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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  Problems! - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By dale - July 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought the vehicle used with 30K miles. Ive had it for 3 years and its been in the shop 16 times. Everything has been replaced on it. Oil changes average $100, brakes are good for about 30K miles and cost $400 to replace ($800 for front and back). VERY HIGH maintenace costs. It rides a little rough for my tast. Gas milage is good but your paying $.20 per gallon more for premium so that cancels out the good gas milage.

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  Problems! - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Dale - July 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought the vehicle used with 30K miles. Ive had it for 3 years and its been in the shop 16 times. Everything has been replaced on it. Oil changes average $100, brakes are good for about 30K miles and cost $400 to replace ($800 for front and back). VERY HIGH maintenace costs. It rides a little rough for my tast. Gas milage is good but your paying $.20 per gallon more for premium so that cancels out the good gas milage.

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  ML320 is fantastic - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By razor - July 1 - 10:00 am

  All the problems have been addressed. It rocks!!

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  Be flexible for reasonable request - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By WonderBuyer - July 1 - 10:00 am

  It is waired as it is: If you order a E without Sport Package, you can only pick Burl Walnut woodtrim; If you order a E with Sport Package, you cannot change to pick Burl Walnet woodtrim, you have to get the ink-like Black Birdeye Maple even you dont like it. The dealer can do nothing since the manufacture do not provide the change option. It just let me feel not confortable.

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  Awesome - 2014 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Carl Janvier - June 30 - 9:58 pm

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  New GL450 Outperforms Competition - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By TREM52 - June 29 - 11:20 pm

  My wife and I test drove 5 other luxury SUVs and this outperformed the competition by a wide margin. The quality of this MB SUV is outstanding and you get what you pay for. The acceleration beats the competition and the ride is similar to the S-class sedan. Overall, it seems like something out of their AMG class. The GL takes the corners well and the interior is very quiet even on dirt roads. The upgraded sound system plus navigation is a must have! Plenty of room for the two kids and lots of storage room. With the third row seat up there is limited room but the competition had even less. We look forward to numerous road trips in the future!

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  Disappointed in my Mercedes GLC - 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
  By Karen - June 29 - 7:33 pm

  My biggest disappointment with my GLC is that it does not have Apple/Android Play and cannot be retrofitted. The car doesnt even allow me to voice to text when I receive a text. I have to select command and then tell it to send a text to ... I would not have bought this car if I knew the technology was so antiquated. In addition Ive had to take my car in twice in the first 90 days, once to have the transmission adjusted because it was skipping gears and once to have the brake pads replaced because they were squeaking so bad in cold weather.

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  Solid upgrade - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By lawman1967 - June 29 - 9:00 am

  I just traded my 2009 C300 Sport in for the new 2012 C250 Sport. In many ways, I thought this would be a downgrade, but in fact there is only one aspect of performance that was better with the old V6, and that is responsiveness in high-speed passing. Everywhere else, the new turbo 4 with the new 7GTronic + transmission seems to do a better job of keeping the less powerful though torquier engine in the meat of its powerband. The exterior of the car is subtly improved, while the interior received a major makeover, not that anything was wrong with the old one. The new COMAND nav/stereo is incredible.

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  CLS 500 evaluation - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Thomas Morales - June 29 - 5:26 am

  i enjoy the CLS500. It was exactly what I wanted. Speed, comfort, reliability, and styling. The exterior design is fabulous, and the interior is exciting. it is also fun to drive

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  3rd GL. Still an impressive vehicle - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Bill L. - June 28 - 4:15 pm

  This is our 3rd GL. We have owned a 2007 GL450, a 2011 GL550 and now a 2015 GL450. Each time we have test driven other vehicles and ended up back at the Mercedes dealer. PROs: Real 7 adult capacity - The back seat is a little of a climb but it can comfortably seat 2 reasonably sized adults for moderate distances. Drives less "trucky" that the truck-based SUVs - This is a unibody and therefore is not built on a truck frame. That allows for lower ride height and more stable feeling SUV with a lower lift height to put stuff in the back. Decent power and ride - This is a change from the old V8s and is a little more slow to respond when accelerating from a moderate pace (the old V8s were quicker) but it is still very reasonable for a vehicle this size. It is also a great highway cruiser with comfortable seats and non-fatiguing driving position. Many safety gizmos available - Lane departure warning, front impact warning, blind spot monitoring, automatic high beams, headlights that follow the curves all make for a safer ride. Interior - Although the electronics are not the best the interior is pretty darn nice. Leather wrapped dash, doors, real wood and solid overall feel to the controls and buttons. CONS: Expensive to fix/maintain - MB is one of the more expensive models to maintain. Just a fact. New sets of brakes/rotors every 30-40K miles, general maintenance in the $300-$500 range and this isnt a cheap car to own. Add in that it requires Premium Unleaded and this isnt a cheap vehicle Transmission can range from smooth to harsh - Usually, it shifts very smoothly but every once in a while it will hard upshift/downshift. All 3 I have owned have done this. It never inspired confidence but I ran my last one to 144K miles and it was still going strong when I traded it. Electronics are only ok - Nothing overly exciting about the NAV or Command system as a whole. It works but is a little clunky and low resolution. Summary: Safe, comfortable vehicle that performs well and feels like a luxury vehicle. Electronics are only okay and your wallet/pocketbook wont be thrilled but for some people that extra cost is worth it.