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:

• 

  Great Car Technology - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Carroll001 - February 15 - 6:46 pm

  I bought this car 1.5 months ago with only 67,500 miles and it drives great! Previous owner took great care of this car and it shows. Only basic maintenance required over a nine year period! I had this car thoroughly checked by a mechanic and myself on rack and was amazed at the great condition of this car. If you take care of these cars they will last for a long time. I plan to get 300,000 miles from this car.

• 

  Rating a used E300 D - second owner NC - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Mark in NC - February 15 - 10:00 am

  E300D black with classic grey accents. Mechanically sound but had some problems at first with (95 new) feul line design (O rings problamatic). Smooth ride, great looks. Bought from Local dealer specializing in used MB dealer (20+years). If, like me, you not mechanically inclined, the key to success is to get a friend you trust to recommomend a mechanic that specializes in MBs and is honest. Never look back!

• 

  We love this car! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By baj764 - February 12 - 11:00 pm

  This is a vast improvement over previous M-Class vehicles. They were nice but not like this. The direction that MB has gone with the M, R & G Class vehicles is great. I believe that they set the standard for how a luxury SUV should be.

• 

  s class performance - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By kevinze - February 10 - 10:00 am

  one of the most incredible rides on the planet and a beautiful site to look at everyday.

• 

  wow - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By honda - February 10 - 10:00 am

  This car is the best bang for your buck on the market today. Great look, great fuel economy, great ride, and very fun to drive.

• 

  best value for the money - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By jonwwbb - February 10 - 10:00 am

  we had our c230 for over 2 months now, and we love driving it a lot, great gas milage especially for hwy driving,

• 

  GREAT CAR! - 1995 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By ahaq - February 8 - 6:39 pm

  Bought my S350 Turbodiesel about 2 years ago. Has been a great car! Theres obviously regular maintenance that needs to be done, but other than that a very reliable car. BUT YOU MUST GET ONE WITH A RE-BUILT ENGINE! The W140 Diesels were known to bend rods, mine was rebuilt by mercedes before i bought it so i was lucky. Fuel consumption is good, comfort is great, this car turns heads! I have 2 12 inch subwoofers in the trunk which add to the great bose factory system. I highly recommend this car, but make sure the engines rebuilt :)

• 

  C Class is OUTSTANDING - 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By fgentsch - February 8 - 6:48 am

  Have had C classes since 2009 and this is by far the best. Really like the excellent gas mileage of the C-250 four cylinder engine, often getting well over 36mpg on the oven road and always at least 25mpg in town. Beats out the C-300, though a great car, but a bite more thirsty. Sporty yet distinguished in appearance. Great ride and handling.

• 

  Nice Ride! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Great Car - February 4 - 12:20 pm

  We bought ours used w/39k miles on it. The car is beautiful, well maintained. I have one problem with an ESP/BAS warning and this appears to be affecting the operation of the sunroof. Hopefully this can be corrected by the certified warranty. The car feels as solid and safe as any car Ive driven and after I got finished with it this weekend you cant tell its not new.

• 

  Love It - 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By emoore40 - February 4 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Mercedes but first SL. I purposefully purchased the 320 over the 500 and consider I made an excellent choice. This car has performed far above expectations.