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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  Low quality over priced Chrysler - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By luxcardealer - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I onwed this car for year and half. Nice performance but it had engine oil leak, driver sit, mirrors, CD changer circuit breaks down, panic button never worked. This is the car made me never get a Mercedes again not for 84 grams.

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  Not worth the money - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By HPBCPA - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Do not purchase the sport package with the low profile tires. They are damaged much too easily as these tires cannot handle the rigors of everyday driving in Chicago,

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  Hyped - 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
  By czeal001 - July 28 - 7:48 pm

  Lags on low gears... salesman says "its normal for a turbo small engine.." Ive been driving volvo for over a decade now and never had a lad on their small engine. Test drove this CLA 2.0 and i had to stop on U-turn because could not get into gear... normal? Pretty dangerous if it lags like it is. You figure...

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  Electrical nightmare - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Muskmelon - July 25 - 4:30 am

  I have mothballed this car after a little over a month of driving. Cooling fan motor bearings bad ($830 for the part!), bad starter solenoid, entire center row of buttons on the dash do not function, small rust spots on fender seams, flickering headlights, intermittent trouble light telling me I have a bad bulb in the rear that is not bad. Cant get parts except from dealer and then they need to be programmed to the vehicle. I want my 1996 Ford Taurus back but until spring I will drive my 175,000 mile Suburban which is reliable and can be repaired with parts that are cheap and readily available. Car ran great for 2 weeks!

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  Air Conditioning Issue Driving Me Crazy! - 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By LovelyCeremony - July 25 - 2:20 am

  I bought my 2016 E350 after looking at several luxury makes. The ride, comfort, and features of the car were far superior to any others in its price class. However, an issue with the air conditioning has made owning this vehicle extremely frustrating, and unhappy about my decision to purchase a Mercedes, along with frustration and anger at their response. Heres the issue Im having -- with no pattern, rhyme or reason, and with no warning, the two air vents on either side of the steering wheel stop blowing cold air, and bring in hot, recirculated air, for about 5-10 seconds. Its a noticeable sensation, and very unpleasant, especially when driving in 98-degree heat! Ive brought the car to the dealership three times, leaving it there for a week at a time, and they say they have been "unable to duplicate" the issue. Since this occurs on a non-regular basis, obviously theyre not driving it enough to have it occur when theyre driving it! I finally contacted Mercedes-Benz USA, and got this explanation from the rep -- "if the dealership cant find a problem, then your vehicle is operating the way it was engineered to do." Please dont insult my intelligence and tell me that a $56,000 vehicle is supposed to have the air conditioning blow hot air through the drivers side vents whenever it chooses! I am going to give them one more chance this week -- supposedly a "technical specialist" is coming to look at it -- and then Im going to file a claim under the Florida "Lemon Law." This may be an unusual issue, but there needs to be a resolution -- which, in my opinion, is either fix my vehicle correctly, or give me a purchase credit, minus the miles Ive driven it, for a new vehicle. What was supposed to be a pleasurable experience in my Mercedes has turned into a big problem. If anyone else out there has had this issue, please post about it! Thank you!

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  The worst vehicle I ever own. - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By neversummer78 - July 19 - 2:57 am

  I purchased my 2012 ML350 Bluetec back in November 2011. After 2 weeks, the first problem I had was car was pulling to the right at highway speed. After left it with the dealer for about a week, they finally realized that it was bad tire which took them a few more days to get replacement. Next, I was having problem with car loosing power when driving over a long distance or for a few hours. There is no error message on the dashboard nor that the dealer can replicate. Anyway, I start documenting them on video using my phone. They finally acknowledge but still no solution for it. Along with the car loosing power, I was getting error with PRE-SAFE Inoperative error and Ad-Blue low level

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  SE320 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Yen - July 6 - 11:00 am

  Cheap materials both interior and exterior for an expensive car. Engine very quiet. Fixed A/C, radio in first year.

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  Poor delivery, poor dealership - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By ad wood - July 6 - 10:46 am

  Maintenence expense for this car exceeded $10,000 in the first two years. The quality was a disgrace. Major components had to be replaced. Finally found an independent machanic who virtually rebuilt it for us. Now it is a great car. Mercedes should be ashamed of the quality of this car.

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  Update to previous review - 2007 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By JulesH - July 4 - 7:53 pm

  Ive had this vehicle now for 5 months. It has been in the shop several times. It is not reliable and I cannot recommend it. The steering wheel shock absorber was replaced and front end was aligned, the entire headlight bulb assembly had to be reworked to fix an electrical short (this took 3 trips to the dealer) and the passenger side door had to be realigned since it would not close properly. This was all within the 1st. week of ownership. Then the rear door lock went and now the rear window washer does not work. Car is a time bomb. The dealer is now offering to buy it back after my complaints. It was supposed to be CPOd, but problems since day 1 have been occurring.

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  Wish I bought my 2013 C Class - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By JM - May 13 - 5:05 am

  I leased a 2015 C Class when the lease was up on my 2013 and now I regret not buying the 2013. I like the interior on the 2015 much better and the styling is okay, but I absolutely hate the turbo 4. I have tried all modes and this engine has a great deal of turbo lag. Dealer says "thats just the way it is". I have to floor the car sometimes when merging on the highway and constantly use the paddle shifts because the engine does not seem to shift at the right time (in my opinion). The engine clouds my whole opinion of the car...Hoping I can get out of the lease early.