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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  Sexy POS - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By esntrk1 - July 30 - 10:00 am

  If you dont want drama, do not buy this car!! It car is a maintenance nightmare. Do not buy it used without an exteneded warranty!! You are asking for financial ruin!! This car cost me nearly 10k in maintenace this year alone!! Read the many horror stories at www.mbworld.com. Then if you still must have the car, lease or buy it new and get rid of it before the warranty expires. People ask me all the time about my S500 and I tell them to buy the Lexus LS430. It will actually increase your quality of life by reducing your stress level and maintaining your net worth.

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  Pretty Outside - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By New 2.5L V6 by Britt - July 29 - 10:10 am

  I purchased my second MB December 2005. It is a 2006 C230 Sport. My first MB was a 2000 C230 Kompressor. The body of the 2006 Sport is so pretty. It gets a lot of great looks. The pick-up is much slower than the Kompressor and the braking system is very rough. On cold mornings there is a knocking noise in the engine, but goes away after the car warms up. In town the car is not near as smooth as the kompressor and seems to jerk when slowing down. When out on the interstate, the 2006 runs very smooth and has a big car feel. I did get the 3 level seat memory which is great and I like the screen in the back. Living in Florida, the sun is hard on the interior.

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  Stranded - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By stranded - July 28 - 8:03 pm

  I have only had my ML350 for 1 year and the battery has died on me twice already. Here I am in a brand new Mercedes and I have to get a jump, how embarrasing. The second time the battery died I took it to the dealership and they said that the computer chip got wet some how. They want to charge me $900, but its not happening.

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  Very satisfied - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jean-Michel - July 27 - 1:53 am

  I purchased this 2002 c-240 in October 2009 with only 62,000 Km. 6 months later, the odometer is 82,000 Km and never had any problems with this car. I maintain my car with synthetic oil.

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  Exhilarating Disapointment - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By leekaster - July 22 - 10:00 am

  I was thrilled to get this wagon for our retirement vehicle. It had apprx one year left on the warranty; good thing! Rear load leveling shocks started leaking oil. Driver seat heater gave out. After warr. up, air flow sensor for engine gave out. Turn signal collar started rotating with lever. Leak developed in hose to rear load-level shocks, cost $354 to cut & reconnect hose.

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  Needs better appointments - 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Mercedes E - July 21 - 5:50 pm

  Since this is the last year of the w211 body style, Mercedes is offering decent subsidizes incentives to move vehicles. The body is pretty much the same since 03 with a few modified faclifts. The No charge sport package adds some flair to the pretty stagnent body.The gipe I have with Mercedes is the lack of standard leather interior on car that starts at almost 52k. Vinyl belong in economy cars, Not in a Mercedes Benz!.

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  A good car that should have been great. - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Dr. Michael Baer - July 21 - 11:07 am

  It is an expensive car. It is technologically far more complicated than it should have been. Simple maintenance is very expensive. The warrantee should be longer with maintenance included. The electronics are badly designed. The NAVI system is incredible complicated. I will often use my smart phone instead when needing an address. I wrote the new young president of my concern. As yet no response. I guess they are tied up with the new stadium.

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  Rust - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By shotmaker - July 16 - 4:23 pm

  Have taken great care of this car. Only has 120,000 miles and the body is starting to rust really bad. This car has been washed and not in Michigan winters but for only about 5 years. I have been told that this happens allot because of the poor quality of the steel they used in 1999. Is anyone else having some of the same problems. What is Mercedes doing to help repair these cars rust problems.

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  Disappointed - 2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Atlanta Girl - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Bought my first MB C230K little over a year ago, and I am unimpressed. I think Ill buy a Lexus in 2 years when I anticipate buying again. Theres nothing big, but a bunch of little stuff wrong .. the LCD display stopped working 6 months ago, the middle storage compartment never opens as it should, the front drivers door doesnt close properly even tho its been repaired twice, the glovebox wont stay closed. The brakes, even new, squeal.

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  This car is a nightmare - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By XPress - July 16 - 2:20 am

  The uniqueness of this car is what makes it attractive. The ride and drive characteristics are great. The unusual appearance gets stares & questions. After 1 year and more than 22,000 miles, I feel qualified to relate all that is not right with this car. Multiple visits to more than one dealers service department makes this a thumbs down choice for reliable transportation. Car is in the service dept now for the 9th time and is still there after 13 days (the service manager says they need it for at least another week). The problems are recurring; i.e., transmission shifts hard, repeated warning lights (SRS, low coolant,check engine), body panels ill fitting (wind noise), door hard to close. I cannot recommend