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 car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By Tom - August 19 - 11:43 am

  Comfortable, responsive, and very fast. Interior and exterior are beautiful. Fuel consumption is average for a car with this power. Back seat access could be better. Fun to drive

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  48,000 - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By malexgcab - August 19 - 11:36 am

  Bought the car with 35K miles. The ESP is great, you dont even feel it engaging. Seats are too stiff and lots of plastic. Steering feels heavy. Replaced all 4 rotors and pads for under $400, very easy-did it myself. Our Honda Pilot and Acura MDX beats the comfort factor and drivability but I feel very secure with ML specially when raining and snowing.

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  The Perfect SedanSports Car - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By John Greer - August 18 - 3:20 pm

  Standard of excelence that exceeds all expectations of comfort, design, and performance. Its muscle car performance will make a "hole" in the wind.

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  Dont Splash - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By DebbieT - August 18 - 10:00 am

  Nice car,looks good,performance nice...Need to do something with air intake on car,due to water intake ...Good luck in puddles

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  Great Value - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MHmbstl - August 18 - 10:00 am

  We looked at lots of competitors before we went with the 320 2dr coupe and feel great about the decision. This is a great value. Quiet, smooth, powerful ride and above average interior. The 320 has a lot more pep than the 230.

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  "Transformer!" - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By dfg - August 18 - 2:30 am

  As my son(6) says..."ahh sweeet, you got a transformer car!" Love the push button top up/down. And its hidden in the trunk. Stuck in traffic? No problem. Put the top up at the light! I love it all, but the cupholder is too far away, and radio station settings are too complicated. Plenty of room in the back seat. Trunk has enough room for shopping at Costco. Another drawback... too much attention.

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  Great Car, Great Price! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By nathanjt76 - August 18 - 2:00 am

  The car has been driven nearly 200 miles so far, and still have nearly 2/3 of a tank left. Ride is comfortable, controlled, quiet, but not distant from the driver. Performance is great. Looked at the BMW 3 Series Coupe, the Audi A4, Infiniti G35 Coupe. In all, the 230K Coupe was the best deal. Some fluff options found on the competition are not found on the Mercedes. Driving the C230K Coupe was all I needed to know the car was more solid than the Audi A4, less expensive than a BMW 3 Series Coupe, better built than the Infiniti G35 Coupe. Also, the Merc stands out from the rest. This is a TRUE Mercedes at an exceptional price point.

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  Emphasis on Ride/Comfort not Reliability - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By ZTG - August 17 - 5:20 am

  The R350 was a very good choice at the time of purchase because it was the first true cross-over that focused on room & comfort. The interior design is ingeniously ergonomic. The performance is quaite acceptable for a station- wagon type vehicle. Much to my surprise, there were quite a few intermittent reliability issues (i.e.; the rear hatch would drain the battery in wet conditions. MB did not figure this out until the hatch completely failed.

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  Luxury Car for Big Families - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By kmk - August 16 - 9:10 pm

  We have 4 kids of all ages and sizes. We found the R class to be the only luxury car to fit us all comfortably, especially the 3rd row. Very safe, fairly fuel efficient, and has a great ride!

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  Underrated - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By bknyc - August 16 - 5:26 pm

  Without getting technical this car has everything you would want in a convertible. Fun to drive. Fun to look at. Fun to be seen in. Fun to own. Just underrated!