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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  Mercedes SL5oo - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By M Barton - November 21 - 10:00 am

  Great fun, incredible pickup, beautiful lines. A dream of a car.

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  benz baby - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By cosmo2814 - November 21 - 10:00 am

  great car! and you look abfab in it! my only complaint is that the a/c isnt up to par

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  Fun to drive - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By newmercowner - November 20 - 10:06 pm

  I was looking at this car and the BMW 3 series and Plaza also has BMW. My family all liked the C300 better after test driving both (although, the 3 series was an auto and the Merc was 6 speed). So far the car is great, very smooth, enough power and room. I also test drove the Passat CC and felt that you had sunk into the car and it was hard to see out of it. The good thing about this car is that I didnt order any fancy electronic doo-dads and the only options on it are the ipod connector and wood dash trim. Overall, I would recommend this car because it is solidly built and drives well.

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  Great little car - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By TN Greg - November 20 - 9:43 pm

  We bought this car new after owning a 94 C280. Now, eight yrs later, everything still works like new, the interior leather looks great, and it still gets 30 mpg on the highway. We have been religious about maintenance and the only repair issue weve faced is when the AC went out at 100,000 miles. Paint has held up very well, also. Im sure it helps that my wife drives the car and she drives like an 80 yr old granny; but still, after this many yrs and miles, to still not have even one oil leak is, I think, a testament to how well this car was built. I would drive it anywhere w/o hesitation.

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  High quality - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Theron110 - November 20 - 3:56 pm

  Im still amazed and pleased by the quality and design of this car. It is problem free, even after 6 years, and the engine is as smooth, powerful. and reliable as ever. And its as safe as cars can get. The interior is pure luxury with some of the highest quality materials and the exterior design is beautiful yet understated. Mercedes never "over-designs" like many of the luxury Japanese manufacturers so the styling ages very well. It is expensive to maintain, however. The dealerships are always anxious to squeeze as much out of you as they can. But you get what you pay for and, for me, its worth every penny. The oldest car manufacturer on the planet knows how to build cars very well.

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  I Expected More From Benz - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Don O. - November 20 - 2:00 am

  Bought this 97 E320 used in early 2002. I now have 180,000 miles on it. Engine remains reliable, but thats about it. My entire instrument panel is not functioning (dealer replaced ignition switch, which did nothing!!). AC died 2 years ago (dealer replaced dash heating unit, which did nothing!!) Car is rusting badly.

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  My Favorite Car - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Dave C. - November 20 - 12:26 am

  I have owned a LOT of cars (3 Mercedes) and this is my favorite out of all of them. I love the styling; it seems timeless. Exterior proportions are perfect, and quality is excellent. The interior is laid out perfectly, and the workmanship is Mercedes (i.e. the very best.) Handling is excellent, though a little heavy at low speeds. This car loves high speed cruising. The engine is super. Transmission is the best I have ever driven. Brakes & suspension are very good. Amazing sound system. So far, I have no unexpected maintenance issues (130K miles), but I am using a very small amount of oil. Not uncommon for mileage. Fuel consumption amazing: 31mpg highway, 26-27 average. Zero complaints.

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  Problems - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By c-class no good - November 19 - 5:43 pm

  So my fiance got a C230. Had 400 miles when we met. But noticed a weird noise so took it to dealer and they replaced power steering assembly and that was at 400 miles! Then at 5000 miles idler pulley was replaced and sunroof needed reprogramming. Then now at 7600ish miles annoying rattling noise started to appear. This is a fun car but not really reliable vehicle. I cannot imagine drivng this vehicle without a warranty.

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  Tiger Tank - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Shovelhead - November 19 - 12:40 pm

  We purchased our 02 as a CPO ML. It was just turned in on a lease with 23k on it. Wanted safety. The engine is performs very well. Smooth, fast and reliable. Performs from 0-60 with no flat spot. The ride is good for an SUV. We had ae minor axle and trans seal leak repaired. The MLs traction and stability control work excellent. Drive in icy conditions cant even tell the road surface is slick until we get out to walk. It corners well and stops well. Solid, safe, built like Tiger tank. Neighbor works in ER level 3. Lexus LX470 (large SUV) crossed center line on interstate. Hit ML on front and side. ML occupants good shape, Lexus driver died. Worth every penny in safety and broken bones

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  Wonderful Car - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Sajjid - November 19 - 1:13 am

  Excellent vehicle! I have had it for 41 Months and I think it is a very nice vehicle. I only wish it could handle an sd card larger than 2 gigs. It also needs a larger hard drive and it should be able to handle music too. Also, recommend that you get the 18" wheels and tires and not the 19" AMG because they only last 10k miles max.