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 Euro SUV - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Mark M - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I have just bought a brand new 2004 mercedes ml350 inspiration package, black on black. I test drove a Landrover Discovery and a Bmw X5, but did not like the responsiveness and handling of it. The ML350 is truly a great Euro SUV, its a Benz worth your money, it drives great, quiet inside, great and quick responsiveness, it looks small and light, but really it is roomy inside and kind of heavy which is great.

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  Lemon 2000 E430 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By dataminer - December 7 - 2:00 am

  This has been the worst vehicle for warranty repairs. I have had both outside mirrors replaced, one for a crack that appeared during the first Wisconsin winter and the second for a bad motor. I have had a water pump, a mass air flow sensor, an oxygen sensor, a fuel tank sensor, a window motor, a radiator bracket, both front end tie rods, the drivers seat leather cover replaced, and finally the passenger side visor (the automatic vanity mirror switch failed) replaced.

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  Every Car should be a Diesel - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By startupguy - December 6 - 4:10 am

  Finally, after 30 years of dreaming of buying a Mercedes Diesel, I finally have one. I purchased a used 2006 E320 CDI in November of 2009. I am beyond impressed. First, the vehicles systems are easy to access, air, fuel and air filters all are easy to access and change. I am a bit of a technical nut so this is important and it should be important to every person as it makes repairs cheaper. This car is built like a panzer tank. It effortlessly cruises at 100 and the economy is uncanny. I routinely get 40 MPG in MIXED DRIVING. My best is 45 MPG on a trip on Maine. This car is Quiet, and remarkable powerful. It blows away my BMW 3 series. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!

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  Love It - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MSP - December 5 - 10:00 am

  I have had my C240 2002 since August of last year and had no problem. Why buy another make of car, when you can buy a Mercedes in the 30s.

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  Great Car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Ed99 - December 5 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Mercedes. Grate car to own, excellent service provided by MB.

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  Incredible car! - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mike L - December 4 - 11:16 am

  I love this car. I just purchased as a certified pre- owned with only 9600 miles like new! I researched like crazy for my next car. I also looked at brand new Honda accords and BMW 1-series. I am so glad that I decided to buy my Mercedes c-class. Great pickup, luxury ride with a sporty feel as well. Solid build. Obvious quality. I give my highest recommendation!

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  Wind Noise---Room situation - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Troy - December 3 - 7:20 pm

  This is a car that I purchased for my wife, who had been driving a 2002 Audi A6. I realize this car is smaller and not designed to compete with the A6 (even the older 2002 Audi A6), however, things that she and I both notice everytime we drive it on the highway is the wind noise emulating from the winshield. In snow (we have 4Matic) it doesnt handle like the Quatro A6 shed grown to love...not even close...the back seat room is limited to children (no way 4 adults will be comfortable on a trip in this car. Lastly, the dash (she has the pop up nav screen version too) lacks style...it looks "american," and is outclassed by the new Cadillac CTS that it competes with...thats a first!

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  Update: True Exotic Mercedes Benz AMG - 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By D. Waters - December 3 - 7:00 am

  As an update, the fuel economy has averaged now around 19 mpg, which has now fully satisfied me. Also, the multi-contour air pressured seats are so comfortable that I no longer feel a need for automatic message seats. We decided to personally test the acceleration time for our car, and it ended up around 0 - 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, which is pretty close to what the dealer said it was.

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  The Best of The Best SUVs - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By TigerCt - December 2 - 10:00 am

  This SUV has been the best choice in an automobile purchase I have ever made. The ML320 is pure joy to drive and I love its style. Ive added 17" rims and grille guards, side rails and tail light grilles all by WAAG which gives the ML320 the "Urban Warrior" with class look. The MLs interior is extremely comfortable and the amazing color screen which acts as the radio/cd/ navigation/phone etc. is amazing.

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  My first mercedes benz - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By bsurgeon - December 2 - 10:00 am

  Have owned Lex-Porch-Ferr- This autio superior to all of those mentioned.The command center is fairly complicated and the location of the window controls is not conveniently located. The respnse to throttle is breathtaking. Please dont floor pedal if you are not ready .