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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  Poor Warranty from Mercedes Benz - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By nvbusa - April 30 - 8:05 pm

  Who would ever think you would need to replace a bumper seal?? My R350 apparently did and MB will not cover it. Poor craftsmanship I say. The seal went causing rain water to run into the seal and in the trunk, where the computer is causing it to short out. Now I am stuck with a $2,500.00 repair bill. My first and last Mercedes. Since they will NOT cover such a repair. Its not like a wear and tear item that I should have replaced. Not to mention the other 4 times it was towed in for electrical and computer issues. Leaving my wife and kids stranded on the highway. Mercedes Benz VERY POOR warranty choice.

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  ML550 Great! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By DWK - April 30 - 3:50 pm

  I purchased an 06 ML500 to replace my 2001 ML430. Loved it so much I just purchased a 2008 ML550. The motor is fantastic. The 550 is so smooth and fast, it blows away the 500 engine. Heated and cooled front seats, air suspension, and 19" AMG rims make the car the ultimate long distance cruiser. Handles the Canadian winter with no problem, and takes us skiing every weekend in style with heated rear seats for the kids. As my 4th ML since 1999, this one cant be beat. We plan to keep the ML500 and ML550 for a long time.

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  94 SL5Hundo - 1994 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Mike on the mic - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Nicest car Ive ever driven. Handles pretty well, and feels like a fast tank. The car I will sonn purchase is gonna have to compare well to the SL.

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  SUPER DUPER AMG - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By RON - April 29 - 10:00 am

  THE BEST CAR ON THE MARKET..... WELL WORTH THE MONEY I SPENT

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  SUPER DUPER AMG - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By ron - April 29 - 10:00 am

  THE BEST CAR ON THE MARKET..... WELL WORTH THE MONEY I SPENT

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  Good experience driving 2016 MB E350 4Matic - 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Joe - April 28 - 8:08 pm

  Well, this is my first MB and I must say that after almost 6 months of driving my used (2000 miles when bought) 2016 E350 Luxury AWD, I am very happy with my experience so far. The car (color black) looks classy all the time, and feels like I have a business suit on every time I drive it. I must say that the interior is acceptable, but not much to write home about, but performance is great and steering is responsive. I came from a 2011 Lexus ES 350, so much of the time I feel myself comparing my MB experience to the Lexus. I feel that the acceleration is about the same between the two cars (excellent), but the MB seems to clunk into downshifting when I punch the gas (Lexus was just as responsive, but smoother downshift). No biggie, but something I noticed during my need for acceleration where the Lexus was much smoother. Electronics on the Lexus were not as advanced, so it is not fair to compare the two cars in this category, although the MBs command system is a bit confusing to me at times and is not as intuitive as it should be. Ive driven in combined highway and city and the gas mileage has been pretty much as advertised (requires premium fuel). The ride is very comfortable (something I value, thus my selection of the luxury model over the sport). I did have problems rotating the tires on this car the first time around. I typically do this type of maintenance myself and I couldnt break the factory torqued lug nuts loose for the life of me, but an investment in a breaker bar quickly solved this problem. I love getting into this car for road trips and cranking up my favorite tunes on the stereo. Very classy looking car, quiet comfortable ride, tight response. Its not a sports car, but when I want to get up and go and take corners aggressively, it delivers a satisfying experience. Looking forward to driving in the snow and ice and challenging the AWD. Hopefully I will experience continued satisfaction and high reliability going forward. Ive driven the car for over 4000 miles now and Im very satisfied with my purchase. UPDATE AFTER 9000 miles - I still enjoy driving this great looking car. A stranger commented to me a few days ago, saying "great looking car" as we exited our cars in a parking lot. Ride is still tight and quiet. The one thing I continue to experience (but very willing to tolerate) is the kind of jerky motion as you press the accelerator from a stop. Again, my Lexus ES350 was smoother in this regard, but it does kind of give you a more sporty feel in my MB, and Im ok with it. Bottom line I still really like the looks and feel of driving this car. I feel like Im in that car commercial (not a Mercedes commercial) where Im always looking for a reason to get in my E350 beauty and drive it somewhere special. My excitement for this car has not faded one bit. Ive done an oil change, tire rotation and inspected the brakes. So far tire tread wear is minimal and wear is even across the tires and brake pads all still look great. I would definitely recommend this car for someone who is looking to ride in style, with the sports car response and capability sitting there patiently just waiting for the drivers queue to engage. ENJOY !!! Update in Snow/ice: Well, after almost 9,7000 miles I had my first opportunity to ride in about 3 inches of fresh snow (still snowing at the time). WOW, this car dug into the snow like I was riding a snowmobile. On a couple of occasions, on clear stretch of road I was a little aggressive with the accelerator just to see how the AWD would respond and boy was I impressed. The car kept on the straight and narrow, dug in and just lunged forward. Im real happy with performance in the snow and Ill have full confidence in traction and safety going forward if (when) the need ever arises to drive in messy weather again. Of course you always need to be careful when stopping (even with the best AWD and anti-lock braking), so leave plenty of room between you and the cars around you in such weather.

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  This is great - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Benzo - April 28 - 12:23 pm

  My fourth Benz. No problems, just plain fun. Looks good, unbelievable power. Surprising amount of room with the top up. First thing I did was take a two week road trip from Minneapolis to Denver to South Padre, Texas and back. Plenty of room for golf clubs and all our gear. Was a short 5000 miles as fast as this car moves and I was ready to go again right after we got back. Once a day (sometimes more) I get complimented "great car". Might be the last passenger car Ill ever buy.

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  I LOVE my New Used Car!!! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Shaqsgirl - April 27 - 4:53 pm

  I purchased this vehicle used after totaling my 1998 C class. I love it! I picked this year specifically because of the body style. I prefer this style to the newer models which are much smaller. So far Ive had no problems thanks to the former owner, who took such good care of it! I love the color (BLACK OPAL). It is a real head turner.

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  Nothing better the German engineering! - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Hdizzle - April 27 - 2:10 pm

  I bought a black 07 e350, and its wonderful. It has the sport package and only 21,055 miles on it! It was a lease, but i gotta say, that I will from now on, most likely buy Mercedes. The only "problem" that weve experienced, was the transmission ECU got a glitch, because i was shifting with Touch Shift while in comfort mode for an extended period of time, and i freaked out the tranny, so it went into limp home mode. i put the car in park, turned it off, and started it up again, and it reset itself, and everything has been fine since then. It is a wonderful car, and anyone looking to buy, should get one!

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  Great car poor reliability - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By rudochar - April 27 - 10:00 am

  This is a great fun to drive car with lot of power. However the reliability of the ML430 has taken the fun out of ownership. In the past year I have been at the dealer six times (on average every two months). I have had to replace break pads and rotors twice (every 8000 miles). I have had problems with the navigation system, windows, power steering pump, rack and pinion.