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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  Geat car! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By nickikikik - December 30 - 2:00 am

  great car ! totally dependable and reliable ! sweet body and an awsome engine ...

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  THE BEST RIDE OF MY LIFE! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By donna roane - December 30 - 2:00 am

  EVEN THOUGH I HAVE HAD THIS BEAUTY FOR A SHORT TIME, I am in love! It is the best riding, driving, handling little rocket, that I ve ever driven. I will never, hopefully, be forced to have anything other than a Mercedes again. It is not only a beautiful car to look at, it drives like a dream and has the best braking system I ve ever experienced. I can t say enough! i give it a 10+!

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  Back for More Baby - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By EPBenz - December 30 - 2:00 am

  This is my 3rd Mercedes (an upgrade from the 1999 E320). Beautiful features and lines. Rides like a dream. What an upgrade from the 320.

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  Love it - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By vince palumbo - December 29 - 10:10 pm

  Great car-would like better use of wind screen. Instlation, storage,and design could be better. I find the computer system for information can be difficult to use such as oil level, time change etc. Of course it would nice if the trunk could be larger even at the expence of the back seat being a little smaller(hard to get my golf clubs in & out of the trunk. Also somewhere to place a second coffee cup. Having said all that, I love the car and would recommened it to anyone. P.S. I got my brother to buy one in 2006.

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  I lots of go for little dough - 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By T Saroch - December 29 - 7:18 am

  Awesome car, fantastic fuel milage. Trip home, wife got 46.2 on 358 mile trip home- brand new with less than 900 miles on unit. Me, only 39-41 mpg, but I run it over 80 , cheat by at least 10 mph out hear in West Texas , speed limit is 80. The car corners like its on rails, smooth as class, quite as a morgue,& stops on a dime. More toys on it than I know how to ever use- simply love it. We are in our 70s and own many different vehicles& have in the past. Corvettes, Porches,Caddys, Jeeps,& my next favorite to the Benz, my F250 4X4. Tried a BMW 528, nice car, but the Benz is easier to enter& exit. As stated this car is a lot of car for a very reasonable investment. I love my 560SL, but this is a nicer car by far.

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  Disappointment - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Disapointment - December 28 - 11:13 pm

  I purchased my c220 12/01 with 42,000 miles. the trouble started at around 80,000 miles. busted head gasket, transmission slipping, cruise control failed, fuel gauge failed, power antenna failed, constant brake light lamp replacement, interior dome light assembly replaced, windshield wipers work when car is near high voltage power lines & when using the turn signals, I cannot turn them off, have had to remove the fuse to stop this embarrising act.

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  The perfect automobile - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Ducati Rider - December 27 - 1:46 pm

  I bought a Benz because Im too old to ride a motorcycle safely any more. This is my "motorcycle." Performance is almost in the motorcycle league, which is saying a lot. This car is perfect, right out of the chute. Not one defect. Amazing, particularly for a brand new model, early production. This is my second Benz; my first one was a 190 SL. I loved the SL and put a lot of miles on it, and I love this. The commonality between them is the stability, the feeling of security, the class. No planned obsolescence here! The Benz is a mans car. Im glad I got the sport package. The 550, for $8K more, offers a lot more than th V-8. Its really in a different class from the E-350

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  Engine replacement 52,000 miles $13,000.00 - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Lou Nischan - December 26 - 11:02 am

  Had a turbo replacement for the 05 CDI with no engine damage at 149,000 miles - no problem. Just was informed by the Greenwich Penske/MB dealer that the 2007 Bluetec had a blown turbo which destroyed the engine. Cost to repair $13,000.00 - market value around $8,000.00. The turbo parts enter the engine itself and destroy it. A known design problem which has happened to thousands of Bluetecs. MB Corporate says: "Tough, car is out of warranty - we decline any responsibility. We can refer you to a good junk dealer.

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  I hate this car! - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By sillygirl - December 26 - 8:03 am

  We bought this car with 34000 miles on it. It was great the first two years. Minor things going wrong only. After that many little things went and each part was very expensive. Check engine light was on almost always usually sensors but all the time it drove me crazy. The SUV was very comfy and had all the bells and whistles but not worth the hassle of needing to be fixed all the time. I am getting rid of it tomorrow and it will not be missed.We have a leak in the front that no one can figure out where it comes from too.

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  great car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By fun car - December 25 - 10:13 pm

  i bought the car a year ago i put close to 3 thousand miles an not a problem an the car still runs great