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:

• 

  Review of M-class - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By M-class reviewer - December 1 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive and very reliable. It is a perfect size; it is not too large as some are, and not too small as many are.

• 

  Oh What Fun - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Merita Young - December 1 - 10:00 am

  I just got my car in June of this year and find every excuse to go out and drive it. It is responsive, fun and good looking. My only complaint is that it uses premium fuel, but I just love it.

• 

  The brakes stink - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By DSD - December 1 - 10:00 am

  Bought it after owning Acuras for the last 12 years.(never a visit to the service dept except for scheduled maintenance.)I have to say, I am a bit dissapointed overall. I have taken the car in for servicing on minor, albeit aggravating issues, i.e. vibrating brakes, sensor lights going off and on, radio buzzing, no use of tele-aid because i was told it had a "canadian" chip, etc. Ive owned BMWs in the past and forgot about German temperance until i bought the E320.

• 

  Wickedly powerful - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By claudio - December 1 - 10:00 am

  This car replaced my already superb clk 55 and it shares the garage space with my Boxster S. It is unbelievebly fast and handles even better than the incredible Boxster. There are no words to describe this car it has to be driven. My car is black with red interior and AMG multi-spoke (turbine wheels). It has all the options and it is really a dream car!

• 

  C300 is Hott!!! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Taras - November 30 - 11:00 pm

  This car is awesome!!! I am 6 foot four, and I have room to drive as well as I can fit in the back seat. styling is awesome, interior is a little bland, but not bad. Car is FUN to drive, corners like on rails, great highway speed, not bad off the line either. I have owned a E class, Hummer H2, Lexus GX470 , Acura CL type S as well as various other cars. I LOVE THIS CAR !!!! Highly recommend!!!!!!!! :)

• 

  Great car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Maria - November 30 - 5:56 am

  I Love my C class. It is more fun to drive than my SL500. It picks up speed quicker, and makes U-turns fun. Its such a small car you can park it anywhere. The only thing I dislike about it is that my hands sometimes hit the dashboard because it is to close to the steering wheel. Other then that I like my C Class.

• 

  Nice, but costly to maintain - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Abraham - November 30 - 2:15 am

  The performance of my GL350 is unacceptable at any level of quality standards. The Oil Cooler, AdBlu Heater, and GPS unit have all failed, within 5-8 thousand miles of the warranty. The costs to fix all these items are > 10% of the original purchase price of the car, at >$7,000. No one would offer that this performance meets or exceeds the most basic expectations. While MB national and local discounts were offered and accepted (20% off), I told the MB national representative, Andrea D., Case Manager, [contact info removed] that I doubted if that discount was near the profit margins enjoyed by MB on parts and labor, making the ENTIRE cost remediation of these issues on my shoulders. We didn’t SHARE the remediation, I paid for it ALL. I’ve purchased 4 Mercedes since 2008…I’ll not be an eager return MB buyer for my next auto… UPDATE - (9/16) Since this above, Ive had the motor on the autolift tailgate fail and need to be replaced. Another $500 down the drain...

• 

  My Mercedes - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Busy Mom - November 29 - 6:00 pm

  I have had my car for 15,700 miles now. I had a wreck that caused over $ 14,000 in damage when I hit a tree but I walked away with no injuries, not even a headache. Airbag didnt even go off due to location of impact and I was still unharmed. I was leary about repair due to amount of damage but frame was unharmed. It is just like new. Love the looks, comfort, and especially the safety.

• 

  great car eats expensive front tires evry 8k miles - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By tam - November 28 - 11:09 am

  We have a 2015 c 400 that eats the outside edges in 6-8 k miles, inside edge still has 85% tread left . Take it in at 10 k miles when we first noticed outside edge of tires down to cords. I am told out of alignment , even when it tracks straight as a arrow, I have to pay for alignment that proves it is spot on factory settings, Then they say driving habit. Wife drives the car on the same freeway route as she did with our previous c 250 that got over 40k miles on original set of tires. Car currently has 40 k miles on it , brakes are at 70% life left , so not a hard driving issue. .Have been through 4 sets of front tires that I toss with over 85% of tread left on inside edge and centers at 8/32 tread depth and outside edges worn to cords .Only on 2nd set of rears that wear consistent from edge to edge and gave life expected of a super summer tire of 20 k miles If it was a hard driving issue rears would wear faster as well. Run flats at 20 inch size are 500 each !! Car is a poor design and MB will do nothing about it Every service writer knows it is a issue but mercedes usa will not address it and will not do anything about it. Very poor customer service from mercedes usa. ANYONE ELSE WITH A C SERIES 4 MATIC OR ANY OTHER 4 MATIC HAVING SAME ISSUES ??

• 

  Safe and Secure - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mvs2006 - November 24 - 10:40 am

  After looking at the Lexus RX, we found that the ML was more spacious, a solid drive and safer car. its an elegant SUV that has great safety ratings (Five stars). it would be close to perfect with a better NAV system, a backup view camera and genuine wood trim. Fun to drive.