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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  last mistake - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By lee1849 - July 14 - 10:00 am

  Unbeleivable that this car can have something go wrong every six months like clock work. I drove my Lexus for over 125000 miles with one repair (air) In 84000 miles I have had to replace both rear window motors, engine sensors twice, air fan unit,and a oil seal--a friend told me he carries oil in his trunk. I wont make this mistake again.

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  Wish it had more practical options. - 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Wish they did - July 6 - 10:35 pm

  The overall interior experience is great, for the two people in the front seats. The people in the rear are left with nothing better than the backseat of a Toyota carolla. I really wish that for the extra money you pay for a Mercedes compared to other German auto makers, you could get better optional features for the rear seats, such as heated rear seats or maybe even three zone climate control. The Bmw 3 series offers the option of heated rear seats, and Audi A4 offers both heated rear seats and three zone climate control. I dont know whats taking Mercedes so long to get with the program. The other crazy thing is, all of these options are available on the c class in Europe! I think that it would be beneficial for Mercedes to add these options to the c class AS WELL AS THE E CLASS. The e class has this same exact issue. It would be nice if Mercedes added these, especially for people who live in places where it gets cold.

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  Not the Legendary Reliability of Yester Years - 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By kwbenzer - June 17 - 7:44 am

  Generally I loved to drive this car. Reasonable performance for a full-size sedan. However, its exceedingly thirsty. As always, the published fuel economy is way more optimistic than real world driving condition. A typical mix of city and highway gets about 450km out of a 100l tank. Do the math -- consumption is generally high teens per 100km. After just over 4 years of age, and about 52000 kilometers, the transmission failed. The cost of parts and labour to replace the entire transmission was over $14,000. So wheres the "legendary reliability, to quote Mercedes? Its a legend!

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  MB poor quality - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By J S - June 12 - 2:00 am

  Brake pads replaced 15m and 30m mi.yellow light on in dash for something all the time. Oil comp test, had to add oil three times between oil changes. in shop 10 times 30m mi.

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  Not what they used to be. - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By waccamaw neck - May 29 - 10:00 am

  Had to rework braking system @35,000. Back seat is child-sized only. Reported resale is very good.

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  Disappionted - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Lisa - May 27 - 3:46 am

  This car looks amazing from the outside. The handling is exceptional, too bad there are too many problems. I drove this one off the lot and have had nothing but problems. The car veered to the right and it took Mercedes 3 trips to the dealer to fix. At 10K engine leaks. I have been in the shop 7 times in 18 months for a non working radio. After having a loaner for 14 weeks I finally got MBUSA to buy back this car. Too bad because I love to drive this car but tired of the problems. Mercedes is not what it used to be. Replaced it with a 2007 Lexus 350 .

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  Very Disappointed - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By P&M - April 22 - 2:33 am

  In the four years we have owned this vehicle reliability has been a major concern. Blinker bulbs have been replaced 4-5 times. The power seat became inoperative. Weve had Intermittent problems with sun roof and back window shade opening and closing properly. Power steering fluid leaked from the car. Air conditioning system failed to cool after 3.5 years, and the dealer originally could not find leak. Six months later, the same problem arose, the leak was found, and the repair cost $1800. Alternator recently failed while driving at highway speeds, the car stalled, almost causing a major traffic accident. Cost to repair $1000. The gas pedal is non-responsive when starting off from zero miles per hour.

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  Bad News - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By NewMexico - April 13 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle as a lot of power. The driver seat is comfortable the rest of the car is very uncortable. Very small if you have a family of two or more. Comes equiped with a horrible wind noise that sounds like you are driving a comfortable. Gussles gas 12 miles to the gal. Does not have hitch. Very disapointed for this type of money. Does not handle very well on turns.

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  Should have bought the Wagon - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MoLo - April 12 - 9:16 am

  Nothing but problems. Great concept but pretty poor quality. I bought this with the understanding that quality issues were resolved, unfortunately (for me amd MB) not the case.

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  pirus - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By piru - March 1 - 10:00 am

  For 76,000 Dlls. you expect something not as delicate. the tire replacement cover is very delicate alone is worth about 1000 dlls. for that money, the car should take care of me, not the other way around.