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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  S-class, no I mean F-Class - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Benzocrazy - February 10 - 10:00 am

  This car is the most expensive and lousy car in my life. I am (was) a loyal Lexus owner, and I decided to break away from the Ls430 and switch to the prestigious S-class. The biggest mistake in my life. The day I bought the $80,000 car, the power seats did not work, GPS freezes . (not to mention the worst GPS system in history. ) the power trunk closer and doors did not work, sunshade not going down, the brake pad and ABC had an light on the display the pick up speed is slow, The only good thing on this car is the style/ride. After the experiences with this car, I will never get another benz

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  Steering Wheel Module - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
  By kdonde - February 9 - 6:57 pm

  When I first bought this car, I was in love with it! Within the first 2 months of driving it, an error popped up on my dash. The dealership told me that my steering wheel module was not working and that the part was on back order, coming from Europe (30 days). You can imagine my disappointment. If that part is on back order you think to yourself, this must happen a lot! Im almost second guessing buying a Mercedes.

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  best ever riden in - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By robert500s - February 8 - 12:56 pm

  I have owned many luxury vehicles. I would never buy another American luxury car, especially Cadillac. The MB surpasses the Cadillac 1000% in comfort, stability, design, and value in the long run. Find a good MB mechanic vs. the dealer to do the maintenance because the dealers rip you off - like $300 for a oil change!

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  Seduced by the shining star - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MCJ - February 8 - 12:20 pm

  My wife thinks this car is beautiful and loves it because of that. I can only see the horrible reliability, expensive purchase price, and the crippling maintenance costs. Recently had an alternator go bad at 68K for a $900 surprise. No power, mushy ride, cheap stereo where 2 of 4 speakers dont work. Very high TCO in both money and frustration. Even the salesman admitted the C240 line had major quality problems and offered to sell us a newer model. No thanks!

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  One Tough, Full-time 4wd TRUCK!!! - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By warren - February 8 - 10:00 am

  ML320 delivered: - City SUV -turning ratio - Safest family car & fits two large dogs - 4x4 (NOT AWD) -offroad trips to Baha California and Death Valley. www.4x4abc.com http://www.whnet.com/4x4/index.html - Bumper-to-bumper warranty to 50,000 mi (get extended warranty to 100,000) - Luxury that I dont have to baby. Tough plastic interior, a truck that is easy clean - Lots of space without being huge

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  Love our C240 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Clem - February 8 - 10:00 am

  The car is everything I thought a Mercedes would be when I bought it. The only problem I have had with the C240 was the AM radio it was the pits it ,was a static box on AM Only. However the service from Mercedes Benz and the Dealer was Excellent. They loan me a vehicle while it was worked on. and repaired the problem. The use of Moblie one oil which allows you to drive 10,000 miles betwen oil changes.The gas milage on the road 28 to 29 mpg. it was advertised at 24 mpg GOOd surprise.

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  2000 ML430 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Adam Campbell - February 8 - 2:04 am

  Car is a pleasure to drive. Purchased with 76k. ABS pump, ebay 46.00,mechanic 1000-1400 , ps rack 650.00 mechanic 1500.00, front pads, sunroof issues, catilytic converter broke in two, had it tig welded .overall very happy but I am fairly skilled DIY, dont buy if you are relying on dealer or mechanic to fix your maint. issues .

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  Never Again for German Engineering - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Imakeugiggle - February 6 - 1:41 pm

  Steering column will not adjust up or down. This is a power titt and the dealer says we have to pay to maintain the lubrication. Ive been a service director for Honda,Toyota and Acura. Without a doubt the German engineers need to visit Japan. We have to remove most of the front fender to replace a headlight bulb.....absolutely ridiculous. Four words for this car....For Sale...Never Again. Back to Acura and Infinity.

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  I loved my car - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Ron M - February 6 - 7:36 am

  I enjoyed every moment I owned this car. I bought it certified pre owned with 27 000 miles and drove it with just routine maintenance and regular synthetic oil changes every 5000 miles. Only had brakes and totors and tires to replace which is normal. at about 130000 miles I had to replace intake manifold because my engine light went on at a cost of about $1300.00. Soon after that the engine light goes on again on and off for a month or two. I had it checked and mechanic said maybe the computer has to rest itself after the repair. Being a patient person It sounded feasable that this could have been the problem ans so I continued to drive the vehicle. The check engine light keeps coming on and the code said that the Catalytic converter is bad. I priced the Cats and they cost $1800.00 apiece and there are tow in a GLK. Thats $3600.00 just to buy them and then the labor to install them. At 145000 miles I wasnt going to put another 5000.00 into the GLK. It was a 2010. But I loved this car and other than the Cats needing replacement the car was in mint condition. I didnt want any other type car because I loved this one so much. So, I traded it in for another 2014 GLK certified pre owned and love it to death. More technology and more features and i still am a GLK fan. Hopefully the CATS wont go on this one. Fingers crossed

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  The Best German Luxury Sedan Available - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By White Plaines NY - February 6 - 6:33 am

  After researching Audi, BMW, Lexus, VW- all which are nice cars-This car is truly the FINEST. Heavy solid build, smooth & very quiet drive train. One drive is all it take to prove this car is above and beyond the competetion. Timeless looks and elegance all in one. Everyone is amazed when they see the quality difference in this car.