks rich, not cheap at all, definitely has the wow factor. This car had so many really cool bells and whistles, I have never had such a comfortable ride, great handling and speed adjusters make for a great ride.I average 28mpg on hwy and around 20 in town. not bad for v6.

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  GL 550 Refined And Exilerating - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Gary Case - February 11 - 8:53 pm

  This car has a duo personality, smooth and refined around town; yet exilerating on the open road. The ulta wide 21 inch tires complement the suspension dynamics to make it handle like a BMW x5 with out the punishing ride. When you are on a Sunday drive with the family, theyll never realize there is 380 horses under the hood.

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  Great CPO Purchase - 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Rod A - February 11 - 7:02 pm

  Mercedes has 1.99% financing for up to 6 years and includes the next two service intervals for free! After the original factory warranty expires, I have three more years under the CPO warranty with unlimited mileage. Its a fully optioned vehicle in Iridium Silver.

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  Almost perfec except for the engine noise - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Kenny - February 10 - 4:00 pm

  This is an excellent crossover, which Mercedes named it the "Grand Sports Tourer" uniquely classified-like no other. Lets start with exterior and will work our way to the interior. Got the Premium Package 1 includes: panorama sunroof, automatic rear pop- out windows, dual shade sunvisors, pwr tailgate, TeleAid, harman/kardon Logic7 sound system, rear audio controls, Sirius satellite radio, hands-free communication system - bluetooth adapter..awesome clarity. Superb ride and comfort but the engine while inside the cabin was a bit loud and more noticeable but overall the R350 gets two thumbs up from me.

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  perfect - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By gor - February 10 - 10:00 am

  best suv in the world