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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  Superb Style-Some bugs to work out - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By PlanoCouple - December 2 - 10:00 am

  We purchased the 2004 E320 and have been driving it for 6 months now. Our Car is very stylish and fun to drive. It has fairly responsive performance, a very smooth ride and is very comfortable. Our car feels very safe and secure while maintaining a feel of agility on the road. One problem that it has been in the shop for, (4 times) is the auto exit feature. (Steering wheel and seat move back when you turn the car off) This glitch was very puzzling to the dealership. Luckily the service from our dealership with a loaner car etc, made this experience somewhat less irritating.

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  Not What It Once Was - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Lew Strand - December 2 - 3:10 am

  Ive owned several Mercedes Benz in the past, and I always loved the E Class. I really like the lines on the new E so I traded my 97 E 320 for this one. Its been in the shop far too many times, and I rarely drive it anymore. Ive replaced speakers, shocks, rear window, and have had several electrical issues. I traded my wifes ML430 for a BMW 5 Series, and I can tell you first hand, its a much better product. We liked the 5 Series so much, I bought a Z4 the next month. My lease is up in 11 months, and its by by Mercedes and welcome to another BMW. I hope Mercedes gets its act together; they have such beautiful cars.

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  This is my third MB - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By David Croft - December 1 - 6:20 am

  This is my third MB, and my second diesel, and I have enjoyed every one. Even though the 97 Diesel in a non turbo it has plenty of go. My fuel mileage averages upper 20s around town to low thirties on the highway. I bought the car with 106K on the odo and after two years and at 135K on the odo the only major maintenance required has been changing the glow plugs, which requires pulling the intake manifold. The car is a joy to drive, and I constantly get compliments on its looks. I guess I am just fortunate because I have not experienced the problems with any of my MBs that so many others in this forum seem to have. I hope to always be fortunate enough to own an MB.

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  4 month review - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By charles - December 1 - 5:46 am

  Good handling, adequate performance, fit and finish good. I have had the vehicle for four months and Im not convinced that reliability will be very good. Would not start on a couple ofoccasions. Dealer could not duplicate the problem. Not much room in rear seat for adults.

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  C230 - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By l1 - December 1 - 2:00 am

  I just purchased a 1999 C230 with only 17K. This car rides very nice. The supercharged engine is very fast and responsive. Great car.

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  Never again with RBM of Atlanta - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Atlanta E320 - December 1 - 2:00 am

  Way too many electrical problems and repeat visits to the selling dealership to continually repeat repairs and fix new problems arising from related repairs.

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  Mixed emotions - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Terry Jarosky - December 1 - 2:00 am

  I wrote a review 2 1/2weeks ago.Please revise. When you accelerate from stop you can hear a ping noise coming from the transmission.Two months ago the service dept. at Orland Mercedes corrected the problem for 6 weeks. Then the noise was audible again. When the car was returned for the same ping noise, I was informed that Mercedes declared the noise will not harm anything and it is acceptable. They were aware of the ping noise that was reported to them by others. I drove a new 2004 And no noise.For these 2 reasons: a) the mechanic corrected the noise for 6 weeks and b) the noise is on "some" other S55s. There must be a major defect somewhere.

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  myreview - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By TomBlairli - December 1 - 2:00 am

  At 63" tall, my biggest problem is with legroom, my VW golf had more, Im a little cramped on longer trips. Ride, handling are impeccable. Watch that speedometer, you can easily be going 20 mph faster than you realize.

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  I love this car! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By brcoen - December 1 - 2:00 am

  The design, performance...everything about this car is awesome! It handles great and will not dissapoint you. I drove everything including the 3- series, IS300, A4 Quattro, G35 and this was by far the best.

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  A fun to drive fuel efficient hatch - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Dmitry - December 1 - 1:16 am

  Wanted to share with everyone my experience with the 2005 C230 coupe. Bought the car when it had 17000 miles from a Nissan dealer. So far have put 11000 more miles. No problems at all. Best of all the fuel economy on the car is superb. I usually get 300-320 miles out of a tank combined city/highway driving. And I live in NYC. That should say a lot. Car has great handling, not very fast, but I think its because I have an auto, not a stick. Nonetheless for someone who wants a Benz that is compact, problem- free and fun to drive I really recommend the car. One other feature I like is that it comes from factory with a sport exhaust. Has that nice low sound when you accelerate. Thank you