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:

• 

  Pleased! Very! - 2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Storm - October 1 - 4:36 pm

  My first Benz but I would say I couldnt be happier with the car. Its been 10 years since I purchased it and I have been very blessed. No major issues ~ mainly minor wear and tear.

• 

  Most "fun" since my 1999 Cabriolet - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Shannon Baird - October 1 - 8:23 am

  Great gas mileage. Comfortable for 2 adults and back seats hold shopping! Love the ride and comfort. Would buy again!

• 

  my review - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By joser - October 1 - 2:00 am

  The vehicle is one of the most fun I have ever had with since I was a teenager and I got my first car and I went out with my buddies on a trip to Mexico.

• 

  I Love It - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By GTIII - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Beautiful Car, I am seven months in, no problems, price was right, features are exceptional. Did have to purchase winter tires. This ride is a head turner. Highly recommend.

• 

  My E500...one year later - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Texan Doug - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Ive put 8,000 miles on my black E500. I enjoy the sporty feel of driving this car on the streets and freeways of Houston. The ride is very smooth, either at 25 or 125. Interior is plenty big for 4 large adults, and a little snug for 5. Trunk can hold 4 sets of golf clubs. Nice layout of the dash. The suspension is probably set one notch too tight...and sometimes rides more like a vette. Corners well and is remarkable in wet weather. CD player works great, but poor radio reception is due to a computer software bug which can be repaired at the dealer.

• 

  Nice car but not the best year of C240 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Brendan - September 30 - 5:18 am

  Had lots of little quirk problems with this car, but overall it drove fairly nice and was comfortable. Definitely a timeless look. Electronics were always having some sort of problem. I recently upgraded to a 2005 and like it much better.

• 

  an over-priced hunk of junk - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jon doe - September 29 - 10:00 am

  DO NOT BUY THIS CAR! The AMG engine, navigation system and handling are all excellent. Beyond that, you had might as well buy a ford festiva. The glove box, sun roof, elec. seat adjuster, optional rooftop cargo container have all malfunctioned or broken. The alignment has needed repeated repair. We had a flat, tire was patched. Patch gave way within one week. Dealership customer service is nonexistant. Brakes now sqeak and car stalls out frequently. A complete POS.

• 

  Mercedes CLK True owners Review - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Jack Arutyunyan - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Everything is great about this car, except there is no CD changer in it as a standard option. I think it is very cheap of Mercedes to do such a thing when Toyota Corollas already come with CD players. Even worse, it can only be a Mercedes Benz CD Changer since there are Fiber optic wires included. Retail will run anywhere from $700-$1200.

• 

  S430 2001 drivers car - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By norcalwtc - September 29 - 10:00 am

  After having owned a 240D, 300D, 300E 4 matic, E320 96, E320 95 Cabriolet, this car beats them all. The air shock system is truly remarkable. Interior parts are more plastic than should be for this price, but the engineering makes up for shortcomings. Bought used with 27K for $20,000 under orig new invoice. New price would have stopped me. Great gas mileage, who would have guessed. 24 mpg averge.

• 

  Balance shaft recall & reliability - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By joezep - September 29 - 7:10 am

  Theres a ballnce shaft problem where MB extended the warantee for 10 years on this $5,800 job. One dealer did not know about it. They still hit me $1,800 to replace defective intake manifold that was not covered. This car has a computer from hell giving false signals on light bulbs etc. Not nearly as reliable as my 99 E430. Truck ate about $10k in repairs this year. I expected a lot better quality from MB but this is true for all German cars lately. Why pay this kind of money when cars casting half are more reliable?