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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  Didnt know I was Buying a Chrysler! - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Bug - March 28 - 2:00 am

  My ML320 has been great mechanically but a disaster with the electronic systems. I have had problems with power windows, seats (both sides), sterio, cd player, overhead trip computer, gas gauge, heated seats, rear wipers, ac adapters and third row seats. Service has been great (Im on a first name basis with them). MB extended my warrantee but its not enough. It is in the shop too often, it takes 2 weeks for an appointment and then I have to wait for parts. Too many problems! I thought I was buying the best. How disappointing to find that I bought a very expensive Chrysler!

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  worst invest I am going back to Honda - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By sc1298 - March 22 - 8:21 am

  I purchased the ML 320CD as an upgrade to my 1988 Honda which after 200 thousand miles no major problems, never expected a MCB SUV will give me gray hair, I have changed several parts that in a less cheaper care start going bad close to 10 years, CD player went bad, the door lock went bad on the driver side one week later the passenger side is gone, the tire pressure sensor same story, bulbs blow weekly, now oxygen sensor need changing , changed the inlet port motor and now the disel filter need to change, the care is loosing power esp on an incline, the engine light is forever on, and the list goes on and on, i have spent at $10,000. for the year in repairs plus service, I am fed up, angry

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  Lemon - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By bynford - March 11 - 10:03 pm

  When I first bought the car I was in love!! I loved the way it looked and thought for the money Im in heaven! But... after 3 months of having the car it stopped in the middle of the road. I was mortified! The car needed a new transmission after 2300 miles. I got the car back and thought all was well.. until.. I got stuck 2 more times. Now a year later I am stuck with a lemon and going to court in a few weeks...

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  GL450 Falling apart at 65K miles - 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By beachbenz - March 9 - 12:34 pm

  Ive got a 2009 GL450 with 65K miles. My wife drives it for light suburban driving only. In general, we like the vehicle, but it has been in the shop at least every three months. We are now out of warranty and have had a flood of issues in the past month. Three weeks ago the driver-side door lock mechanism went out. The audio (radio, phone, everything) went out last week and the system needed to be reset. This week, both front struts went out and nearly killed her (car was out of control). The bill for the struts and the doorlock is $5K, but the dealer offered to pick-up some of the tab. Ive owned a lot of new mercedes, but wont buy another one.

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  Glad its gone - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Tom - March 8 - 3:06 am

  Just traded my 01 E320 4M with 118,600 kms for a 2006 Lexus GS300. I bought the E with 80,000 kms on it and a vibration cropped up between 60 kmph and 80kmph daily until it warmed up. Not tires, but a known problem with MB and they say it cant be fixed at London ON MB. Also 2 front fenders rusting through along with bottom of the doors,my problem not MBs, and various suspension issues. CD changer and audio system was all fuzzy sounding and the drivers chair creaked like an old lazyboy. Service got expensive and it was just time to let it go. It was disappointing because we thought we would have many years of service from this car but we became afraid that it would end up being worthless.

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  Mercedes R350 - 2008 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By jayw5 - March 7 - 2:26 am

  The Mercedes R350 is the worst car ever, visibility is poor but the car is very stable driving at high speeds. I purchased an extended warranty thinking that I was going to keep the car but I am rushing to get rid of it. The car only has 45,000 miles but have replaced the battery three times due to a faulty computer, and front shock @ 20,000 miles and the other front shock @ 40,000 miles. Each shock is $1,300 dollars, no mechanic want to touch it.

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  Truely a Disappointment - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Johnny-Benz - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Great looking car, but TOO MANY Probelems. I had to go to the dealer 9 times for repairs like linkage, shifter, sunshade, 3 sensors, keys didnt work, seats and more. From what I read from other C-class owners, I think it might be time for a class action lawsuit against Mercedes Benz !

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  A $40,000 Mistake - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Anthony O - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Dont be taken like we were... Had a 2001 ML320 which was absolutely horendous: Window switch panel replaced three times, Tele_Aid (like OnStar) controller replaced, brakes need to be replaced every 12K mi (with ROTORS every 2nd pad swap), poor fuel economy, trim peices that unsuspectingly fall off, glove compartment door hinge that breaks within the first 1K miles. Thought the ML350 would have all the bugs worked out. WRONG! Mercedes needs to listen to their customers a little more, and stop acting as though their cars are the best on the road. They act as though every time something goes awry, its YOUR fault.

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  Im scared - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jfdlaw - February 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought this thinking I would own it for years and put 150,000 miles on it. Five months later Im trying to get rid of it. So far its spent 20 days at the dealership. The shops been great, but the problems keep coming back. Power steering quit twice. Brakes quit (pedal to the floor) and took over a week to fix. Replaced shocks, brakes, all with less than 40k on the car. Whats worse is that every time it goes to the dealer they have to air ship parts from Alabama. Appearantly they are type specific for each car. I love driving the car, but I cant imagine the repair bills once it goes off warranty. Would I do it again? NO!

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  Worst Car I have ever owned - 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By daisy38 - January 27 - 11:14 pm

  Purchase the car in August 2014 with "all the bells and Whistles Barely drove it, was in the shop every 100 miles. Problems with computer, direct injection. Too many distractions, hard to work heat/ac. The cameras are distracting on the dash. Mercedes is buying the car back because it constantly breaks down and leaves me on the road. 2K miles on the car in 6 months and I drove mostly a loaner car. Not even sure I have a lux car, Ive been driving a loaner. Car was in the shop for a month, got it back and it broke down the next day, Mercedes hasnt even offered a loaner this time. Totally unreliable. If you look on this site you see dozens of them turned in with less than 5K miles.