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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  excellent - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By donny brasco - November 7 - 10:00 am

  excellent luxury car

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  ML320 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By rsa0 - November 6 - 8:23 pm

  Great german engineering. Some minor details had failed during time (navigation unit) but were promptly replaced by the dealer. Overall experience is great, and I am now a returning buyer for ML. MPG is not the greatest, but hey, is an AWD! Excellent ABS and stability control that not many SUVs have. With the exception of the GPS unit, I had nothing to fix or repair on this car since 2001.

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  Transmission Problems Right After 4 Years - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By itsats - November 6 - 3:16 pm

  This was the first time that I purchased a brand new car. It has been nothing but problems since owning it. In addition to costly regular maintenance, I have had to replace brakes, rotors twice, tires need to be replaced often, the power steering pump went out, and shortly after 52,000 miles I began having transmission problems. It continues to start in a higher gear creating lag when I push on the gas. Other times, it will not automatically upshift and stays in first gear. In ordet to override the problem, I pull over, turn off the car, and then restart again. I will NEVER purchase a MB again.

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  Will not buy another one - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Will not buy another - November 5 - 2:00 am

  This car is always in the shop (windows, transmission, electrical, fuel pump, etc)

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  Spent Too Much! - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Sorry I bought! - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Bought this vehicle and spent the money thinking I was purchasing quality. Have had the car back to the shop at least 6 times for leaking anti freeze - cant seem to fix properly. Customer ervice totally rots once you buy the car - Treated with little respect as a female owner - would I do it again - NO WAY - even though I do like the car and even spent the $$$$ to purchase the extended warranty thinking I would keep until I got my monies worth. Even the brakes dont last - I have under 24,000 miles on this car and really try to keep it up but this is definitely high maintenance!!!!!

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  the best damn Mercedes ever - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By thebigguy - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Best damn Mercedes-Benz ever. Have owned five MBs...this one..positively the best in series. Handling: superb, moving to a five link rear suspension. Comfort: not as nice as the Nappa Leather in the S class, but very supple. Sytle: exotic...how the lines overshadow the headlamps...sinuously gliding up the hood..simply amazing

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  GL 320 CDI (Would not reccomend) - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By john - November 4 - 5:46 pm

  The GL 320 is a very nice carin performance, luxury, fun, safety, fuel economy, and design. Accelerating onto the freeway it will go faster than a Chevy Suburban because of the 398ft lbs of torque. The luxury amentities are outstanding. Safety, we took this car onto a muddy road with ice, snow, and potholes. Honestly, I would rather be in that car than any other. Car looks very nice except the mirrors (too small). We got 32 MPG one time on the highway. Car is fun to drive and handle. I have had a lot of problems though.The shock on a rear tire had to be replaced 9000 miles. The computer that tells the low oil and stuff needed to be replaced 11000 miles. Sucked up oil because of a ripped line 7000 mi.

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  Fun to Drive - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Dave - November 3 - 5:23 pm

  This has been an absolutely fun car to drive. It has an incredible amount of power and quickness. I smile everytime I step on the gas. Very smooth and stylish. I own several Mercedes and this is certainly the most fun to drive so far. I also live in a northern climate and when it snows the 4matic is excellent, it will motor right through the snow.

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  the ml inspiration is amazing - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jjmac13 - November 3 - 10:00 am

  all in all the best suv i own

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  Nice Ride, but then again it should be - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By orangele - November 3 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car for the styling, and it is a beautiful and sexy car. After driving it the past three weeks, I am happy with the overall features, comfort, and performance. It is not an economy car obviously, so plan on spending some gas money. Also the teleaid system seems pretty pricey ($260 a year, plus minute usage fees) for emergencies in which the air bags deploy, or for a concierge service.