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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  Nice Car - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Charl - October 24 - 10:00 am

  roomy, quite, strong, confortable

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  perfect - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By d knight - October 24 - 10:00 am

  simply mercedes, a driving machine. of all the cars I have owned, 22 in my life, this automobile is by far the best and most fun to drive. The smoothness of the ride is impeccable. The horsepower, demanding. I have accidently had the car up to 110mph and it felt like I was going 55!!

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  mine - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By palbertr - October 24 - 10:00 am

  Great car,but lots of annoying problems. rear computer failure,noise from gas tank (many cars affected) required 2 week replacement.tire pressure system,sqeeaking brakes,noise from under car while turning,squeeks from top.

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  I love this SUV! - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Fourth MB - October 22 - 10:00 am

  This is a great little SUV. Its built in Germany and is as solid as a rock. It handles with precision and has a smooth ride thats comparable to a Mercedes sedan. I test drove it back to back with the C-class and liked the ride in the GLK even better. I like that it doesnt look like every SUV on the road; its distinctive styling makes it easy to find in a parking lot.

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  New S550 owner - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By tim hobbs - October 21 - 12:33 pm

  We have had our 2007 S550 for nearly one month and find it an excellent vehicle. Both interior and exterior are well thought out and everything works as advertised. It cruises most happily at 80 mph (at 2000 rpm) while getting 25 mpg on premium fuel. A bit more thirsty at speeds below 55 mph. We are quite pleased with our purchase.

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  Wunderbar - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Mikel - October 21 - 12:23 pm

  Love this little red conv. turns heads even at 7. Tires wear fast, some small electronic issues, mostly a nusance

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  Nice Pretty Car - Fun to drive - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Paul J - October 20 - 4:50 pm

  This car is great. Nice looking and a bit roomy - for a coupe anyway. For average size adults (under 6 ft) wont have a problem with the backseat. Only gripe is performance - this car is not a speed demon but has enough pick up to leave most cars and can hold a good cruising speed. Since I am not racing people it is not a real problem, But I would love to have the power of the 550 if the gas tax/mileage wasnt such a big hit. Overall, great cruising car and handles great.

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  Great Car - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By a2zwebs - October 20 - 10:26 am

  I bought my E320 pre-owned with only 55k miles on it. The car is great handling, beautiful body style, and decent on gas mileage. My only complaint was with the headlights. I must have replaced 5 in the 3 years I had the car. Oh, and the expensive oil changes $89. (But that is because 5 quarts and synthetic blend) I will say the car was very safe. I was hit from behind 2 weeks ago and the only damage was to the trunk and back bumper (barely bent in my opinion) but the insurance company totaled it. Great Car!

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  Second Time a Charm ... New C300 Sport is Great. - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Stan Holz - October 20 - 9:34 am

  This is my second 2015 C300. Why did I own two? Because the first one, an early 8/14 build, had so many issues that I worked out a deal with MB-USA and my dealer to trade it in and order a new car. I lost some money, but did wind up with a very fair deal and a much better car. I have owned my new C300 Sport since April, now have over 15, 000 miles on it, and it has been truly exceptional. Whats good? Well, the front seating is very adjustable and easy to find a sweet spot in. Headroom and legroom are excellent, the huge display screen is always visible and free from glare, the controls ... once you get used to them ... are very usable. The Burmester sound system is much better than average, but can be a bit heavy on bass response. The touchpad is unique, and not always the easiest way to navigate the interface. Luckily, a more conventional control wheel is right under the pad and works well. The quality of the interior is truly impressive, with nice touches and decent storage, especially under the large console storage compartment. That console is large because theres no shift lever there. Mercedes opts to place the shifter on the steering column. This is strange but, after you get used to it, very simple to use. The glove box is large, but very awkward to access due to the design of its door. I need AWD where I live, and the 4Matic system works seamlessly. Fuel mileage with the turbo 4 easily tops 30 mpg on most roads. Even local driving nets me high 20s .. and the cars computer readout is actually accurate. The little 4 is quick as well, turning 0-60 times in the low 6 second range. Quite impressive. The trunk is reasonably large, but not best in class. There is no spare tire or jack in there, since the car uses run flat tires. The rear seats can be folded flat, and break into three sections. Visibility is fairly good all around. I have the blind spot assist, and it works very well on this car. It will beep if you put on your turn signal while a car is in its range, and always gives a visible alert when it detects a car to the side. The rear view camera is effective with the usual array of guidance lines. It does not however, provide any audible warning if youre too close to an object. As far as warnings, this car has no open door or open trunk warning light display. It will give a confusing alert about putting the car in Park when you start driving, but nothing else. I find this very odd. Another odd feature is the lack of an odometer readout on the digital speedometer screen. If you want to see the odometer, you have to scroll to another screen. Ive never had a car that didnt display the odometer by default. Headlights are very good. I have the LED lights, but Ive been told the adaptive lighting is even better. Windshield wipers are effective, and the washers use a three nozzle system which is much better than most other cars. Ride comfort is not one of this cars strong points. Whether you have the base or sport suspension package, the ride is stiff and can feel harsh over rough surfaces. It takes pavement breaks or potholes to unsettle the car, but there isnt much suspension compliance when the road gets coarse. The run flat tires are at least partially responsible for this, and I have been told that switching to standard tires makes a big difference. Handling is very good, with minimal body roll through tight turns. The steering is fairly quick and light, with some feedback through the wheel. Agility control can be used to alter the cars responses; by changing throttle mapping, transmission shift points, and steering feel. With the Airmatic suspension option, it will also alter the feel of the suspension ... but this doesnt work with the standard steel suspension. I have the Keyless Go key fob system. Touch the inside of any door handle and the car unlocks, touch the outside and the car locks. Touch the ignition button, and the car starts or turns off. With a Mercedes smartphone app, you can also lock or unlock remotely, and even send navigation points to the car from your phone or computer. (This requires MBrace, which cost extra after a 6 month trial period.) I had some problems with intermittent operation of Keyless Go, and on both cars I owned. Sometimes the fob just would not be recognized, leaving me standing beside the car unable to get in. After a minute or so, the system would reset itself and work normally again. Finally, after many complaints, Mercedes came up with a software upgrade which I had my dealer install in July. Since then, I have had no further issues with Keyless Go. With all these advanced electronics, Mercedes still will not link the key fob to the memory, so opening the car with the fob will not trigger the seat or radio memory functions. Overall, this is an attractive and excellent performing car. It has its quirks, but it is a heck of a car.

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  2014 GL450 - 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Mohamed Jalloh - October 18 - 6:46 am

  Smooth ride with luxury package.