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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  safety issues - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Barry Kamran - November 24 - 1:56 am

  This car since I leased it 3 moths ago had many electronic issues, the car was suppose to have accident prevention system which should stop when the car may have a colision if the driver doesnt stop . I have involved in minor accident as I didnt see the car on te dide front stopped suddenly while turning , obviously the car did not stop. I compainted to Mercedes USA and they claimed the car was working properly. So my question is how can they claim this as a safety features?! This was exactly the car was supposed to do, stop! This is a complete misrepresentation from Mercedes-Benz USA. The car also is too expensive for lease.

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  Vastly overrated - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By mbnot4me - November 20 - 2:40 am

  Having operated a C320 for three years, I now see why MB has become an “average” car in the ratings. It has been one small thing after another, and a couple not so small. After spending $750 for four new tires that did not solve a constant vibration, someone cared enough to see what was actually wrong and found out the car had a warped drive shaft at 18,000 miles. Of course, nothing was said about the tires. This is my fourth and last one (unless my wife changes my mind).

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  Just OK - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Ann Traina - November 18 - 10:00 am

  alot of small things regularly go wrong with the car. The keys seem to have problems, the cup holder constantly gets stuck, the r,f turn signal wiring seems to have a problem, and (most of all) I dont like that the AC- heat button you have to press so many times to go from hot to cold(press button 1x time for each degree you want to change). It should have a dial.

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  Unreliable M - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By DisappointedMFan - October 29 - 3:36 pm

  Just got my 2007 ML350 less than a month ago, and I am already experiencing problem with the vehicle. The passenger seat gets soaking wet everytime after a carwash. After taking the car to the dealership, I found out the seal on the windshield was not tight enough and the water was accumalated down through the side door and squirt it to the seat. They have to end up taking the windshield off and reseal the leak. I have not had any carwash since I got the car back, and I will keep you all posted. For the money I paid for this truck, it was sure a big disappointment. No wonder the consumer report rated the ML350 as the most unreliable SUV in its class this year.

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  CLK350 Coupe - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By mbuser1 - October 29 - 10:53 am

  MB Reliability ??? Just got a CLK350 four wks ago. Transmision broke down at the first 300miles. Car stayed @ MB shop twice for 2+wks. Was told by MB Tech. that this is the 4th occurrences of transmission failure/defect for this year (2006) (C, E, ML and my CLK).

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  Worst car Ive ever owned - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Ruined by Chrysler - October 26 - 10:00 am

  When I bought this car I thought Id own it for 10 years. Problems started 6mos. into owing. Hands free phone then CD player failed, followed by fuel tank gauge, leak in air conditioning system, LCDs in instrument panel, vanity mirror several times, rear windows and too many others to list( which are identical to most other peoples complaints). Paint chips and scratches too easily. My husband has never had a single problem with his car which was half the price. Only thing worse than the car is the customer service at the dealers and MB of America!!!! Just traded it in for a Honda Accord. Happy Day for me!!!!!!

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  Overrated car - 2008 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By johnny - October 25 - 1:43 pm

  Its a fun car, I would not think of buying another though. I truly think its overrated. For an SUV its too fancy, but it has great on road handling.

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  They Call it Misery - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Benz Boy - October 6 - 1:00 pm

  Beautiful car in design. Thats where the enjoyment ceases. This car is like a beautiful woman with a bad personality and poor morals. Great to look at, but once you touch it your wallet and health go south. Mercedes knew this car was a piece of trash when they built it. My car has 64,548 miles and it has managed to go through two A/C systems, CD player, window electrical problems, brakes, transmission replacement and so forth. Its fun to drive when it finally runs, but its best to keep a good wrecker service on call at all times. Mercedes lied to their customer base and myself about this car. I will never drive another one unless its a vintage 560 sel or 560 sl.

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  Not Recommended - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By ChicagoScott - October 6 - 3:10 am

  I have had this vehicle in to the service department for jerking transmission problems six times at two different dealerships. They claim it is a known problem and that there is a "software upgrade" coming from MB Corporate. The service experience and the lack of solution makes this my first and last Mercedes purchase. Too bad because we really liked the vehicle. Also, the check coolant light is on constantly. They told us it was an "electrical problem" and didnt fix it. The sunroof will not close unless you hit button two to three times due to a sensor problem.

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  Value tanked - 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Rock inn - September 2 - 6:02 pm

  Bought my E 350 new in July 2014. The car stickered at $61,250. Went to trade it in on another MB product in September 2015 and the dealership would only give me $37,500! Car was in perfect condition with only 8,000 miles. I would call this terrible depreciation. If you buy a new MB plan on keeping it for a LONG time.