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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  Mercedes S- class - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By scooter of manhattan - March 1 - 2:00 am

  Not great with repard to service response from dealer or manufacturer, many delicery flaws not dealt with and neither manufacturer nor dealer take responsibiltiy -- a real frustrating catch 22 for a vehicle of this cost and supposed caliber.

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  Not a lot to complain about - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By JCaron - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This car is comfortable as you would expect from a sedan but it also has a sporty feel. I highly recommend to the Distronics option. The three ashtrays are a waste of space which could have been put to better use for decent cupholders. The phone system is also a waste since it requires you to use their overpriced phone. The transmission is flawless.

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  E500 - An Excellent Car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By MyMercedes - March 1 - 2:00 am

  The cars exterior and interior design is pleasant to the eyes and it has that luxury and elegant touch to it. I find that the performance is quite good with acceleration and stopping. The car is fun to drive and I feel very safe driving it. I love the new electronic braking system, it saved me a couple of times when I made sudden braking to avoid hitting the car in front of me.

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  Want a fun car?? - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By SDNACLH2O - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car. I test drove many vehicles before I picked the C-230 Coupe and I am glad I chose the MB. The car is quick (not insanely fast), nimble, and best of all, gets great gas milage. I had my 1st scheduled maintanence and there was nothing wrong with the car. One thing that did happen though was a flat tire due to a pot hole, during which it took almost a week for the dealer to find the Z rated tire. Other than that, no complaints on the car.

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  Superb SUV - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Kim - February 29 - 12:26 pm

  I bought the AMG Package. Handling is tight and hugs road. Appearance is sporty and looks beefy. Interior is very spacious and all controls are easy to reach. Seats are very comfortable. Couldnt ask for a better car! 10 rating all around!

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  ML 320 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Ron - February 28 - 2:03 pm

  I bought the vehicle new. 6 years and few problems. Oil sending unit did leak after 5 years. Didnt feel that should have happened. 48900 miles and still using original brake pads. Very surprised. Replaced switch for abs system. No other problems.Have changed oil every 10000 miles per fss.MBUSA insists on premium unleaded. I have burned regular unleaded for years. Cant tell any difference.

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  A Fun, Solid, Safe Ride - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Jake_o - February 28 - 10:00 am

  Around 115k miles my check engine and ARS dummy lights came on, costing me aboiut $2k in repairs. Other than this recent problems, the car handles great and has acceptable acceleration qualities.

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  nice car - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By grahamkj - February 28 - 10:00 am

  I am pretty happy with the car. It has a solid ride. The only problems with the car have been some clicking sounds in the driver door. This car is stylish and drives like a sports car. After driving a new sport edition E320 I realized the CLK is much more sporty than I ever imagined.

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  Dont care what it would have cost - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By winglow - February 28 - 10:00 am

  Where do you get this kind of performance without MB or BMW? I have a new Corvette convertible, have owned Ferraris and Porsches too. Loved them all and the Corvette is not exactly the crude vehicle that others consider it... but I want another C32. The M3 is a totally different car. Both good but this was perfect for my wife when she wanted to ditch her 2000 S class Sport.

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  lots of problems - 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By bob598 - February 27 - 5:03 pm

  This is my 9th S sedan...........its very tough to love.