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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  Trust me! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By jim - October 23 - 12:10 pm

  The sexy body style, generous interior size, luxury and comfort, along with the 5 spoke chrome wheel option selected make for a stylish and timeless high end automobile. The 4matic option allows us to take advantage of this confident and luxurious ride year round in upstate New York.

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  Superb Automobile - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Weldone99 - October 23 - 10:03 am

  Wonderful automobile, confortable,stylish and economical on gas.

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  mercedes-benz C240 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By max neseconti - October 23 - 4:16 am

  I have c240 5-speed auto, I enjoy driving the car because the engine is so smooth and the handling is excellent.

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  It saved my life - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Janet - October 23 - 3:36 am

  We purchased our c320 used with under 60.000 miles on it. I could have had a new Corola but why when for less money I could drive the cute little Benz? After nearly 2 years of ownership I was struck in the drivers side door by a truck. I was nearly sitting still at the time but he was going at least 35 mph. I was rushed to a local trauma center, with the damage the car took officials feared I wouldnt service. The airbags deployed, the door was pushed in about a foot but I left the hospital the same day with only a broken arm. The safety rating is accurate, now Im a devoted Mercedez driver.

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  Awesome MPG - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By David - October 22 - 10:43 pm

  Today I was was getting 41 MPG on the highway and the trip was about 40 miles. The car is fun to drive and I dont feel too guilty when I know that I am going to get 400 miles per tank. The seats are supportive when going through sharp corners. Automatic wipers are very nice option. Panaramic sunroof works well. Cons: Wish I had a digital led for the climate control. The bass in the stereo should be stronger.

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  Piece of garbage on wheels... - 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By John Paul Daley II - October 22 - 10:00 pm

  When I bought my 2015 4x4 Sprinter, I thought it was going to be amazing. By the third day I realized I had made a mistake. The van had a very bad noise coming from the back. It got worse, then the roof leaked. I had to drive it 4 hours to the nearest dealer to get it fixed and I had not even gotten it home yet. I fought with them over a rental as it was less than a week old. Took 14 days to fix while I was stranded and unable to work. the fixs didnt work and I entered into a months long battle to get repairs done. Ultimately the Van spent most of the first 90 days in the shop with no loaner. It is legally a lemon and MB USA agreed to buy it back but that was 30 days ago and they have said nothing since. The people who work at Corporate have no integrity to their word and they refuse to put anything in writing. I paid 55K for a van I have not been able to use. When I did use it, for its intended purpose cross country trips I was able to get just shy of 20K on the van before the power steering went out on a mountain Switchback. That put it back in the shop for more than a month and they have no explanation for how the hose came loose, and after more than 10K in parts and expenses working on the vibration/noise from the suspension, they come to the conclusion it is natural harmonics of the van. Again, not fixed, and still vibrating and no explanation for how a clamped and secure hose came off. The dealers have drank the kool aid and will lie and back up the Manufacturer on the record. Off the record they say the guys in Germany are a bunch of jerks who wont listen and treat the mechanics Like idiots who cant get it. After being out the van so long and having such horrendous support from both the dealers and the manufacturer, I would not recommend the van. when the first few months of ownership are so bad, you would think they would want it off the road and out of your hands so as to not prove just how bad it really is. Instead, they sent me a letter saying they are going to buy it back and then did nothing. Lawyers have told me they will drag this out as long as they can to save money since their attorneys are staff and they outsource the buyback process to a third party who is commissioned by giving you the lowest price they think they can. In other words they are paid to screw you, Literally. When you sum this up, its poorly manufactured and they cant fix the problem. Even worse is europeans from sprinter chat rooms are contacting me saying they have the same problems and want to know if I found a solution. They dont love the "natural Harmonics" answer. Worse is the popularity of the ford is killing resale value so I cant even sell it for a fair price and it is a few months old. Best offer is 15K less than I paid for it. 4 months old and a 15K discount.. Pretty Sad.

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  Reliable and wont breakdown - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By JP - October 22 - 3:20 pm

  Ive had my C280 since Oct of 1997. Its the 98 model and its still running like a champ. As much as I want a new car, this one wont break down so I cant justify buying a new one. So thats making me think I want to buy another MB as my new car when its time. The only thing is its so boring inside, not too many bells and whistles. Since I got this car when I was barely 20, I was able to spice it up with some clear corner blinkers with 18" AMG monoblocks, but the redesign really needs to take into consideration mg the 20-30 something crowd who loves the 3 series Bimmers. sometimes I feel like an old lady driving this sedan, but honestly this car has always been reliable and a great buy! Safe!

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  OK vehicle but stupid option packages - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By mssurrey - October 22 - 10:53 am

  The vehicles is similar to the ML in design, especially the interior which is an almost exact copy og the smaller ML class. The most annoying thing are the options packages (only two or three to choose from). In order to get memory seats, I had to spend thousands of dollars on a Premium package with many features I simply didnt want or need such as a sunroof and a Nav system (have my own Garmin unit) At a time when many manufacturers are increasing options, Mercedes have bundled everything together so that the only option you now have is basically Take it or leave it. How ridiculous

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  Amazing,fun-to-drive car! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By doc rinaldi - October 20 - 10:00 am

  car is SAKS 5th ave. special ed...gets more comments,nods and thumbs up than any I have owned.considerd/test drove bmw m3,m5,540i-6spd,mb 500E,02 c55..the clk500 beats them all in terms of balance of performance-looks- comfort-handling..it is three cars:luxury coupe,fast every-day driver and scary fast sports car when you ask it to go

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  TOO LITTLE FOR TOO MUCH - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By SCENIC - October 20 - 10:00 am

  NOISY TAILGATE LATCH ON MY WAY HOME AFTER PURCHASE, AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. ANNOYING CREEKING SOUND DEVELOPED ON PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD FRAME POST.DEALER KEPT VEHICLE 3 WEEKS. AFTER TAKING MOST OF THE FRONT END AND DASH APART THEY FOUND A SPOT WELD WHICH NEEDED TO BE RE WELDED. VISIT TO CAR WASH, THE WINDOW SWITCH WOULD NOT CLOSE WINDOW AND HAD TO RETURN TO DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT. POWER STEERING HOSE BROKE AND LEAKED ALL OVER DRIVEWAY BECAUSE OF FAULTY DESIGN. WOUND UP HAVING RECALL ON THIS FAULTY DESIGN.TOP HEAVY FEEL WHEN DRIVING ON WINDING ROADS.