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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  Over Priced Junk - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Chip - December 16 - 4:43 am

  Mercedes Benz advertises and sells this as a sports sedan (C320WZ), not even close, I have had nothing but problems with this vehicle. The transmission and build quailty are awful at best. For a European sports sedan, its the wrost I have ever owned. Will never buy another Mercedes Benz product. Automatic transmission is absolutely the worst in the industry, and downshifts whenever it wants!

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  Piece of garbage on wheels... - 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  By John Paul Daley II - October 22 - 10:00 pm

  When I bought my 2015 4x4 Sprinter, I thought it was going to be amazing. By the third day I realized I had made a mistake. The van had a very bad noise coming from the back. It got worse, then the roof leaked. I had to drive it 4 hours to the nearest dealer to get it fixed and I had not even gotten it home yet. I fought with them over a rental as it was less than a week old. Took 14 days to fix while I was stranded and unable to work. the fixs didnt work and I entered into a months long battle to get repairs done. Ultimately the Van spent most of the first 90 days in the shop with no loaner. It is legally a lemon and MB USA agreed to buy it back but that was 30 days ago and they have said nothing since. The people who work at Corporate have no integrity to their word and they refuse to put anything in writing. I paid 55K for a van I have not been able to use. When I did use it, for its intended purpose cross country trips I was able to get just shy of 20K on the van before the power steering went out on a mountain Switchback. That put it back in the shop for more than a month and they have no explanation for how the hose came loose, and after more than 10K in parts and expenses working on the vibration/noise from the suspension, they come to the conclusion it is natural harmonics of the van. Again, not fixed, and still vibrating and no explanation for how a clamped and secure hose came off. The dealers have drank the kool aid and will lie and back up the Manufacturer on the record. Off the record they say the guys in Germany are a bunch of jerks who wont listen and treat the mechanics Like idiots who cant get it. After being out the van so long and having such horrendous support from both the dealers and the manufacturer, I would not recommend the van. when the first few months of ownership are so bad, you would think they would want it off the road and out of your hands so as to not prove just how bad it really is. Instead, they sent me a letter saying they are going to buy it back and then did nothing. Lawyers have told me they will drag this out as long as they can to save money since their attorneys are staff and they outsource the buyback process to a third party who is commissioned by giving you the lowest price they think they can. In other words they are paid to screw you, Literally. When you sum this up, its poorly manufactured and they cant fix the problem. Even worse is europeans from sprinter chat rooms are contacting me saying they have the same problems and want to know if I found a solution. They dont love the "natural Harmonics" answer. Worse is the popularity of the ford is killing resale value so I cant even sell it for a fair price and it is a few months old. Best offer is 15K less than I paid for it. 4 months old and a 15K discount.. Pretty Sad.

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  Two CLK Lemons in a row! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Rob Kennedy - September 20 - 2:53 pm

  I leased a 2001 that had nothing but problems. They assured me that it was extremely rare. Sucker! I leased a 2004 on condition that if I had problems they would let me out of the lease. Sucker! Even worse than the first one, and guess what, they wont even return my phone calls about getting out of the lease. The car spent so much time in the shop getting the same things fixed that I dont bother any more. Seats dont work, windshield makes cracking sounds, gas tank doesnt fill properly, cruise control analog/digital readings dont match, brakes squeal, and much more. Never get this car! My wifes BMW has never had a day of trouble. When I finally ditch this lemon Im going BMW.

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  UGLY - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By random - July 26 - 5:33 am

  nice inside bad outside

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  Biggest Mistake of my life - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Taken for a ride - June 13 - 10:00 am

  After 10 days of ownership an electrical short burned a hole in the headliner- in three years the engine has been replaced, 3rd set of brakes, fuel pump, srs system, abs failure, power steering problems, windowswitches, fuses, rattles, broken seat and heater, blown a/c--poor acceleration/decel- tranny issues undiagnosed. NEVER again- No one will give me a decent trade-in due to the vehicle history.

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  GL320-LEMON - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By gl320_lemon - June 11 - 12:52 pm

  Owned GL320 for 2 years. Nothing but problems. Very cheaply built, cheap and nasty components and plastic, e.g. some sort of plastic covering film started piling off the steering wheel controls. Fake wood trimmings, face leather, etc. Later on I discovered that it has common base and components with Jeep. Mercedes Customer Service is famously the worst (watch the Top Gear) and in deed it is!

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  You like the GL550, its garbage - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Rory - June 4 - 8:05 am

  Too many electronic issues...

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  Mistake of a lifetime - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By A. Shea - June 2 - 9:59 pm

  I have had nothing but issues from the moment I leased this car. I can start with it almost locking my 2 year old daughter inside the car, mind you it was in the summer where it reaches 95 degrees on an average day here in south Florida. It locked up on its own with the keys inside sitting in the front seat along with my purse, cell phone and house keys, I was just about to place my daughter in her carseat when this happened. Mercedes charged me $150 on the spot to get it open. It had "malfunctioned" they told me. The gas cap door gets stuck not allowing you to open it to put gas in. I had to drive to the dealership with no gas to get them to open it. The sensors on the cars are faulty and will go off with noone else in the road, they said "yea thats a thing they do." Forget about brining a large item home in the trunk, the car will not drive with the trunk tied open, nor will it drive if the door is not closed all the way, but will allow my 2 year old to open the car door from the inside while driving!!! There are no safety features to notify you of a car in a lane next to you and it has plenty of blindspots. There are many days when the car would brake on its own stopping short in traffic and me almost getting rear ended on several occasions. It is currently in the shop now because the cylinder in the engine has gone bad, and will need to replace the engine. The car hasnt even reached its second birthday. They are telling me that it is due to "bad gas" from the gas station and I will have to go through my insurance and sue the gas station, because it is not covered under the warranty. The list goes on and on, but I would highly recommend not leasing or purchasing this car. I am so thankful that it is just a lease and I am out of the nightmare in a year.

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  Diaappointed - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MAG - May 29 - 2:50 pm

  This vehicle has been a nightmare. The interior lights dim when the high beams are on so you cant see the screen for the radio and CD player. The seats are very difficult to fold down to carry large items. The battery died with no warning, the check engine light is on all the time,and we have been in for repairs constantly. The inconvenience is extremely aggravating. Plus the cupholders do not hold water bottles or coffeecups and the exterior paint chips every time I drive down the road. I will never buy another Mercedes!

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  I loved my Mercedes E350, but my E300 is unsafe - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Gerald Waldbaum - May 25 - 2:20 am

  The navigation on my E300 is so full of bugs that its risky to use it. For example, when I take a route that the car did not intend, it has trouble adjusting. After I changed my route yesterday, it told me to make a right turn (and then discovering that a right turn was not possible, told me a few seconds later to make a left turn. I strongly recommend that Mercedes fix the navigation in all 2017 E300s before someone gets killed using their navigation. Mercedes should also encourage E300 customers who have iPhones to use Apple Car Play for navigation.