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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  Awesome! - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By ejdiablo - September 1 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I wanted a car that was safe, fun to drive, and that would last a very long time with minimal maintenance. This car is awesome! 1998 E430 Sport w/ESP and many great options. It is the 210W Chassis (95-99 model years?), one of the best series of M-B ever. Two MB mechanic friend both directed me to this year and model.

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  ML 55 AMG - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By adboy10 - September 1 - 10:00 am

  This SUV is a rocket, if youve never driven one you better hold on!

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  ML55 AMG - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By adboy10 - September 1 - 10:00 am

  This SUV is a rocket, much better than the Yukon I had for 6 months and did not like.

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  Quality at a Value price - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Tiler36 - September 1 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I have owned 4 BMWs and 3 Saabs over the past fifteen years and finally made the step into a Mercedes. Were glad we did. The rock solid feel of this car is unlike the others weve owned.The Kompressor has plenty of power and we got 34mpg on an interstate trip we took the first week of owning it. Computer is great with access on the steering to all controls. The seats are very supportive when youre throwing it through the esses. Fit, finish and paint are superb. Dealing with the Mercedes dealership was a pleasure.I would highly suggest you drive the C230 4 door if you are in the market for a car of this type.

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  R350 is a great car. - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Scott - September 1 - 3:26 am

  This is our first MB and we are very happy with it. Excellent ride quality, beautiful interior, smooth drivetrain, and extremely comfortable seats. I had difficulty getting my wife interested in a wagon much less a MB. But, after taking her to the dealership she quickly reconized that this is a great family vehicle. The 6 cylinder is adequate and fun to drive but not fast.

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  This car rocks! - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Kyle - August 31 - 8:13 am

  This car was a huge change from my previous car. I used to drive a Ford F150 and decided to change it up a bit. I love it. sales people were great. The car drives like a champion. No complaints at all.

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  Terrible Windshield Wipers - 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By John Hudson - August 30 - 10:00 am

  The 2011 Mercedes Benz C300 luxury is nice to look at. You can get many options (at a cost),but the windshield wipers stutter and are very noisy. The auto wiper sensor is terrible and has no consistency. Its hard to believe Mercedes has made such a huge mistake.This problem destroys the whole car.

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  The Best SUV ever - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Rob - August 30 - 12:10 am

  I am so happy with the purchase of my ML 350. It is so comfortable and quiet. It offers wonderful performance and and bank vault-like structure. My old car was a 2003 BMW 545. I was a afraid that because it is an SUV it wouldnt be able to cruise like my Bimmer did. After owning it for a couple weeks all my worries drifted away. My ML 350 feels faster and more willing to go fast than my Bimmer did.

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  ML 350 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By notrelatedto - August 29 - 10:53 am

  Traded an 04 Tahoe in April for the ML 350. Drive 100 miles a day and have put 19k miles on it since purchase to include a trip from Texas to New York and back. MPG runs 21 for my commute and during the road trip averaged 23.5 mpg (off the computer) at 75 mph. I find it very comfortable as I am 6-3 and 235 lbs. The handling is superb and is quick enough to move when needed. I tow an 18.5 ft ski boat with no effort. I have had zero mechanical or electrical problems. I have read in previous reviews about the quirky transmission and can feel it at low speed (10 mph or less) accelerate and stop situations, but do not find it to be an issue.

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  Poor workmanship & Dealer service - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Poor workmanship - August 28 - 3:46 pm

  I have owned Mercedes for the last 40 years, and this car is absolutely the most poorly built and least reliable. All others were fine. With 9500 miles, mine has loud squealing brakes, a backup camera that is unusable due to poor optics, Nav map display "jumps" constantly, worse than my hand held $80 Garmin E-Trex. This is the most irritating item of all, and Map must be turned off at night to prevent annoying distraction. The car pulls rt. on 95% of the roads.