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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  Youre The Top - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Len Lutt - April 27 - 10:00 am

  As Cole Porter said, Youre The Top. As a long time BMW and more recently Mercedes-Benz owner, I have to say this car is the Top. Since I purchased my E500 in December its behavious has been impecable. Problems to date - none. This car replaced a 2000 E430 and totally out classes it in every way. It also blows away my most recent BMW 5 Series. No, its not quite as agile as the 5, but I live in Florida now and the mountain roads I used to play on aare mostly a thing of the past. Frankly, the superior accomodations of the E more than make up for it. If you want a car that does everything right, then get this car. Remember - you get what you pay for!

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  Destroys Tires - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Edward Vinca - April 26 - 11:50 am

  After 17,000 miles, tires developed excessive thumping. After a couple of conversations with the dealer, the dealer, as a favor, agreed to replace the tires, but I was responsible for the four wheel alignment. After 11,000 miles on the second set of tires, the thumping came back. Dealership agreed to check the alignment. According to them, it was within specs. They told me to talk to Michelin Tires. Michelin agreed to replace the tires as a favor. However, they are no longer responsible for wearing of the tires. So at this point, the car having 28,000 miles, the third set of tires has been put on. Mercedes will not accept this problem as their responsibility. HELP!

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  Great Car to own / drive. Scheduled Service Costly - 2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By linwood walker - April 26 - 7:07 am

  ll and all very satisfied with exception of maintenance cost. When you go to a Mercedes Benz dealer be prepared to sacrifice a Kidney. The charges are out rages. You pay several hundreds of dollars for service like a oil / filter change. Compared to a regular car you get the feeling Mercedes is bending you over because you are driving a Mercedes. Other than the service rip off I feel this is a great vehicle and would buy the newer model when I trade in.

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  2006 R500, Unfortunate Disaster, 74K miles - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By moffaman - April 26 - 4:48 am

  I bought this car certified and have had problem after problem beginning with a water issue that caused electrical problems. Which, despite the knowledge of this problem Mercedes didnt want to admit it existed. They never fully addressed the problem until my warranty coverage was up, then they insisted we put the $7K claim through MY insurance. A few months later I had to spend $3,200 more to fix a rear suspension problem....now 60 days later Im looking at $2,500 for a differential. I havent even touched on the problems with the steering column, or the window switches that dont work because the entire panel simply fell out of the drivers side door one day.

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  This is an exclusive SUV - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Fay - April 25 - 10:53 pm

  I traded my 2001 ML430 in for this and they ML430 came with more options like a sky view top this one only comes with a normal sunroof, this one also doesnt come with a cd-changer. Other than that the car runs like a dream and it is so powerful considering it only uses a little gas.The third row seat doesnt realy have that much room but it does its job.I test drove the BMW X5 which looks better that they ML but compared to the way the ML drives the X5 is junk and they X5 doesnt have safes or a third row of seats.

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  Worst car experience - 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By dianeh1 - April 24 - 2:08 pm

  Will never own a Mercedes again. Non-stop money-pit from the day I bought it to the day I sold it. Beware the air suspension on Mercedes-Benz. Mine went "out" every six months or so. Paint peeled off around the windows just when it was out of warranty. I estimate I spent $6,000 a year in repairs. It is also a huge gas guzzler.

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  Paint and body work worst than anything - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Calcium - April 24 - 2:16 am

  Dont buy Mercedes. I have S550 and GLK350 Both purchased new. The S550 got very bad transmission when shift in automatic from 2nd to 3rd gear. Engine vibrate and shake the whole car when unexpected. Rear tires only last 10K miles. it always wear out in the center, I use recommended tire pressure of 35psi. GLK350 Very bad paint job. The clear coat got dust all over the car. The hood gap on left and right are at least 1/2 different. Its a brand new car, this kind of gap only happens on car with front end accident. You dont expect these problem from brand new Mercedes!

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  First Merecedes, Right Choice - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By nhramnl - April 23 - 2:33 pm

  I just took delivery of a CPO 2007 E350 4Matic and love it. Have owned BMW and Audi in the past, but always wanted to own the Gold Standard. Power is surprisingly good for a 3.5 L engine, interior and exterior quality are outstanding. All I can say is there is a reason everybody wants to own a Mercedes. Best decision Ive made in a long, long. time.

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  Our second lemon! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Our SECOND LEMON!!! - April 23 - 2:40 am

  First we had R350. Gave that back w/in 1st mo.-too many probs w/transmission, thumping noise in rear when going over bumps, back hatch, & electrical probs. Upgraded 2 R500. Trans/electrical/back hatch (even after replacment)/srs sys/ nav sys & more! Car has keyless go-it started without a key twice! Several times after backing up, verifying car was in drive position, I pressed gas to go forward but car went backwards. Automatic trans.& rolls backwds like manual going up hills. Auto shifting between gears is jerky. It lurches forward when stepping on brake. Its been lemon lawed. People say "bad luck". No-bad car! Roadside assist. Came out 2 me 3 different times in 3 bad r350 loaners! Save yourself trouble

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  class all its own - 2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By a4lvr - April 22 - 9:09 pm

  I purchased my 2013 C300 luxury 4matic in November of 2012. The new dash redesign inspired by the E-Class was a big improvement over the old design. The ext and int fit and finish is flawless. Great V6 acceleration. The ride is firm, smooth & quiet. The opt leather seats are firm & comfortable but lack a full range of adjustment for the front seat bottoms. I get 27-30 mpg on the highway. 7 spd trans shifts smoothly. Nav system works well. Blind spot warning feature is excellent. Get the keyless go feature. Glove box is to small. The blue tooth phone system is very clear to the person being called. The last C-Class to be built in Germany for the US market. A car to keep for a long time.