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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  After 16 Months - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By SJC - April 21 - 7:00 pm

  Have been enjoying my beast for 16 months and it is just as much fun to drive as when it was new. Just spent about $10K to get more power from this exotic 4 door. With basic ECU/Pulley and Headers I have close to 600HP and 650 Torque. This car runs 1/4 mile times in the 11s. What a great car to own and mod when you get bored with the stock power.

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  Much improved than the late 90s Mercedes - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ejaz - April 19 - 5:36 pm

  I have had a 1999 C280 since 2003 and this car drives so much better. The 2002 C240 model rides smoother, has a higher suspension so it does not scratch against elevated driveways, has a superslick electronic display of all the computer readings, and is roomier inside.

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  2nd CLA - 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
  By namegoeshere - April 19 - 3:37 am

  We bought a bare-bones CLA the first year it came out. We were so impressed with it that after two years, we traded it in for a 2016 adding all the features we think it needs. We also bought it using European delivery and is currently waiting for its arrival in Baltimore. First of all, the design of the car is what got us. We had E-classes before so werent looking for an entry into the luxury segment. This is a car that seems to be designed as a unit as opposed to say the new C-class where the front and the rear look like they are from two separate cars. Our original was in a stunning Jupiter red with sun roof, Bi-xenon lights, the Becker GPS, walnut trim. The 2016 has several standard options which were not standard before but instead part of an expensive package Our new car is 4-matic (wasnt available before), same sun roof, walnut (with beige interior, wish there was a lighter color option) bi-xenon, rear-view camera (really missed this as we have it in our other cars), Apply-Carplay (wasnt available before), Garmin GPS (hated the Becker unit and looking forward to seeing Garmin maps but after playing with Apply Carplay in Germany when we picked it up, we might use Google map instead so the Garmin may not be necessary), the sport suspension package (out other car is a 911 so anything that hints at better handling would be great) and Blind Side assist. The BSA is really important because when my wife moves her seat to a comfortable position, it completely blocks the view from the rear side window and with the sloping roof, this is a problem. Also, the driver side pillar blocks cars as well which is not good. When we drove it in Germany, it feels faster than ours and much smoother. There is plenty of power and driving-wise much faster than what I expect a 200hp car has. What we will really really miss about our first CLA is the gas mileage. My wife and I really enjoy seeing our MPG at 38-39 which is remarkable. I understand with 4-matic that will likely go down quite a bit but with the aerodynamic of the car, this car cruises down a hill really fast and we end up using the brakes a lot because you end up passing most cars and going too fast on downhills. On thing that we hate about the 2016 are the standard rims that go with the 17inch wheels. They are butt-ugly and look like simple cut-outs from a sheet of metal. Guess thats how they get you to upgrade to 18inch wheels. Dont want 18 inch as we do highway driving and dont want low profile tires and also we had a set of 4 17inch Blizzaks at home that we plan to use. We decided to buy a new set from Tire Rack Overall, my wife and I really love this car. its meant to my wife to drive around town but we ended up using it for all our long trips and now with 4-matic, we can do this over the winter also. With this purchase, we plan to keep this car for a long time.

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  Only The best - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By lee96 - April 19 - 2:00 am

  I have put 127,549 miles on the car since I’ve had it. Have not had a problem yet. It has been flawless, reliability is wonderful. The overall experience is a 10. Mercedes has a winner with the C-Class

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  Much better than a minivan. - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By BCWatty - April 19 - 2:00 am

  Needed all wheel drive and 3rd row of seats. The small turning circle diameter is great. This was the best handling and most nimble suv we drove. The interier hardware is fragile and we have replaced rear cupholders/vents 5 times (all under warranty). The moonroof had broken twice and the power steering feels underboosted when making sharp u-turns. The accelerator pedal is s-l-o-w to inputs. Our dealership does not have enough loaner cars. Our local BMW dealership is much more responsive but X-5 does not have 3rd row of seats. We tow a boat with this and it works much better than our Tundra pickup truck for towing.

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  High Performing 2004 Mercedes S55 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Dr Kenneth A Solomon - April 19 - 2:00 am

  Extreme Performance matched with a very sure and solid ride, Handles superior or equal to higher end sports car. Excellent corning and braking. Quiet. Very comfortable interier features.

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  2002 C230 six speed C7 C5 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By mayday51000 - April 19 - 2:00 am

  Very comforatble and economical car to drive. Very quiet and economical with the six speed transmission. Vehicle requires four snow tires in winter/snow belt climates

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  Luxurious but practical - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jyv - April 18 - 6:26 am

  Before I bought my ML 350, I did test drove a BMW X5 and Acura MDX. In terms of refinement, nothing beats the Merc. The X5 is very heavy and the Acura sounds laboring in acceleration. This car combines luxury with practicality.

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  Awesome Car - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By angel - April 17 - 12:56 pm

  This car is a joy to drive. I tested the Lexus IS250, Infiniti G35 before buying this car, and hands down, this car outperforms them in both appeal and comfort. I really enyoy driving this car.

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  Well worth the wait...! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By Very Happy - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Well worth the wait..!! Nothing quite like it. It is a truck, and dont forget that! It wasnt just designed, and made retro. It is work of art, in progress, and it only gets better with age. I use it as a daily driver and cant say enough. It is truly what I expected and more. Waited 11 months and the "G" has not disappointed, both mechanically or in terms of drivability. If you are really honest with yourself as to what you are buying you will not be disappointed. Happy motoring..!!/4x4ing.