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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  Nothing like it! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Kevin DiBacco - October 29 - 10:00 am

  I test drove the BMW, Saab, Audi, caddy. The e320 blows them away. Benz is the top dog!

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  Saves me money in gasoline and repairs - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Roy - October 29 - 9:10 am

  40,000 miles in one year. 98% hi-way driving. Average 29.7 to 29.9MPG between oil changes

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  Great car - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By David Baron - October 28 - 1:37 pm

  Best Mercedes yet. This is my third E-Class and while I loved the E350 the new E300 is even better.

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  Jims ML Mercedes - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By JIM - October 28 - 8:00 am

  I really like this vehicle. It is more than I expected. It runs like a dream, drives wonderful, and the seats are outstanding. Workmanship is excellent both exterior and interior. I only wish it was 5 inches wider in the luggage compartment so golf clubs would fit sideways. I even hauled a large piece of furniture from Penn to VA Would consider buying another or its counter part the R350 wagon.

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  Love my ML500 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jrayer - October 26 - 11:53 am

  This is my second V8 ML; I had a 1999 ML430 and this one is considerably improved. The 430 had many quality issues but this one has been solid as a rock. I opted for the Sport package and this V8 haulsthe mail! The handling is quite amazing for a vehicle of this size. The driving position is great; you sit just high enough to get a good view of the traffic ahead. The only negatives are the goofy controls on the radio/navigation system, although you get used to it, and the fact of when these things are out of warranty, they are expensive to fix.

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  My best SUV yet - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Dean - October 25 - 6:06 pm

  This is the quietest vehicle wev eowned. Due to health problems, I have not had this one off road yet, but inclement weather driving has convinced me it is fully capable as any smooth road SUV. Jeeps, Hummers, G-wagon, etc., are the rock and mud SUVS, and the MLs are not in that group. Getting to the spot that you really need one of those, the new ML is at the top of the list.

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  Piece of junk - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ctpan - October 25 - 2:00 am

  Bought new and within the first week noticed a crack in the steering wheel. Dealer replaced. Then the brake light went out. Replaced. Then the license light went out. Remote refuses to work at times. About 3 months in, tried to back the car out on a winter day and as soon as I engaged reverse, the engine died. Should have been a sign along with the weird engine noises. Then at 18000 miles, a few weeks over a year old, the engine stalls on the highway. A plastic piece on the under side of the rear passenger door is also loose. The c240 is a complete waste of time and money. Stay away!

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  Great Car...and its only my first - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Berat3k - October 25 - 2:00 am

  great speed and performance. I like the way it handles and the way you can zip around turns. The only problems i have had with it is that is hard to see your blind spots and look behind you went parking or anything like that. Exterior has an awesome look and the interior is cool awesome!!

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  get out before warranty expiration - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By redfearn - October 24 - 10:00 am

  my truck handles like a sports car, and runs like the wind. however i who am notoriously light on the brakes go through a set of disc and rotors every 22000 miles. the dealership used regular oil instead of synthetic in the a and b services and it uses a good bit of oil. i have replaced the electrical controls for the windows every year. and the a and b services have increased in price from 79.00 for a and 179.00 for b. to 179.00 for a and up to 500.00 for b. i have noticed that the trade in value of this model hasnt held up as i thought it would for a suv that consumer reports rated as the best.

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  Exceeds Expectations - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By numex - October 24 - 10:00 am

  Purchased an off lease from dealer. Had 49.5K miles. Needed align and new tires. Having to learn how to drive RWD in KC winters. I have trouble falling in love with cars after having been a sales rep who got company cars for so long. I LOVE THIS CAR!! The drive, the feel, the quality even after the miles and years are exceeding my expectations. Now if I can only keep the rednecks with pickkups and American made cars from wanting to park too close to me to improve the looks of their vehicles....... and dinging my car......