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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  CLK350-Classy car thats fun to drive!! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Nina - May 1 - 3:03 am

  This car feels strong & sturdy on the road, but not heavy (like the Volvo I test drove that wouldnt pick up speed). I love the space afforded in this coupe (coming from the teeny lexusSC430). Plenty of headroom & legroom, and both the driver & passenger seats can be adjusted from the seat "tuners" on the doors (including the height of the headrest). The Sirius satelite radio is nice, I liked the option of listening to the BBC news or the Discovery channel from our car. Some people have commented on there only being 1 cupholder, but there are two. One is right next to the gear shift, and the other one is located inside the arm rest (easy to get to by scrolling back the armrest).

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  Black Beauty - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By spanishteacher - April 30 - 2:00 am

  Traded in my much loved 2002 S55 AMG for a 2003 S600. It is much improved, especially the dash design and the nav system. I was on a waiting list for 10 months. It was worth the wait! Looks great in the teachers parking lot at the school where I teach.

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  Most excellent car - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bob Knob - April 30 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. The only thing I did to make it better was to install stiffer springs and swaybars. AMG swaybars actually. Directly from MBZ for only ~$200. Car drives like a sports car for real now.

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  Late 2002 model of C 320 Sedan - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By george 3333 - April 30 - 2:00 am

  My C 320 4 dr sedan was manufactured in May of 2002. It took a few weeks to get acquainted with the menues and sub menues of the sophisticated electronic features. After this period I was very satisfied with the ride, comfort, and the many convenience features of the vehicle. It is fun to drive longer distances and great in tight parking situations. My car needed 2 minor electronic repairs and I was furnished a free rental car by the dealership each time.

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  S Class Wagon - 2009 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Bob - April 24 - 2:36 pm

  If MB had a S class wagon this would be it. With a family of 5, this car works. The kids do ask about the impact of a car of the earth..so with a SL500 in the garage, I had to do something. The Bluetec power is more useful than the numbers would suggest with very good passing power once underway. Build quality is first rate. With a heavy foot Im getting 20- 22 mpg in the city and just over 28 mpg on the highway. This is a 5000 lbs car and every crossover/suv this size should have this type of engine. It just plain works and makes sense. Has unmatched safety features in the crossover/suv class. You get what you pay for..will have this one for 10 years.

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  A FINE CAR - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By ML320S - April 24 - 10:00 am

  WE USE THIS VEHICLE ONLY ON LONGER TRIPS. HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO DEALER ONE TIME FOR A FAULTY REAR HATCH LOCK UNDER WARRENTY. HAVE DRIVEN PAST MAY VEHICLES IN THE DITCH ON ICY FREEWAYS.EXCELLENT WINTER CAR. EXCELLENT RIDE.

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  ml 320 AFTER 2 YEARS - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By gARY - April 24 - 10:00 am

  I still love this vehicle after 2 years, all wheel drive awesome and its pretty quick too.

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  mercedes - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By k;sdjgkdj;vn - April 24 - 10:00 am

  this is the best car I have ever driven. it is a winner!

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  Best car for the money - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Tim Bullis - April 20 - 4:20 am

  I go through new cars every 6 months; this car might end up being my last one for a long time. I enjoy driving this more than all the other high end cars Ive ever owned. I just recently traded an 05 BMW M3 conv for this and Im thrilled I did. It has more guts than I expected and drives better than any other car Ive owned. (except for my BMW 745IL which was delclared a lemon) had that for 3 months. I get so many compliments on the style of this car its unbelievable. Nothing else looks like it and Mercedes didnt duplicate it and make copies of different versions to beef up their sales like other manufactures did. The interior is tight for a larger person but being 58" its perfect!

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  Maybe my favorite car so far. - 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By DR Wilson - April 19 - 2:04 pm

  This car is described as a mini S class. Thats accurate. Its fun to drive, very comfortable and feels like a luxury sedan should. My third Mercedes, its by far the best one yet. The other two were an 12 300C and a 14 glk 350. I respected the first one and like the second one. The new C is way ahead. I got the car during a February snow storm in Maine. Its excellent in the snow. Details: 1. Ride and handling are outstanding. Weve taken it on two, long road trips. At the end of the day we were never tired. 2. The interior is elegant. The Burmeister sound system is terrific--very close to a live event. The front seats are very comfortable. 3. The interior is design and materials are beautiful. MB really got this right. 4. The engine/transmission combination are a fine match. The turbo 4 has more than enough grunt to move the car very quickly. Switch from standard "C"omfort setting "S"port setting, and the car is even quicker. 5. Its very economical--not that its a reason to buy a Benz. In 8,000 miles, I have averaged 29 mpg. Its not without its shortcomings. The back seat is still tight, but that comes with smaller cars. The BIGGEST DRAWBACK for me is the infotainment system controls. The system on the previous generation was reasonably intuitive. This new track pad is a redundant nuisance. I brush it, and the radio station changes. I constantly referring to owners manual to do things. I find that the satellite radio cuts out more often in this car than in previous models. Its probably because the antenna is embedded in the rear glass and not on the roof anymore. Suggested option packages: A. Blind spot monitoring; B. Premium package which gives you the Burmeister stereo; C. Command package which includes voice activated control of your phone, radio, and navigation.