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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  Not reliable - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Tomas Hay - March 16 - 12:30 pm

  The interior set up with 6 separate captains seats fit our family perfectly, so we almost had to get this car. Unfortunately weve been underwhelmed by the performance of this car. The gears downshift suddenly with a "clunk" when coasting downhill. The steering is "gummy". Weve had this car in the dealership shop average every other month for mysterious problems like a chirping noise from the engine when idling, a recurring rubbing sensation from the bottom of the car when driving <40mph, a somewhat loud vibrating noise when coasting >50mph on fwy. The auto back hatch is slow. The nav toggle is hard to use. If the economy wasnt so bad wed get rid of this car in a heartbeat!

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  Mercedes Not Worth the Aggravation - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bill - March 13 - 2:43 am

  Vehicle was purchased because I bought into the Mercedes mystique that their engineering was a far cut above all others. Not only was that a mistake I found that the required preventative maintenance you have to perform on this vehicle could make you deplete a small fortune. First year cost for preventative scheduled maintenance was about average it is the subsequent years that send you spinning. My average trips to the dealer for scheduled maintenance was hitting me for a bout $600 a pop and they hadnt got to the transmission/coolant flushes and etc yet. Best thing I did lately was trade this dog.

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  Expected More - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By dempsy - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Overall the vehicle is a good buy if you are stepping up in class for the first time. However if you expect Mercedes quality in the M-class you will be disappointed as I was. Within the 1st year of ownership I had to return the vehicle to the dealership 3 times to fix small rattles, loose nuts etc. The breaks seem to wear more on this vehicle than any other that I have owned. Coming from a Ford Explorer I expected more from a Mercedes. If you have to go with Mercedes go with their cars, but as far as luxury SUVs their so-so.

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  Never Again - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By gadaria - February 22 - 10:16 pm

  The S Class is the supposed flag ship of the Mercedes lineup. She is a beautiful car on the outside and on the inside. With great styling and decent performance for its weight. But the car is always needing repair. If its not one thing then its another. -Transmission leak first week of leasing -Airmatic suspension went out FOUR times; car was so low to the ground it had to be towed.($2500 fix) -ESP went out a couple of times ($1000 fix) List goes on but ill stop. Overall Im disappointed with the amount of money thrown at this car after what I paid for it. At the time of this post that car had lost 92% of its value. I expected more from their S class.

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  Mercedes says car is 10 years old, junk it,dealer serviced since day 1 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By peterbanyan - February 19 - 11:12 am

  purchased and serviced since day 1 at benzel busch, englewood,nj. service 1/8/2013 mileage 83,396.brake fluid service,flush,change brake fluid. (perform multipoint inspection) perform major service/shop quote,replace ball joints ($?)valve covers&breathers leaking oil $804.80,boots torn( were replaced at 42,000 miles,what again?), l/r spring cracked $611.40,product adviser at m-b states "not a common problem"engine light,service 5/21/2013,found vacuum hose dry rotted.labor $332.50 part $6.13. (multipoint inspection above?)/shop quote mileage 85,230 or 1,834 miles since 1/8. change brake fluid $195.20 (done above on 1/8(what again?)drive shaft&boot another $1255.11.

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  Poser - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Corey Smith - February 9 - 5:33 am

  Least reliable vehicle I have ever experienced. Needs frequent, unscheduled visits to repair shop. A cars first priority should be quality and reliability. This car fails in that regard. 500 hp is irrelevant if the car is sitting once again in the dealers repair shop.

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  brake issue - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Pat Spivey - January 30 - 12:56 pm

  Purchased 20l0 GLK on 02/l4/09. Brakes were soft and spongy. In May 2009, daughter drove the car and commented on the brakes not stopping when pressed immediately. Took car through a car wash and on the way home, brakes failed at a traffic light and I hit a car on the left side bumper and taillight. I have been driving 55 years and have never had an accident. Mercedes Benz of Knoxville said they knew of no brake problems and would have Mercedes USA look into the matter. It took 40 days to get my car repaired and cost me $900 additional in rental car expenses. Told Mercedes of Knoxville that I liked the car, but was afraid to drive it. Said they would trade with me for $ll,000 more.

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  Hugh disappointment in Quality & Service - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Alex C... - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Within a month after the purchase I started to have numerous problems like telephone system failure, too much engine noise, main screen & CD changer shutdown, etc. They took 5 days to fix these problems and then I had to take my car in again for almost same problems for another 5 days. They had to replace all those problem parts again just like last time. Now, Im starting to have some problems again like trunk closure & sunshade malfunctions, phone system problems, keyless GO malfunction, etc. I paid almost $70k with this vehicle including pretty much all the options. Now they are useless since they are the main things causing all these problems

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  Lemon - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By conrad - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Dont buy. In the last 14 months I had this car under warranty repair for 6 weeks.Towned from hwy twice!!!

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  Mercedes Does Not Mean Quality - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Richard Bailey - January 15 - 11:33 am

  Purchased my 2000 S430 as a pre-owned. It had 56,000 miles on it, and the rack & pinion had to be replaced. It also has a high rear-end gear noise between 50 and 60MPH. The driver side sun visor no longer stays in place, and I had to tape it to the roof. There is rear vibration between 60 and 80MPH, though it has new Continental tires balanced by the Mercedes dealer. An A/C sensor failed at 57,000 miles, which caused the unit to freeze up. The CD player has started locking up, though it has been cleaned.