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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  4th Benz, 3rd C Class - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Milw WI - June 21 - 3:06 pm

  Ill admit I enjoy new cars, this being the 4th benz and 3rd C Class Ive owned. Ive actually been away from MB for 7 years with a BMW 3 series and 5 series recently. Just prior to my 2008 C350 Sport, I leased a terrific Japanese product, an Infiniti M45 Sport. But Lexus, Infiniti and Acura dont compare in styling. This new C class is impressive. Its turning out to be more a pleasure to drive each time I get in. People stare, its beautiful. Off all the cars Ive owned, I think its the most stylish. Performance is predictable, acceleration is perfect and stopping is awesome. This MB has captivated me like my first 1986 300E. I am thrilled to be back as a client.

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  solid value - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Scott Rachelle - June 21 - 2:00 am

  Extremely comfortable SUV. Its not a big load hauler or a tow vehicle, but load up the family and a bunch of suitcases and drive this ANYWHERE! Ive had a Chevy S10 Blazer, and the M- class handles snow and slick roads MUCH better.

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  C32 AMG - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By peebs - June 21 - 2:00 am

  A beast. More horses than a standard Corvette. A neck jerker that roars like a lion and runs like a cheetah. Hate have to replace those tires every 15K, but oh well.

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  Enjoy the drive and ride - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By gyhs - June 21 - 2:00 am

  The 6-speed manual is a really fun car to drive, great handling. A reasonably powerful car with good fuel economy and environmentally friendly with ultra low emission status. Legroom in the rear is suprisingly ample, but headroom is tight. Fortunately, the double sunroof eases up the claustrophobia.

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  I love this car. - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By solomonmorris1 - June 20 - 10:41 pm

  I was hesitant at first about changing over from BMW after 16 years and giving up my inline 6 300hp twin turbo for a 4cylinder turbo because i thought it would be slow. Well I am very impressed with what I bought and it is black with grey/black interior with all the bells and whistles and I must say I will never go back to BMW.I am hooked on Mercedes Benz.The car exceeds all my expectations that I could have ever imagined and I totally agree with the last reviewer this car is amazing and the only thing I wanted on the car I did not get and that was the Zenon lighting package because there were only a few to go around to each dealer and I do not regret not having it now because I am loving it

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  Awesome Ride - 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By mikespike - June 19 - 2:43 am

  By far the most comprehensive car I have ever owned. Love the engineering in the car. Large enough to fit my family of four and luggage as well with top down. Very impressed with the interior style and electronics are state of the art.

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  2.5 years with C300 Lux - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By autoaficion - June 18 - 5:33 am

  Overall, this is a very well built car that drives very nicely. Ive always has standard-brand cars, but this time I splurged and bought the German car Ive always wanted. It is not the sporting model, but it handles and moves perfectly for daily driving. Its small, so easily maneuvers in tight spaces, but has the premium features. The up-and-down nav and entertainment screen is kind of silly, but I find the iPod integration to be excellent and easy to use with the round controller on the center console. I enjoy the car greatly, but the mystique of having a Mercedes is all in my head; its not like having a Mercedes back when I was a kid and they were special and infrequent.

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  Second S Class - 4th MBZ - 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By kcoc3 - June 17 - 11:58 pm

  I think that MBZ put too many bells and whistles on this car. I am paranoid about having any kind of a fender bender as the electronics will surely be messed up. I had to have new breaks and rotors put on at less than 19,000 miles. The climate control makes a weird noise sometimes (noise comes from engine) and per the dealership it is normal. Car is built to be quiet and then there is a weird alien sound. Voice control has improved but still not perfect. Sadly Siri works better in responding to text messages, etc. Massage on the seats is silly, along with the embracing seats. I have never used the "perfume" dispenser.

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  Glad I witched. - 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By robin prager - June 17 - 7:29 am

  This is a much different C300 than previous years. Total luxury!

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  Looks great, rides great. - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Karl Z - June 16 - 7:40 pm

  I love this car. I was going to get a C class but the incentives for this car made me take a look at it. This car may no have been successful seller but my wife and I love this car. It looks great and rides great too. The second row is designed to enjoy the ride. The chairs are great and the Panorama view makes it more enjoyable. I bought this preowned and had nothing major except for lightbulb replacement; however, I have read multiple complaints about quality. I just keep my fingers crossed since we are planning to keep this baby for a while.