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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  Great vehicle - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Jim Brown - October 24 - 10:00 am

  This is a great vehicle. Its alot of fun to drive, has been the most reliable SUV I have ever owned.

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  Mercedes S550 - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By K. OBrien - October 23 - 11:13 pm

  The S550 is a great looking vehicle. However, my vehicle has been in the repair facility three times in less than two months of ownership and its still not fixed. The vehicle is on its third set of tires since I purchased it in June. It is also next to impossible to put fuel in the vehicle at a rate above a trickle.

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  Our ML350 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Car nut - October 23 - 3:53 pm

  We grew out of our C230 into a ML350. We live on a twisty two lane hwy so safety is a must. 5 stars all around sold us on safety. We love the looks and comfot. I love the cup holders. We looked at Lexus 330 and the safely features were optional, and my tall frame could not fit in the driver seat. Three 1,000 mile road trips a year and always trouble free and we can step out feeling refreshed after several hours. 24mpg at 75/80 mph. and 20mpg around town. Enough power to get out of the way or pass. Stable on corners too. Love the transmission and gear select. Over 45,000 miles and no problems, makes us glad we chose the ML. We also like the 10 to 15 thousand mile oil change intervals.

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  Hot Car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Rick_MB - October 23 - 1:00 pm

  Excellent handling and stability with an almost surgical attachment to the road when cornering a little too fast for those hairpin turns. Pickup very good although I debated between the 320 and the 500 won out, I almost wish I went for the E55 AMG which would have taken my horses from 302 to 467. Reliability as compared to my 2002 ML is far in away better although Ive got under 10k miles and have yet to see the yellow ! go on for any AWD action. Contour seats seem to breathe around you and those bladders fill and empty whenever you take a curve at high speed and it senses the g forces to hold you firmly in place. And the girls seem to like it also.

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  Very happy CLK 350 cabriolet owner - 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By ellefritz - October 23 - 4:55 am

  This is my first MB and Im in love; in fairness Ive owned mostly Toyotas and Hondas so its my first luxury ride but Im very impressed. After 6 months Ive had no mechanical issues (though my miles are very low). It looks great standing still and very very fun to drive. Wasnt sure how much Id use the convertible but I use it all the time, especially with the heated seats. I mostly drive in the city but am getting about 20 mpg combined city/highway.

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  E320 CDI- best car owned yet - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By blissful - October 22 - 11:36 pm

  Car is fully loaded with all but hands-free telephone option. The only minor complaint I have about interior is the headrest is too far forward and cannot be adjusted back at all (so far as I have figured out!) Ride is exceptionally smooth and the torque is awesome- when you put your foot down: Wheee!! The car is beautiful. Pano roof is good so far- extra light is nice. Rear seat could offer a bit more leg room at expense of trunk, IMHO (I am tall and have the seat all the way back). Good fuel economy so far. Keyless Go is wonderful. Love it all!! Just wish I had more places to go :>)

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  I love this car! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By dberry7578 - October 22 - 12:30 pm

  This is a awesome straight line monster. My wife and I love taking I- 95 and heading to Miami for any reason. The ability to pass anything at anytime is unbelievable. If you want a luxury performance vehicle, you cant beat the quality of the ride at the speeds of the best racing cars in the world.

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  ML 350 Great value! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Chaddy75 - October 20 - 7:33 am

  Coming from two BMWs (most recent being a newer model 7 series), I was going back and forth between the X5 and ML. I decided to go with the ML since the value was much greater and I like the ML design better. Also, the standard seats on the X5 were uncomfortable. Although I am accustomed to a smooth ride, I found the ML to drive very well especially considering its an SUV. I also like how the transmission shifs so smooth. I bought the ML 350 with premium 2 pkg, parktronic, Ipod and running boards. Unlike the review from spicoli on 3/17/2008, I do have Xenon headlights, rain sensing, power tailgate, driver/passenger memory seats and rear climate control and many other cool features.

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  Owner CLS 500 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Mike - October 19 - 3:16 pm

  Great car fun to drive, eats mountain roads. This is one of kind car that must be driven. Long trips are not a problem, it is easy to drive and plenty of truck space for those long weekends.

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  SL500 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Gus Triantis - October 19 - 2:00 am

  the car is great