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:

• 

  Great car - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By CaptainO - January 19 - 1:26 pm

  This has been an extremely reliable vehicle. I seldom have to take it in for anything other than routine maintenance.

• 

  Best Car Ever - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By sharksqueenbee - January 19 - 9:20 am

  We bought this car with 6 yrs old as CPO with 35K miles. I just flipped it to 200K miles last week. We purchased an extended warranty from MB and that was a good decision. We have faithfully maintained the car and without a doubt, I can say this is the BEST car Ive ever driven and/or owned. It is a tank. Over the years, Ive had it packed. Often times with 6 passengers as the kids loved the rear facing seats. Combined city/hwy mileage averages 23-25, which given the performance is hard to beat. This car is solid, rain (which we have a lot of in the PNW) and snow are not a problem. Looking to replace (just want something newer) and its going to be a tall order to beat this one.

• 

  Beautiful Car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Nittany - January 19 - 8:03 am

  This is easily the best car Ive ever driven or owned. I drove evrything from 330cics to Audi 4s, BMW 645, Saab, Volvo and nothing comes close to the ride, performance, driving experience and fun that this car has. Smooth as silk, but if you want acceleration it sure responds.

• 

  Great car but... - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By saul - January 19 - 1:03 am

  Great headturner, and we love everything about it, but it has been in the repair shop 8 out of the 45 days we have owned the car. Mercedes customer service, when they answer the phone timely, has been poor and disapointing. I hope customer service gets new phone lines and Mercedes gets the bugs out of the car.

• 

  Perfect combination - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jacques Dermosessian - January 18 - 10:43 pm

  The combination of the engine power relative to the body size & weight makes it just perfect! I have always disliked Mercedes shapes especially interior, but the C55 made me become a fan of Benz. I enjoy most the low profile exterior of the C55 that only specialists know whats going on inside that car. in sum, I like the mixture of luxury & sportiness of the C55 AMG. Last car was Audi A8 4.2 quattro, and the stability of the C55 when ESP is off gives you real adrenaline rush on turns because it is really designed in a responsive way and is willing to coop by the second with the drivers style. With all due modesty, you have to know how to drive the C55 to take out the cars frustration !

• 

  New C-230 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By darrell - January 18 - 4:33 am

  This is my first Mercedes. My family love it. I bought the C230 sport Mars red with sat. radio. It may have been a bit pricey but you get what you paid for. The transmission was a litle tricky but very used to it now. Gas mileage is very good for a premium only car. It gets plenty of attention. I get plenty of compliments. It is a weekend car and my wife cant get enough of driving it. I would recommend this car for entry level budget buyers. I will never buy nothing but Mercedes.

• 

  I Hate it - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Damon - January 18 - 1:06 am

  I own 2 Mercedes. The ML430 has had nothing but problems. I will not ever buy another Benz again. I thought it was just the ML430, but my SLK is also a money pit. Very disappointed with Mercedes

• 

  One major flaw - 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Larry Godwin - January 17 - 3:08 pm

  The one big flaw on this car may seem petty to some, but to me its a big deal. You cannot adjust the sun visor when using it on the side. For some ignorant reason, Mercedes removed the "sliding" feature which allowed one to move the visor forward or backward based on the suns position. To me this is a safety issue and a big mistake. I hope they correct it or I will look for a different manufacturer next time.

• 

  Mercedes-Benz for life! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MBconvert - January 17 - 2:30 am

  I bought this car because I thought "Wouldnt it be cool to own a Mercedes?" The answer is yes. The car takes care of everything and just lets you drive. Rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control, speed sensitive radio volume, excellent handling, decent power; they thought of everything. I am tall at 62", and I actually dont put the seat all the way back! At $23k for a 16 month-old car its a bargain. Ive only had one problem; the automatic climate control stopped working one very hot (100+ degrees) day, and I had to switch to manual controls. It started working again the next day. This car had been more reliable than my Toyota Celica, and a hell of a lot more fun.

• 

  Love IT - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By PS - January 16 - 3:30 pm

  I bought the new 2010 E350 couple of weeks ago and its absolute fun to drive, a great improvement over 2009 E350. The new design rocks and on top of it its cheaper than 2009. The got the sports + P1 package and with new design its looks more like 750 from inside. Go for it.