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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  Do not buy used or new - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jake - May 19 - 6:33 pm

  I bought a pre-owened, certified from a reputable Mercedes Benz dealership. Cup holder didnt last. Did the maintenance as suggested, needed tires in a couple of years and brakes. Then the srs light came on $1200 ti fix. 4 years into ownership the key would not turn so had to be towed. Found out it was the battery, but only after had to pay for a diagnostic test. Noises all in the shocks. 5 years into ownership the key turn all the way with no ignition, tried a new key at $200. Still having this problem periodically, next step is to change a chip at $1200 after a diagnostic test. $$$ I can go on and on, but not enough room here. Next car will definitely not be a Benz. Buyers be ware.

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  M.B. has lost a customer for life - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By EMILIO - May 13 - 10:00 am

  I had a 99 ML-320 that was so awful the dealer gave me a great deal to get out of it into a 2000 model, which he claimed was much improved. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Among the problems were nagging Check Engine lights that came on every so often, stuttering power locks that sometimes locked and sometimes didnt, a/c which was improperly wired, center arm console which would bubble-up (was replaced three times), a/c compressor blew its fuse every so often (had to travel with spare fuses), expensive brakes that would last only about 20,000 miles, and, of course, the five times in three years the car would not start and had to be towed.

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  WHY CANT THEY FIX THE SMALL STUFF - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By VeryVeryDisappointed - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Squeaks abound and other noises appear from no where. There is not even 1,500 miles on the vehicle yet! Several electerical problems and MB Doesnt even respond! ITS A LEMON!

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  Poor Warranty from Mercedes Benz - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By nvbusa - April 30 - 8:05 pm

  Who would ever think you would need to replace a bumper seal?? My R350 apparently did and MB will not cover it. Poor craftsmanship I say. The seal went causing rain water to run into the seal and in the trunk, where the computer is causing it to short out. Now I am stuck with a $2,500.00 repair bill. My first and last Mercedes. Since they will NOT cover such a repair. Its not like a wear and tear item that I should have replaced. Not to mention the other 4 times it was towed in for electrical and computer issues. Leaving my wife and kids stranded on the highway. Mercedes Benz VERY POOR warranty choice.

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  2006 R500, Unfortunate Disaster, 74K miles - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By moffaman - April 26 - 4:48 am

  I bought this car certified and have had problem after problem beginning with a water issue that caused electrical problems. Which, despite the knowledge of this problem Mercedes didnt want to admit it existed. They never fully addressed the problem until my warranty coverage was up, then they insisted we put the $7K claim through MY insurance. A few months later I had to spend $3,200 more to fix a rear suspension problem....now 60 days later Im looking at $2,500 for a differential. I havent even touched on the problems with the steering column, or the window switches that dont work because the entire panel simply fell out of the drivers side door one day.

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  Worst car experience - 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By dianeh1 - April 24 - 2:08 pm

  Will never own a Mercedes again. Non-stop money-pit from the day I bought it to the day I sold it. Beware the air suspension on Mercedes-Benz. Mine went "out" every six months or so. Paint peeled off around the windows just when it was out of warranty. I estimate I spent $6,000 a year in repairs. It is also a huge gas guzzler.

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  Our second lemon! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Our SECOND LEMON!!! - April 23 - 2:40 am

  First we had R350. Gave that back w/in 1st mo.-too many probs w/transmission, thumping noise in rear when going over bumps, back hatch, & electrical probs. Upgraded 2 R500. Trans/electrical/back hatch (even after replacment)/srs sys/ nav sys & more! Car has keyless go-it started without a key twice! Several times after backing up, verifying car was in drive position, I pressed gas to go forward but car went backwards. Automatic trans.& rolls backwds like manual going up hills. Auto shifting between gears is jerky. It lurches forward when stepping on brake. Its been lemon lawed. People say "bad luck". No-bad car! Roadside assist. Came out 2 me 3 different times in 3 bad r350 loaners! Save yourself trouble

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  This is a Mercedes engine in a Chrysler - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ReverendSmoke - April 15 - 10:36 pm

  Ever since Mercedes and Chrysler merged, the quality of Mercedes has dropped. This car can hit 150MPH (track) without tossing and turning. Acceleration is excellent. Fuel economy is amazing, even when driving city very fast, I average 17mpg or even 19mpg. The downside is the interior - cheap nasty plastic(of American design). No more German luxury. You dont realize it because you are excited about your new Benz. After a few days you start to realize that this is not a Benz. A bBenz is about luxury. If you cant enjoy your Benz and show off to your friends, then what good is it? Exterior design is beautiful. Interior is terrible. Parts are ridiculously expensive. And they wear so fast and break

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  Too Few Comforts, Too Many Repairs - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Steve Procter - April 12 - 2:00 am

  I compair this car to my 1994 Mercury Sable which cost 1/2 as much. The Mercury does it better in each of these areas: Trip computer poor, no auto heat/air control, intermittenent wiper limited, cup holders in wrong place, visors dont cover two windows at once, switches in wrong places, arm rests too low, way to many trips to the dealer, parts expensive, many rattles.

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  Reliability poor - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Chris - April 7 - 3:43 am

  I have this ML350 for just over two years. Juat in the past month, I had three incidents with lamps. First, one headlight lamp went out I replaced myself. Then two weeks later, the breaklights went, and the dealer had to replac the lamp and sockets. This week I had a problem with the parking light. When I had my 2002 ML320 for 5 years, I only had to replace a single haed lamp. It lokks like that MB started to use cheap components in their car to save money. This is a very unhappy customer due to the inconvenience. I called MB to request they do a preventive maintenance, replacing the remaining lamps. I was told they can not do it. My next car will be an American made car.