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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  Ten Quarts of Oil Used in 3.000 miles - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Billy C - January 14 - 10:00 am

  I bought my wife a M-Class as she wanted a SUV. Thought Benz was suppose to be the best. She has been in the shop more in the past year with this vehicle than any other ever owned. The topper is the ten quarts of oil consumed in 3,000 miles. I want a new engine but dealership feels just rebuilding is ok. Better off buying a Mazada Tribute for half the cost!!!

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  Terribly Unreliable - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By drfaust91 - January 13 - 10:58 pm

  I have had more problems with this vehicle than all seven other vehicles i have owned combined. Granted i did buy it with 100k miles on it, none of these things should be going wrong with a Mercedes Benz. I have had U-joints fail, bolts on both sides of my front suspension break twice, electronicsgo out on the center dashboard, three ignition coils fail, and the A/C compressor has gone out. Aside from that it has a rough ride like riding in a sports car without the fun. Much of the car uses cheap materials that can not hold up to everyday use. It does have decent performance for the size vehicle it is, though.

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  Get something else instead - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By MadAtMercedes - January 5 - 10:00 am

  It seems like a cool and flashy truck. Well it is, but nothing. We have had this truck for over a year and it has been in for service nearly 20 times. They are finally giving us another. Problems with rattling, electrical, brakes, and other randow things make this one of the worst vehicles you can buy. Having owned a Range Rover HSE before, I wish I still had it. I also have Mercedes S500 and that has some issues as well. I would suggest staying away from Mercedes for a while.

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  Worst Car On The Road - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Peter The Great - December 30 - 8:23 am

  Ive had the S430 4matic for nine months now and with only 31,000 miles on the odometer, I have been to the service department 31 times for various mechanical and electrical problems during that nine months. Merecedes has lost its glory, as a German national told me, pleople in Germany prefer Japanese Cars. After my last two Mercedes (both were defective), Im giving Lexus a try, "Hello LS 460"

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  It can stay in the garage - 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By traveler21 - December 27 - 8:22 am

  Have driven my new car for a few months now and I am not a fan of this car. The road noise is not blocked out by the body insulation. The various knobs and dials are from ten years ago as is the NAV system. Cant wait to get rid of this car.

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  Never buy an ML - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By roverfanatic7 - December 20 - 9:24 pm

  Just traded in the 2006 Mercedes ML-350 with 116,000 miles on it. Worst car ever. Reliability was terrible. Resell is horrible. Basic maintenance is extremely expensive. Had battery troubles, alternator troubles, and electronic troubles. Horrible design. Electrical boards are under the seats, so you cant get anything wet. One time the wipers, alarm and locks went off just because the battery was dying AGAIN. Automatic liftgate never worked. Sick and tired of Mercedes and will never buy again. Traded it in for a 2013 Acura RDX.

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  Small SUV reviewed by father of 2 - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Samuel R. - November 25 - 4:10 am

  Just traded in a Audi Q7 on 01/16/09 after a HORRIBLE experience and picked up the GLK, same day. Looking to downsize, we felt the GLK was a solid choice. Overall, like the look but downsizing, I will have to get used to a small interior. Cargo area is very small. Rear seats are tight for adults. The structure feels VERY solid. 4matic is good in snow but seems to bind up in tight turns on dry roads. So far 2216 miles and its returning 13.1MPG city and 18.7 highway. In other words very thirsty. COMMAND sys is NOT user friendly. Rear view camera is great, ditto for sound sys. Last week though, it was repaired due to a faulty brake system and front rotors were replaced along with hard drive.

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  Horrible Mercedes - 2005 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By irving mangel - October 20 - 4:03 am

  My 2005 Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG is in the shop more than I drive it. Mercedes has been horrible at taking care of the problem. My next car will never be a Mercedes-Benz and I have owned a number of Mercedes. This will be my last one. Next time I will hire a lawyer to use the lemon law.

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  hopeless mercedes benz - 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By ak - September 30 - 2:56 am

  Never buy a mercedes unless you want to overpay for a completely unreliable vehicle. Buying one is like losing money, and keeping one is like throwing good money after bad! I bought a brand new 2009 E350. Six months of ownership, and 3 problems, 2 trips to the shop, 1 tow, 1 battery recharge...and worse of all, tons of aggravation and frustration dealing with Mercedes Benz.

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  Stay away - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Joe - September 12 - 4:15 pm

  My car is 6 months only and has been in service 6 times many electrical problems. The build quality is terrible. Led lights going out, rattles, popping and cracking noises in radio, keyless go issues, loose parts p, engine errors, hard shifting tranny. Hoping I can get it declared a lemon by far the worst built car I ever owned it made my Cadillac look reliable. Most of my loaners were c300s as well and most of them had issues too. Mercedes you let me down back to bmw I go.