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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  Tire eater from hell !!! - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Doctor Tire Eater - February 16 - 11:15 am

  I bought this loaded 2015 c 400 with 9oo miles from the local Mercedes dealer on December 31, 2016 for $41k. A good deal, but...It eats front tires to such a degree that I now regret buying it. As usual for the C 300 class, the front tires are smaller than the rear so you cant rotate them. At 8500 miles the front tires were worn out. These Continental run flats cost $675 for two of them. The luxury and power are seductive, but the relentless depreciation and high maintenance cost make me wish I would have just bought the juvenile Subaru WRX or super juvenile ( according to my wife) WRX STI. I like driving in the mountains twice a week but the maintenance costs of my C 400...really all Mercedes...make me regret purchasing them. If I drove in the mountains daily, I probably would only get 5,000 miles out of them!

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  S350 is a bargain - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By LanceL99 - February 15 - 6:50 pm

  I intended to purchase a new E350, but wound up with the S350. Its not as quick, but I preferred the 5-spd auto. My old E320 was a great car - this should be as well. $53,500 including Keyless Go & Trunk closer. What a deal!! Ride is awesome, bank vault quiet, frigid AC, huge cabin, all of the good features. Overall it is an exceptional buy!

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  I love it! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Anna Fortner - February 15 - 4:23 pm

  I love my E 350 Benz! Its not just a car, its an experience...every day! I look forward to the time I spend in it as it lends an escape to comfort. And when youre talking about performance...as far as Im concerned the "E" stands for excellence!

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  Beautiful Car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Thurmond - February 10 - 9:36 am

  I wanted a classic black MB that I could keep for a long time. This truly is one. I love the iconic look (double round headlights)of the car like a classic MB. The car is incredibly smooth and fun to drive. I took it in for service and was given a new 08 C300 to drive. It feels/looks like a Chrysler 300 on the inside...cheap cheap cheap. What was MB thinking. I couldnt be happier in my 3 year old MB which feels like a real MB compared to the new ones.

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  ML 350 Experience - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Hans - February 7 - 9:16 pm

  We have the car 2 years now, so far no technical problems. This is second Mercedes, the first one being an E320 4Matic. We came into the dealer to buy a C240 4Matic, but when my wife saw the 350, she was attracted to it. The price was very attractive so after a short test drive we decided to go for it. In retrospect, I kick myself for making such a spontaneous decision. The car is no comparision to the smoothness of the E320. This one feels really like a truck. But my main issues with the car are the engine and the fuel economy. The engine does not feel and sound like a Mercedes engine, it is underpowered and noisy, awful. Fuel consumption is horrible. Never will buy again.

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  Change that suspension - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By japhet - February 7 - 12:30 pm

  My GL has been into the dealers not less that four times in under 30,000km, mainly for suspension problems. In this distance I already have had both front and rear shocks changed and whatever else could be changed down there to reduce vibrations, road noise & wheel-bouncing. Rear windscreen wiper blade fell off just a few weeks into cars first rainy season & I ended up with a scratched rear screen. Vibrations have not stopped & make the car unpleasant to drive. Windows shake (ever so slightly, but you hear the click-click all the time you go over a bump). I have since learned that MB has used the same suspension components which are fitted on the ML! (GL is wider though). Anyone out there?

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  Lemonaid? - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By TexanTrue - February 7 - 12:23 pm

  Great looks and comfort, but in one year has been in the shop 4 times for a total of a month with all kinds of mechanical and electrical troubles. New steering rack, new rear suspension, rear deck closer, thumping into downshift at stops in tranny (numerous software updates), a 6- year old Navigation DVD supplied making Navigation system useless, rattles in body. Pages and pages of campaigns to fix mistakes in build each time I bring it in, but at least they fix it free and give a nice M-B loan car. But when its working, its a dream, and Ill buy the new Diesel ML-320 CDI version soon.

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  Never again - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Bengali - February 5 - 2:00 am

  Wanted to keep the vehicle for 1-10 years. On an average very yaer had to take to delare with issues like malfunction of radio or power windows or leak in gas pump etc evry 6 montsh isn teh first 2 years. Letley its been every 3-4 monthe we have had teh car breaking down. We are past teh warranty peiod so its comes out of our pocket to fix the vehicle. Have complained to no vail to Beck Imports.

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  my review - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Misalis - February 5 - 2:00 am

  all and all I love this car.It has lots of power.

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  Wow... - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By fightruc01 - February 5 - 2:00 am

  Along with the wonderful styling, the E500 is very powerful; the ride is so solid and satisfying. The breaks take getting used to, but after that you will like them. The only issue weve had is the trunk wont open sometimes, but other than that this car is a dream.