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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  Not Thrilled with MB - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By LJ - June 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car used and loved the style of it. I have had several problems with it including replacing both electric window motors in the back and constantly have light bulbs blowing out. The electric seats will move in the opposite direction when pushing the buttons. I took out a BMW 540 yesterday and couldnt believe the pickup vs. the E420.

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  Chinese parts - 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By richgaz - June 15 - 10:30 am

  Just had 6 essential relays replaced all from China. The car has been in the MB shop for two weeks now trying to find other problems. Never had a brand new car not start. THis problem has brought to light that MB probably has chinese parts splattered all over. So why does this car cost so much? Germans think they can out engineer bad parts. Hardly. I will not but another MB. Over priced for cheap parts - and they still fail no matter how well the design.

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  Looks good but stays in the shop - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By bbh - June 14 - 10:00 am

  After 3 years of owning a C320 I decided to upgrade to a E500. My C320 visited the workshop more than any of my cars but I thought the new models might be better. Well within 24-hours of delivery the car was on a tow truck. The alternater had died within the 1st 100 miles of the cars life. The fact that the factory and dealer tests did not find the bad alternater scared the hell out of me. What can I expect from this car?

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  GL-350 - Worst Can of my life ! - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By deninfiniti - June 14 - 1:34 am

  Let me start off by saying that when I test drove my 2010 GL-350 I fell in love with it. The engine was smooth, transmission great and interior quality was fantastic, so I went ahead and purchased it. Despite having 90k miles on it (I have had diesels before and run them until 150k easily and know they can go much higher so the miles didnt worry me) I thought it was as sound decision as I have also had 2 Mercedes before and loved them. Well after 4 Check engine lights (Blue Tech low, Fuel line break, Blue Tech heater replacement and an O-ring failure on the turbo) and over $3000 in 4 months I finally traded it in for a new Japanese car. My advice, DO NOT buy and older Mercedes !

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  Disappointed - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Polly Roberts - June 7 - 11:16 pm

  I am very disappointed with this new C- Class and the customer service. This car drives worse than any vehicle I have ever owned. It constantly pulls to the right and the service department only argues over every issue. I got a SRS INOP warning light that said drive to workshop immediately and called the service department and they said no big deal. The next time you bring it in well check it. I had to call roadside service because of a blowout on the right front tire and the lady at the 800 number said the car should not be driven at all with that warning light on and they should have towed the car immediately, which only had 3,000 miles on it. They had to replace the drivers airbag.

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  not practical - 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By glue2u - June 2 - 9:07 am

  Little disappointed with the car. I own a 2005 gs300 and that car shifts, rides and seems way better than this 60k e class. I was very disappointed. Burning smell coming from vents, car shifts strange, non-digital dual climate control, cheap interior, dash is not bright, no H.I.D headlights for 60k, Navigation is Not user friendly. Cruise control gets mistaken for turn signal. Too many unnecessary features. Does not ride as good as my 05 lexus.

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  A sad attempt. Never purchase a MB. - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Edwin - May 30 - 10:56 pm

  I have had so many problems with My 1999 ML430 (98K miles), I want to cry. Its been a very, very, troublesome vehicle from the day I bought it. My current stable is made up a BMW 3 series and Volvo S80 (as well as the ML430). The Mercedes has easily had twice (if not thrice) the amount of issues of both my other vehicles combined. Not to mention one of the poorest after sales service dealers I have ever encountered with a cost of ownership that is stifling.

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  complete electrical power loss - 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By fredtboy - May 30 - 9:58 pm

  After buying this vehicle new off the dealer lot. after only 6 days on the road I experianced a complete power loss to the vechicle. was 200 mi from home. roadside assistance took 4hrs to approve me for 100% $$ towing back to my dealeer in Reading PA. They had the vehicle all day and still could not find the source of the problem..If they can not find the source of the problem do they expect me to take back the vehicle and wonder when and where it will happen again!..I think not. Will update as soon as I find out ..

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  looks only - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By relfamily - May 25 - 2:00 am

  reliabilitys very disappointing. on a monthly basis there is some small problem, which so far the excellent service dept. of this dealership was able to correct. but then there are some problems they cannot handle since it relates to the mechanical design of this car. we all know the low profile tires allow the rims to get nicked very easily ( there is a pending classaction suit ) the body flexes and there are noises from the roof latches and other parts of the car which MB have no idea how to correct. all in all this was a poor investments and u can get a better car for half this price. sorry MB but no wonder u are nbr 29 on the list of JDP..

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  I Highly Recommend the BMW - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Melissa - May 23 - 9:40 pm

  I traded in a BMW 330 convertible on this car a little over a year ago. I was looking for something a little more luxurious, but with the fun of the convertible. I really wish I had the 5 year old BMW back. This car looks good, but thats about it. Boring to drive, doesnt hug the curves like Im used to. Ive also been very disappointed in the interior of this car. Very cheaply designed for the price. Navigation system is so outdated that most of my commute on a highway completed two years ago is not even on the system. No one can tell me when this will be updated. I put the top down about once a week and put it back up in the garage. It is showing far more wear than 5 yr old BMW.