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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  Best 12 passenger van - 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By ehibma - January 20 - 6:15 am

  This is by far the best 12 passenger van on the market! We have put on about 10K miles now. We knew within 5 minutes that we hated the GM/Ford/Dodge vans. Those domestic vans drove horrible and were unsafe. No headrests, kids had to duck under seatbelts. We then found the Sprinter van. This has been wonderful. We get stopped all the time to ask what kind of van we have. The diesel motor has plenty of power and has been smooth up and down hills, with plenty of pickup power. We have found the "lacks power" reviews unfounded. The seats are comfortable and supportive, and we love being able to walk through to the back to help the kids when necessary. A big family delight!

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  an expensive meds - 2014 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jonathan - January 20 - 5:02 am

  Terrible ride quality- rides like a stone! Terrible seats- firm and not comfortable! Terrible off-road- large wheel and thin tires make for a scary off road situation! Good acceleration and breaking. Mercedes has lost their way with their ML suv. The suspension clatters and bangs over every crack on the road! The transmission shifts abrubtly all of the time and with the large wheels and thin tires it is terrible off road! The seats are very uncomfortable. The only pros I can speak of as an owner are the reliability

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  MERCEDES C300 2015 WORST CAR OF THE YEAR - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Tony - January 19 - 7:18 pm

  It is in fact an absolute joke. Dont buy it or lease it because the drivers seat is so badly designed that you are going to end up in the hospital. The front interior of the car is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. Theres nowhere to put the cell phone. Youve got to be a rocket scientist to put the a/c on and off. The car also stalls and you cant start it again. Also the power steering randomly freezes with no warning and you are stuck until it decides to work again. I have driven all the cars in my life and this car should have never been on the market. There is not much difference with the 2016 C300. DONT BUY IT. THE MERCEDES C300 IS THE WORST CAR OF THE YEAR. TONY

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  Torn - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Torn - January 19 - 3:10 pm

  I absolutely loved this car. It was fully loaded. From the voice command system, to the doors that automatically close themselves I loved it. This car was great. But in the 5 months I owned it I went into the dealership about once a month and each time cost me $500 and over. Until we had a torrential rain and water seeped into the car through the water box and destroyed all electronic components located under the seat. Im torn because I dont know whether that the faulty water box was the source of all my service trips or shoddy reliability.

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  Luxury on the road - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Purchased used - January 19 - 8:20 am

  We purchased a lease return vehicle, replacing a Volvo XC90. The MB is pure luxury in nature. Although the controls are more complicated, the features are second to none. Everyone remarks about the car when were out and about. At first I thought it was overpriced, but the feel while in the car shows that it is indeed well designed and confortable. We have two 15 year old boys that are 6 feet tall, and the room in the 2nd row sold us on the vehicle. They have lots of room and dont realize they are in a car, even on long trips. Heated 2nd row seats were also a selling point as we live in a cold climate, but have only had front heated seats available before. We are very happy with it.

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  Excellent! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By zoidamoid - January 18 - 2:00 am

  This car is a great car to have. Handles well in bad weather and is SO comfortable. I wouldnt recommend any other car. Its a 10 in my book!

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  High price to pay for annoyance - 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By Gary Lorenzen - January 16 - 6:56 am

  I got this to replace the 3500 express van. I needed a reliable flexible unit. What a joke. You cant take the rear seat out unless you visit the dealer; if you take out the middle seats it requires two people and one of them had better be quite healthy. All the interior panels rattle when chilly outside and reach a horrendous crescendo when cold. The brakes squeal so bad people cover their ears and wince. The transmission has a mind of its own; 25 mph in a small town it wont shift until you speed to get the revs over 3000 then up shifts 3 times and then down shifts to where it should have been in the first place (I was told this was normal...right). DEF issues are normal for this unit - 3 tries and 20 days in the shop before I could travel any distance. Speaking of DEF problems the start countdown can not be trusted for the DEF warning it goes from 13 to 5 or where ever it wants to stop. Dealers recommendation dont shut off the van. Starting issues at times (usually inconvenient) it wont start unless you keep cycling the key (hot-cold- first start- multiple starts just whenever). I paid thousands more for less reliability and only 3 more miles to the gallon. On a plus side the seats, heated mirrors, and cruise control (when not windy) are great. Basically count on this van costing you about $2.25 per mile just to pay for the thing. Got rid of it with only 9500 on the odometer, lost 20k in cash and damaged reputation of not being able to make it. Corporate really doesnt care and one rep kind of chuckled at my dilemma. There is much more like top speed governed, but wont delve into those things now. No wonder FedEx is starting to use Transits.

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  SL55 - 2008 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Howie - January 15 - 11:36 am

  Overall I would recommend this vehicle to all who have the ability to own one. This vehicle is beautiful, fun to drive, powerful, handles well and is a real nice overall sports car. The electric top makes this a real gem. I like the car but maintaining a full tank of gas is a challenge. I waited my entire life to afford such a vehicle and now that I own it I must say it was worth the wait!

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  What a buy - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By au1114 - January 14 - 1:06 pm

  This car is the best highway cruiser I ever had. After 53 cars, it’s smooth and except for tire noise it is very quiet. The tire noise will be fixed with non high energy tires. My mpg is 30. The suspension is controlled but stable and conforming without being hard or soft.

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  Benz - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Gerard - January 13 - 9:23 pm

  I bought this car because it was the only stick shift they had on the lot. I have not been disappointed. The ride is excellent, and it is simply fun to drive. It gets incredible gas mileage (compared to the Trailblazer I traded). I am looking forward to purchasing one for my wife when it is time to trade her car.