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:

• 

  MLs are cool! - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Butchdom - July 23 - 10:00 am

  We enjoy our 1998 ML320, From the SF Bay Area we have driven it to Oregon, Seattle and British Columbia. We also have taken it to Las Vegas Nevada numerous times. The ML handles well on mountain roads at high speeds even in the rain. We take our ML on camping trips, cross country trips, lake picnics and we also tow our 17 ft. Bayliner boat. MLs are not perfect but name an SUV in its class that is as tough? The ML can haul ass!

• 

  This car is a surprise... - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By the blonde bomber - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car just over a month ago and have had nothing but a great driving experience ever since. The handling, horsepower and features are wonderful. The MBZ experience itself is great since you get the opportunity to get the same wonderful customer service that the more luxurious car owners receive! it is also not something you see coming and going all the time, and the few I have seen here in the land of MBZ (Newport Beach) reveal a smirk from the other driver-- like, "wow, isnt this car great?" I recommend it highly!

• 

  stupid blue lights - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By richard davis - July 23 - 10:00 am

  nice car BUT if the top is down in the daytime the baby blue lights disappear from the dash board and all vital info is lost. The GPS is a throw alway, absolutly worthless. The top has come apart with only 30 uses and the trim is absolutly from K mart. I have owned many MBs and if they only spent a little more attention to details and got that cheap plastic out of the interior and exterior maybe sl500 can make a come back. Just not the car that it used to be and I still had to spend $1.00 to get one of those little mirrors to eliminate the blind spot.

• 

  ML 430 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By JP Dworsky - July 21 - 8:06 pm

  I am very impressed with the overall comfort and performance of my ML. The car is roomy, fast, firm, and well designed.

• 

  Stay away from the ML320 - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By bd2595 - July 19 - 1:40 am

  I drive an older Mercedes Diesel and I have for years. I purchased this 2007 ML320 less than two years ago with just under 70,000 miles and the problems began. First, it has electrical problems and has burned out several brake lights in the two years. Then the rear hatch locking mechanism broke, over $400 to repair. Then it would not accelerate and we had it towed, there was a turbo valve issue, over $1400 to repair, then the alternator went out which required complete reprogramming of the car and was over $900. About two weeks ago just before a huge snowstorm it shredded not one but two serpentine belts. Now its in for a transmission problem. STAY AWAY these cars are junk.

• 

  From a C to a G -GLK that is! - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By missmib - July 17 - 4:53 pm

  I recently purchased the GLK. In the process of buying the car I test drove everything. It took me months to make up my mind. I should mention the criteria for choosing this car. Size, Speed, Comfort, Visibility,road noise, interior noise and I would be lying if I didnt say status. I came from a C280, so the controls were all placed in a familiar location. The ride is smooth and quick to handle. I should also mention I sold my VW Toureg. That VW handled the road beautifully but it was too big for my size (f 56" 140 lbs.) also every-time I turned around the battery went dead or the tire pressure warning would appear on the dash! So I wanted 1 vehicle to do all that and handle NE winters-

• 

  MB lives up to its reputation - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Jeremy - July 17 - 4:36 pm

  This vehicle is the first luxury car Ive ever owned. I bought it under MBs CPO program in June of 09 with about 15k miles. This car is a dream come true! At first I was weary about the V8s fuel economy but I easily get 16-18 around town and 25 on the highways. Very Impressive for a car and engine of this size. It handles and brakes like a sports car! I havent had it for long but no issues whatsoever thus far. The back seats have plenty of legroom and the panoramic roof is HUGE and never fails to impress my passengers. Overall I couldnt be more satisfied.

• 

  Cathys Black Beauty - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Jack Taylor - July 16 - 8:43 pm

  This is my wifes car and we use for road trips. We love it, its very comfortable and fast on the open road.

• 

  Beware of Dealers - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By jgbecker - July 16 - 5:27 pm

  I bought my 2001 S500 with 8,000 miles back in 2004, and it presently has 110,000 miles on it. I have been generally happy with the vehicle. My worst experience in owning this vehicle is having to deal with Mercedes Benz Dealers/Dealerships/Service Departments. Once your Mercedes warranty runs out, the service departments at Mercedes dealers are forever trying to recommend unnecessary repairs to the vehicle. The dealers are constantly looking to fabricate repairs to bill to the extended warranty company. Most, if not all of these repairs are unnecessary. The Mercedes dealers make the ownership experience miserable. Stay away from them and youll do fine.

• 

  G55 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By JRWoodyard - July 16 - 2:00 am

  Great Truck, VERY UNIQUE!