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 car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By john graff - May 30 - 2:00 am

  Ive really enjoy the build quality and preformance. Its hard to image a hatch back could get much better. The 230K has many of the nice features from the Smart. Cool

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  Lisas E Class - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Lisa Brown - May 30 - 2:00 am

  The e class has plenty of room for me and my kids, very fun to drive and very stylish. Comes in great colors, I love the new design it takes away from the stuffy boxy look that the previous cars had.

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  The Car - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Rabbi - May 30 - 2:00 am

  Has Premium performance just enough to get you out of there.

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  Best buy for under $40K - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jim - May 30 - 12:36 am

  This is my 2nd Mercedes C230 Kompressor and the 05 redesign is outstanding. I love the sporty aggressive stance it has. I recently had the misfortune of having a side impact collision with my car and I am so impressed with the stability of this car. Although the door was caved in on the passenger side, the air bags did not deploy thanks to the child safety component and the car really held its ground. I was shaken but unhurt. This was one of the main reasons I bought this car. Its economical to operate and it gives you the rock solid feel of a well built car while it still gives you ability to have fun. I traded an 04 BMW 330I for my MB and I dont regret it at all. Safety, comfort and style.

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  King of the road - 2005 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By makandari - May 28 - 5:10 pm

  I purchased a 1005 Mercedes-Benz S430 and am very pleased with it. i have not had any problems with it so far.no problems. It has been very reliable and safe. I am waiting for the 2006 S-class. When you drive a Mercedes you do not want to drive any other car. It is king of the road.

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  CLS55 AMG - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By CLS55 AMG - May 26 - 6:56 pm

  Mercedes hit a bulls eye with this car. It is a user-friendly "bad boy" Its fun to drive an never lets you forget that you are in an amazing blend of raw power and forgiving, state of the art engineering.

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  The Best Ive Had - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Mansam - May 26 - 2:23 am

  Ive had 3 Acuras & they have been very "Tight." No problems at all but my New 320E has been even better! There hasnt been ONE Problem in almost 4000 miles! Very quiet, great power and style. My gas mileage is better than my Acura, getting about 22 mph in the city & about 28 highway!

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  Loved the car for the past 18yrs - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Jennifer - May 26 - 1:02 am

  Have this car for the past 14years. Very much love my car because how reliable it is for me to get around. Usually the car dont have any major issue except for the normal wear and tear (e.g break pad, rotors, head light, minor oil leak). What I love about this car is that is made in the USA, except for the engine, which means that when they have to make any repairs it wont cost me an arm or a leg for the parts. Most expensive repairs I have to make was to put a new AC after the car reaches age 10. Unfortunately, my car has reach its limit and the cost to repair the car is not worth the value of the car. I will say this car was worth what I paid for and I will buy another Mercedes again.

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  Nice Car, but Very Costly to Maintain - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By flomasta77 - May 25 - 11:20 pm

  Although we bought this car used, it has only been fun to drive for the first 4000 miles, then major things started breaking down in this car. Computer Module at 90k, $1000 repair. Then, cracked radiator at 92k, $900 repair. Then, 110k, tension belt and pulley blow out, $550 repair. Also, these repair are being done by mechanic, which is way less than what the dealer would charge. Normal wear and tear items like tires, brakes, and oil changes are very costly. Its a nice car, but it is becoming really difficult maintaining this vehicle. Also, the interior trim was made with cheap plastic, and is breaking. We expected better from a Mercedes-Benz product, and will not buy another.

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  The Machine - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Stan - May 25 - 11:10 pm

  This is the best "sedan" on the market for less than 60K. After a test drive in the S4, I was sold. The C55 is worth the extra $8K. The visability in the S4 is terrible and the Audi "V8" feels and sounds more like a turbocharged V6. I looked at the CTS- V and didnt bother to test drive it. The interior looked like crap. Caddy needs to get on board if they plan to sell cars in that price range. The C55 is a machine and handles like a car should. I test drove a CL65 ($235K)and the car did not make the driver feel that you were in control. The C55 is the only Mercedes-Benz that I have driven that felt like a BMW. I cannot understand why one would buy an E320 or E500 instead of a C55.