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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  Nearly perfect convertible - 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By live1x - June 16 - 12:15 pm

  MB has produced an exceptional car with the near perfect ingredients of sport, luxury, comfort, convenience, and versatility. I have admittedly drank the cool aide on top down motoring. This is my sixth convertible (1964 Corvair Monza Spyder, 1966 Corvair Corsa, 1978 Fiat 124 Spider, 2001 SLK350, 2006 SC430). My assessment is based on those and other driving experiences (Ive driven many other great convertibles: Mustangs, Corvettes, Porsches, BMWs, Audis). I have less than 10k miles on the car and yet I find myself inordinately happier with each passing mile (a first for someone who is considered a total car [violative content deleted], buying more than 30 new car over the last 25 years, yes my wife is encouraging me to get therapy).

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  Lame as the others say - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By SKS - June 16 - 10:00 am

  In three years, Ive been to the dealer for many issues from the SRS light (twice), CD player, seats slide, Sunroof chatters, Brakes go out at 25K (undersized I feel), driver window switch, ESp light, etc. Tires wear out around 28K. My carfax report can tell it all. Very disapointed in a 45K MB, would have been better off in a Denali, Tahoe, or Ford. Friend has two ML and no problems?? Go figure.

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  Not impressed with this car - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By drudge - June 16 - 10:00 am

  We finally decided to get rid of this car after 23,000 miles and three major trips to to shop. When we bought this car and paid the amount of money one would expect for a Mercedes, we expected excellent quality and that is NOT what we got! The car is nice, has good design and rides well. But we cannot understand how the doors couldnt quite close right, the transmission as bad, and numberous other electrical and mechanical failures keep the car in the shop. The only good part of this story is that it was covered under the warranty. The bad news is someday somebody else will own if afterwards and have to foot these bills!

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  Great Cruiser - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By SteveYang - June 16 - 10:00 am

  Had more comfort features than the 3 series even has memory settings for the passenger seat. Suprisingly SMOOTHE.... ride for the size of car. All the comparison articles Ive read state the same thing. Ample power and handling to get you in and out of trouble.

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  Best Hatchback Ive Ever Owned! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By RiceCakeLover - June 16 - 10:00 am

  This is my 3rd hatchback and I love it! My first two were a Mazda RX-7 and a Honda Civic, both of which presented consistent problems in the first 6 months and beyond. This Mercedes has been flawless in my first 7 months! The leather/moonroof/bose sound package and the sports package are bargains and well worth it. After test driving both the manual and automatic types, I chose the automatic because the power is more than Ill ever need. Im actually getting 30 mpg on the highway! The smooth ride is a dream! The interior accommodates large & tall people well. Its also the only Mercedes small enough to fit into my tiny Victorian garage!

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  Going Strong - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Joey Martin - June 13 - 9:03 pm

  Just turned 140K miles. Only oil changes, tires and brakes. No problems, amazing..

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  Very nice car but... - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By BM - June 13 - 2:30 pm

  Driving the GL is a great experience, I am very happy with it. After having an Acura and a Lexus, I was happy to be back with MB. I was surprised to see a serious lack of technology. especially with the outdated navigation system (a portable one with a fraction of the price has more features and less complicated) and you should be able to change the radio station or CD without loosing the view of the map. Touch screen is standard in other cars. DVD in the back under the back seat make it imposible to change DVD or start it for the kids without stopping and diving under the seat (mainly it is for kids restrained in the back seat). Need child safety locks for the back doors.

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  Not too shabby - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By LaciMB - June 12 - 7:10 pm

  I bought this car when it was 11 years old and I can say I got a pretty good car for how old it was. It dirves like a dream, and has had no major engine trouble. It did fail to start one really cold day, but other than that has been really reliable. One problem I did encounter was the electrical sensor for the emergency break would not acknowledge that it was disengaged, and the dash alert would beep constantly. Anything with a motor worked very well--windows, seats, mirrors, etc. I had to do no major upkeep to it other than belts and oil changes. I loved the power too! For an 11 year old car, it could still smoke some tough guys at the green lights

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  prohibitive price premium for prestige - 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By T MInor - June 12 - 11:36 am

  costs approximately 20k more than comparably equipped AudiA8L

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  2017 G550 Nightmare - 2017 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By julianfrancishill@gmail.com - June 12 - 9:11 am

  I have slaved through school for the past 14 years to finally purchase the car of my dreams. I spent countless hours test driving and convincing my wife to buy this car. It was a special order designed by the dealer. It just so happened to be the exact color and some options I preferred. I made a down payment. En route to the US from germany, the cargo ship had a fire. This caused a +1 month hold up on my car at the port of Baltimore. Thinking to myself????? "Should I buy a car like this?" The car was released and finally arrives!!! Yes! I go to the dealer for pickup and drive it for 15 minutes and enjoyed finally being able to see the most beautiful hand crafted piece of artwork ever made. I cruised at low speeds, talked to my salesman, played the radio. Of course, no one is paging attention to fine details at this point. The car went straight from the dealer to my friend who has placed Xpel ultimate on other vehicles of mine. He did an amazing job. 1 week worth of hard work and dedication, The day finally arrives to return the loaner and pick up my car. From the start I heard an intermittent "booting" noise, almost like a baby owl. It would mainly occur between shifts or let up off of the gas. Higher temperatures outside produced a more defined and constant noise. The biggest issue besides the "most" annoying noise was a very hard rumbly and shaking shift when I would brake from 4th to 3rd gear. This was always constant. I finally got the car to my local detailed (whom has been more than professional and kind) to have the service manager drive my car. He noted all of the complaints and the car went in for service. Adaptations (computer updates) were performed which actually made the shifting and hard shakes worse. This is week 3 and there has been no fix. I was told today that, corporate engineers, told my local service team to tear apart the transmission and check everything. They respectfully disagreed and deferred this treatment. They know its a transmission issue and a case was opened. Meanwhile, they have captured the noise and recorded what I described as "hooting" earlier. They hear it and also agree that this is "NOT" normal. They have no idea what is causing it. With this, I was told today that the service team have been in contact with corporate and they have planned to order a new transmission...... from Germany. 2 more weeks, plus delivery, plus installation. I have involved and contacted MB customer service. These messages have been relayed up the hierachal chain. They were great about getting back to me in a very efficient time. I was told today that they assure their engineers are trying to fix this problem quickly. I have assured and assured that no one in their right mind would pay 129k for a car and want the transmission replaced and to have a noise that cant be fixed. Without anymore complaining and painful details, I am still dealing with this and to let others know, I am not the only one with these issues. A new "befriended" friend of mine and I have been in contact, and he has the same noises. He has also had his brand new 2017 G550 rear end replaced because they thought the noise was coming from there. Its been a disaster and no one who pays this sort of money on a high end luxury vehicle deserves this. The car should be taken back without any question.