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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  Good overall, but expect a bouncy ride - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By John C. - May 15 - 2:00 am

  Traveling in my ML 320 at 65 mph over a rough stretch of freeway is a very bumpy experience. The bumpy ride makes the entire back end of my ML 320 rattle and shake. This effect is unnerving at times. On smooth road surfaces, my ML 320 is a very nice riding SUV. Would I buy another ML 320? Probably not.

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  E63 AMG - 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By IB - May 6 - 7:29 am

  Unfortunately the standard 5 minutes test drive at the dealership is way too short to get to know any car. The great things about this car are very obvious, so I will only mention the lows. The ride is excessively firm, it feels like riding a cart with wooden wheels. The firm suspension and the low profile tires make the ride very harsh even in "comfort setting". The air suspension is only on the rear axle. It probably would ride better with all around air suspension, slightly thicker tires and with one setting for real comfort. In my opinion it is hard to live with this car as a daily driver. Luckily for me I have the GL SUV as well which I use for any ride that would take more than an hour.

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  E320 - nothing more than a Chrysler - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By GregM100 - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Car has been nothing but problems. Back Window has fallen down twice already and required a $500 repair each time. Dealership says MB very aware of the issue and all E320s will have this problem at some time or another. Poor Build quality!!

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  foul smell in mercedes - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By jjzachs - April 29 - 10:00 am

  my car has been in shop for over 120 daysin one year.now there foul smell from a defect in the door design in the designo version. it supposidly leaked glue and caused a foul smell.we heard of other cars with same problem.mercedes has to date not told the exact nature of the problem or the chemical that leaked.my car still stinks

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  Never again - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Shocked - April 23 - 9:00 pm

  Owned it 14 months, visited the shop 5 times( over 30 days of unresolved issues ). A nuisance and disappointment. The last issue : the heating diverting all air flow to the drivers side. I baked and the passengers froze. MB took 20 days to get new parts from Germany!. The new part was also defective so they had to swap the good elements to the original part in my car. MB USA when approached referred me back to the dealer. My only option is trade for another brand and forget MB

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  Quality and service..or lack of - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Dietmar - April 14 - 4:40 pm

  Car was not prpared properly. and pulled to the right, Dealer said he could not repair the alignment unless the customer complained. Several item, such as the automatic tempeature control not working--it was not calibrated at the factory. The automatic transmission leaked because a gasket was used that was not compatble with the fluit. The proper gasket was of a different color and the situation could have been corrected while the car was in for service. MBUSA told me that they do not repair it until it actually leaks. Remember we have a situstion here where we know it WILL LEAK it is only a question of when. For a company like Mercedes, this shure is a lousy attitude, Next car: BMW

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  Fine looking piece of junk! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By steve - April 2 - 9:20 pm

  This cars exceptional styling belies the fact that just about everything that could go wrong with it will! It regularly goes into the shop with the unexpected. Brakes lasted less than 1 year. Transmission dealybop less than 3 months. Many more repairs----all costly. Never buy this car without an extended warranty!

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  Cant believe made such a costly mistake - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By dontuknome - April 2 - 1:10 pm

  Well when we took it for a test drive before buying was kind of impressed. Probably the feeling of "Mercedes" took over. But after about a month since we bought it, started hearing squeaky sounds from the back. Cant even pinpoint where they are coming from but surely while driving can here them. It has just about 800 miles. Cant imagine what it would be after few thousand miles... If I had the extra dough would have preferred BMW..

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  Problems - 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By merc5 - April 1 - 6:11 am

  I have had this vehicle for 2 years and 5 months. Service has just finished replacing all of the front end bushings without an apparent cause for wear. 29522 miles of almost all highway miles and good roads. No off roading. After one year my gas gauge started malfunctioning. Service had to drop the tank and replace one gauge. I had a 2000ML with various problems including the same gauge issue. Nine years later and still issues that should never have happened. Mercedes service has been very good but none of these things should happen. Integrity is lacking. Too high a price to spend the time in service for things that should not fail so quickly. Transmission could shift a lot smoother.

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  Didnt know I was Buying a Chrysler! - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By bug - March 28 - 2:00 am

  My ML320 has been great mechanically but a disaster with the electronic systems. I have had problems with power windows, seats (both sides), sterio, cd player, overhead trip computer, gas gauge, heated seats, rear wipers, ac adapters and third row seats. Service has been great (Im on a first name basis with them). MB extended my warrantee but its not enough. It is in the shop too often, it takes 2 weeks for an appointment and then I have to wait for parts. Too many problems! I thought I was buying the best. How disappointing to find that I bought a very expensive Chrysler!