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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  Passed By - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Frank - February 21 - 3:50 am

  This Mercedes was good in its day but has been far exceeded by the likes of Lexus, and BMW. Gas mileage is horrible. You can expect 17-18 at best on long trips, 11 to 12 around town. For the same price you are better off with the E-350 4 matic which will deliver 24-25 mpg. The navigation although accurate is ancient (look at the Lexus) Youll think your comparing a video game from 1995 to 2005. Unfortunately the new Mercedes ML is not much better.Youll also find operating the navigation consists of moving a joy stick. Unfortunately this has also carried over to the new ML. Pretty stupid! Electronics and comfort features are deffinately not Mercedes strengths. Also braking is heavy.

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  Disappointed - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By dmatuszak - February 17 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has been nothing but problems after month 12 of ownership. I have been to the dealer 15 times in the past 2years to fix electrical issues. Will never buy another MB.

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  ML 350 Experience - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Hans - February 7 - 9:16 pm

  We have the car 2 years now, so far no technical problems. This is second Mercedes, the first one being an E320 4Matic. We came into the dealer to buy a C240 4Matic, but when my wife saw the 350, she was attracted to it. The price was very attractive so after a short test drive we decided to go for it. In retrospect, I kick myself for making such a spontaneous decision. The car is no comparision to the smoothness of the E320. This one feels really like a truck. But my main issues with the car are the engine and the fuel economy. The engine does not feel and sound like a Mercedes engine, it is underpowered and noisy, awful. Fuel consumption is horrible. Never will buy again.

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  Never again - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Bengali - February 5 - 2:00 am

  Wanted to keep the vehicle for 1-10 years. On an average very yaer had to take to delare with issues like malfunction of radio or power windows or leak in gas pump etc evry 6 montsh isn teh first 2 years. Letley its been every 3-4 monthe we have had teh car breaking down. We are past teh warranty peiod so its comes out of our pocket to fix the vehicle. Have complained to no vail to Beck Imports.

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  TOO MANY PROBLEMS - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By bht - February 4 - 7:43 pm

  COMAND SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED 3X.STILL NOT WORKING.PHONE BROKEN TWICE.VERY EXPENSIVE TO SERVICE.EATS BRAKES AND TIRES.WAAAAAAAAY TOO EXPENSIVE FOR WHAT YOU GET.A $70,000 CAR SHOULD BE MUCH BETTER.BIG MISTAKE DOWNSIZING THIS CAR.I WILL NOT BUY MB AGAIN

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  Oil leak, major repair - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Dennis - January 27 - 3:23 am

  I bought this car with 50,000 miles, and it looked showroom condition. In the last two years, I have had numerous maintenance costs, up to about 6000 and now it needs about 2 to 3000 to fix oil leak, and the catalytic converters need replaced, 1500 bucks more. Apparently everyone knows about the oil leak problem with these models. This was my first Mercedes, and last.

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  Nice SUV for the price, but not built for towing trailers - 2011 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By coachelladoug - January 21 - 10:57 pm

  Ive owned Lincoln Navigators, Land Rover Range Rovers, Supercharged, and LR3s. Leased a 2011 ML 350 4Matic with the OEM towing package, front/rear park assist, side lane change assist, dual & rear AC, 20 inch tires. As far as ride, it rides as any normal SUV, not as soft as a Range Rover, or the softer Navigator, but more like a sporty (hard ride) supercharged RR or LR3. BIG TURN OFF...even though MB installed OEM Trailer Package, MB does not included a trailer light adapter to change the 7-pin (European) to an American 4-pin, or 5-pin. Ive gone to many U-hauls/Pep Boys,/Advance/OReilly/Auto Zone/and others, no one sells an adapter; Not even MB dealers sell an adapter for their own cars!

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  No quality control at Mercedes! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Slackdaddy - January 20 - 10:00 am

  This car zooms. Very responsive handling and comfortable. I wish I drove it as much as the service manager at the shop I bought it from! This car has been in the shop 5 times since I bought it. Each time it was for a system failure. The pump that inflates the bladders in the dynamic drive seats failed. The active suspention failed, The throttle regulator failed and the multi-disc CD player had to be replaced. Although the service department was very helpful, I am disturbed that so many things have gone wrong with such an EXPENSIVE car. The Mercedes people tell me to expect such breakdowns as this is a very sophisticated car that has many complex systems. I should have got the Audi A8

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  Poor Reliability - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By benz_awful - January 13 - 8:54 am

  Purchased a mint condition 2007 GL450 with 25,000 miles and now at 60,000 miles. Have had the following problems: power steering pump failure, front struts failure, interior temperature control system failure, check engine sensor failure, cam plug oil leaks and replacement, back seat panel separation, interior vent knobs broke, not to mention that the battery wore out early as did the brakes and tires. Vehicle pulls to right after repeated alignments. Cant get rid of vibration even after tire replacement and repeated re-balancing -- suspect drive shaft.

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  A horriible let down - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By a horrible let down - January 10 - 4:00 pm

  We purchased our car in 10/05. We were absolutely thrilled. Three months later my car broke down in the middle lane on the highway. Every light came on inside and the care died. It was the engine. The dealer replaced the engine after having my car in the shop for two weeks. A month later there was a nick in the transmission which required another stay in the shop. 3 months later two recalls were fixed. This car was a horrible let down. You can hear and feel the car shift gears. We are actually looking for another car to buy. I have two kids and it does not offer the reliability that a mom would feel comfortable driving. It was truly a let down.