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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  Mercedes dropped the ball - 2002 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By roosterly9 - January 8 - 8:02 am

  I bought my 2002 Silver arrow after I read very positive reviews here. It had 98000 miles on it, Everything you read here about the car being fun, powerfull, great looking is correct, but Man as fa as body goes no engineering work has been done. the plastic handle on emergency break broke, the button, and the handle on console brok, the button on storage net broke, just about everything you touch has broken, or breaks first time I touch, the signal light lense just fell off, MB insignia broke lose, the jak hole cover just fell off, and the insignificant piece is $211 only available at dealer. Car vibrates at speed over 60, tires are new and balanced, known issue. I do not recommend buying.

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  Below average quality automobile - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Craig - December 31 - 10:00 pm

  I have owned my E320 since new--10+ years. In that period of time, I have spent an average $422 a month on routine service and an average of $534 per month on repairs. Repairs like 3 window regulators; rear differential seals (recall item); CD player went south after 5 years; leaky transmission plug replaced twice; right and left 02 sensors; vibration damper recall; airflow sensor; broken front coil spring; crankshaft sensor; entire rear tail lamp assembly. I have 120,000 miles on it. Granted a few but I dont expect repairs like from MB. I have owned a number of other autos and have not replaced anything like the things I replaced/repaired on this auto.

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  Front Differential Seize Up - 2008 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By moebaz - December 24 - 7:39 am

  I was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green and I was moving forward at about 15-20 miles per hour, the car came to a sudden stop. The vehicle behind me almost ran into my back since there were no brake lights illuminated when this unfortunate malfunction took place. I immediately looked the control panel for any malfunction alarm and there were none. The root cause of the problem was front differential seize up without any warning. There were the right amount of oil in the reservoir so the problem was no due to lack of lubrication. The car was repaired by MB dealer and I was given a bill for (hold on to your pants) $8,252. I called MB customer service to find out if there are any recall on this malfunction. I was told none reported. I have a hard time believing that I am the only one with this problem. I almost came to a decision to sign over the title and have them sell the car to recover the repair cost. Obviously the dealer is not at fault here. However you would expect that a car of this caliber would be better designed and supported. As you have guessed I am unhappy with my MB. By the way if you are trying to sign on for MB online owner community and want to choose the username "UNHAPPY", you cant. It is already taken. Try it with some #s.

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  C230 - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Lynn Vincuillo - December 23 - 10:43 pm

  Broken sunroof within 3 days of purchase. Unable to close. Car received with difficulty opening cup rack in consol brought in for repair but, not fixed. Very unstable cup rack. Broken latches on console in 4 months of use prohibiting use of storage boxes. Brake drum rust in 4 months looks awful but Im told by dealership is normal. Cannot move in slightest bit of snow as well as sliding into oncoming traffic in the highway intersection when stopped on incline. I was put in a very frightening situation and personally having the ability to drive every type of vehicle, I must state the cars performance with any unstable surface, is very poor. I am presently looking at a trade-in.

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  E350 AWL - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By CSTIER - December 20 - 3:53 am

  Break dust is too excessive. Windows need to be tinted somewhat. Side mirrors should automaticaly close when car is turned off considering the cost of the car. Back seat is too small. Although there are 3 headrests it really is not comfortable for 3 adults. Headrest adjustments on the passenger seat fails to perform

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  Wifes Benz - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ARBO - December 19 - 2:00 am

  Safety and the Mercedes name are what brought me to this car. We like the car except it lacks comfort for long trips. Our hind ends go from pain to numb after a couple of hours in the car. Also, we find the climate control to be confusing to figure out. And make sure someone cramped into the rear seat gets fair warning before you turn of the car, the front seat will be coming back into their knee space automaticaly.

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  S-class on stilts - 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By DrBillyD - December 8 - 8:32 pm

  The upside: Smooth ride. Precise steering. Powerful acceleration (with the GL550). Fairly capable off road for a vehicle w/o locking differential. Prestige. Comfortable seat(s). The downside: Maintenance cost(s)... E.g. had to replace all for air shocks (front about $1300--each; rear about $900 (for both)), starter motor ($800). Brakes actually last a long time and replacing rotors surprisingly "cheap" at about $350/axle. Tires only last about 20-25K miles (295/40-21) and theres a limited selection--a new set will set you back about $2200. The electronics were capricious--sometimes car wouldnt completely shut down when door opened (i.e. normal shut down is engine off & accessories stay on until door opened. started acting up sometimes where accessories wouldnt power down when door opened & had to open/shut door a few times to get it to shut down). Homelink garage door opener had a button that wouldnt work. EZ-GO door handles had to be replaced. Drivers side mirror folding mechanism broke. When I smelled leaking oil burning on the exhaust manifold, I knew it was time to get rid of it. Bottom line: Surprisingly comfortable and agile for a 7 passenger, 3 ton SUV and most comfortable car/truck Ive ever driven. However, after repair issues cited above, Id be reluctant to own a M-B again..... Update (5/2016): Traded in @ 120K miles. Reading through original review brought back bad memories of astronomical repair bills. There are better choices in the large luxury SUV segment.

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  Beautiful, but a bad "investment" - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MRR - December 6 - 7:04 am

  Beautiful car with a great interior design with superior materials. Performance on the road is first rate. Like all Mercedes, the command and navigation systems remains second class. If you get a C-Class do not get the sport package or AMG package unless you like buying tires and having regular alignment appointments. Six tires in my first year, and now the car is in the shop having the engine replaced. Resale value is deplorable.

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  I Thought I Bought a German Built Car - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By knoxville - November 29 - 10:00 am

  Overall disappointed with the quality of the car. Paint job is poor and radio has fail within first 500 miles. Would Not buy a MB in the future. Acura or any Japanese car tops the physdo German car mfg.

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  "Finest engineering MB car...." - 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By inftell - November 27 - 7:13 am

  I owned 2008 E-350 class. I have maintain this car perfectly. Since purchasing the car I had several annoying problems which where fixed at the MB dealer ship at inflated prices. However the last episode was the Break down of the car REAR DIFFERENTIAL AT$4300.- COST.This is an extreme case of part breakdown which can not be justified especially when buying "fine engineering car....."