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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  Great car ! - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Jack Taylor - July 4 - 4:23 pm

  The only disclaimer I would say is the air ride can be finicky sometimes but usually does not affect ride quality. It is a heavy car but moves very fast and corners quite well.

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  Great Car, But... - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By jtw - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Ive enjoyed this car for its handling and styling, but have experienced too many little problems, including a broken cup holder, and a "check engine" light that comes on for things the dealer says are minor, involving the evaporative system, but still take time to deal with and detract from the pleasure of ownership. MBs roadside service is great, and they will give you directions when youre in the unknown parts of the country.

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  The deisel that wasnt - 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By jwkrotec - July 4 - 10:00 am

  The new 4 valve deisel is a work of art. There is plenty of power for accelerating and the broad tourque curve makes highway cruising at 75 effortless. Unforntunately, many little problems with various systems have had the car spending days at the dealer. The dealer took several tries to get it right each time! very bad. At 95,000 miles the legendary Mercedes deisel stopped! I was informed that the bad fuel in this country gummed up the vanes in the induction unit and it cost $3,500 to repair. This is rediculous. One buys a deisel to prevent this sort of thing.

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  seats - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By phoebe - July 4 - 10:00 am

  this car is fun to drive if you dont have to be in it longer than 30 minutes. the seats are like sitting in concrete and i actually borrow friends vehicles for a longer trip. after they drive it, it is no longer easy to frind friends that want to drive a mercedes for a day. please... mercedes please find better quality seats. a big dissappointment and will probably make me trade it in sooner than expected. in what models, do the seats become comfortable?

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  e320 4m - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By vistab - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Awesome, but Contintental tires hydroplane easily

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  Simply the best - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Catlover - July 4 - 10:00 am

  My 5th SL in 15 years and by far the best. An awesome car with technology that others will take years to catch up to. Braking power is incredible, the ABC feature is the best automotive invention since disks breaks (I experienced it first in my S55). I have a Ferrari 360 and Aston DB7 who, in my opinion, are vastly inferior in technology, safety, road holding and braking. No contest, besides, when the SL55 comes out they are toast anyway. Great looks and while not a real exotic, it is the first exotic SL coming out of Stuttgart. A marvel.

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  My Retirement Gift - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Rays Dream Car - July 4 - 7:56 am

  I could not be happier with the purchase of my 2003 500SL. Its performance, luxury appointments, and over all wow factor is amazing. I never thought that a retired school teacher would be fortunate enough to own a car of this quality.

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  Whats your problem? - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Gperson - June 30 - 10:00 am

  We bought this used with just 6,000 miles on it and a Starmark warranty after owning two new Pathfinders. What a difference. This is a great SUV. Comfortable, fast and, I have to risk saying reliable. We havent been let down once in 65,000 miles. I marked it down a little on build quality because we have had a couple of stupid switch type problems but thats it. Our average gas consumption of 18 is pretty darn good for a V8 of this weight. We just had the brakes replaced for the first time and are on our first set of replacement tires. Not bad for a vehicle now at 71,000.

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  2005 E320 CDI - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Pierre Louis - June 30 - 10:00 am

  First 6000 miles are uneventful. The attention to detail is amazing. I need to make excuses to not drive this car all the time. Getting an average of 29.5 mpg (60% highway) is a little disappointing but has been improving with time. The ride is not too soft but soft enough for the horrible roads around here, especially for my neck problems. The acceleration is more like a big block V8 with the fuel economy of a Corolla. Handling is very confident and I dont even need to slow down on highway entrance ramps. I love the safety features, which include very refined brakes, head curtain airbags, and standard yaw control. The computer is easy to use.

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  Needs a little work. - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By J. Bartolema - June 30 - 1:16 am

  After driving this vehicle with a slipping transmission and screeching brakes for the last 4 months along with 5 trips to the dealership I think MB needs to work out the kinks. Although, when it does work, it performs beautifully. I just hope Mercedes starts making them a little better.