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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  my carlsson clk - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By slickjimmy - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Great car... Lots of looks and great aftermarket accessories even if you’re not a big AMG fan.

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  I am upset with the build quality - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By fadanc - January 31 - 2:00 am

  The car is a nightmare in build quality and reliability. It is a shame that Mercedes Benz has done so lousy work with this model and charged its customers with prices as if were made in Germany.

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  Luxury abound but underpowered - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Aceofspade - January 28 - 12:19 pm

  Full of luxury options but should have had a bigger engine option for the real drivers.

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  Coupe de Grace - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By suds - January 26 - 8:26 pm

  An outstanding looking car thats solid, sporty and fun to drive on the open road. The 350 v-6 is a little underpowered when accelerating, especially compared to my previous ride.....a BMW 335i ( 300hp, twin turbo) This car feels larger and more solid, and safer than the bimmer though, and its exterior design is sleeker and more attractive to my taste. Give Mercedes a lot of credit for upgrading its design and updating the technology in the E-class while reducing the MSRP by $5,000. This is an extremely good value in its class. My odometer just turned 1,000 miles and Ive averaged 22.4 mpg overall.

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  great!!....but... - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By chi2616 - January 26 - 10:00 am

  Had it for three months now. Really a nice car, beautifully designed in and out, but with some annoying glitches. Clicking noise when accelerate. Lost of radio signal, error messages of ABS,ESP, SOS tele-aid failures, but mysteriously corrected itself? Annoying vibration from the electronically controlled brake. Otherwise, it drives great. I am keeping my 1990 E300 just in case. That old car was built like a tank and without the aforementioned glitches.

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  So far so good - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By diegogarcia - January 25 - 12:30 pm

  Bought pre-owned in 2007 with 20,000 miles on it. Quite a bit cheaper than a comparable X5, hence the decision for the ML. Added another 20,000 miles to it since then and no problems so far. Paint is peeling off the black window trim in places however. Only real issue was rear seat blower valve which MB fixed at no charge. Service at MB dealer is expensive, but generally in line with BMW, Audi etc. Used to drive a 2001 Jeep GC and the ML is in another league entirely when it comes to handling, traction on snow etc.

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  Mercedes name, but not quality - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By FASTJAKE - January 25 - 1:36 am

  I bought my Mercedes C230 in April 2007 and thought it would be a great car due to the Mercedes name. I was wrong. The car has lackluster power, very cramped inside, cant rotate tires, oil changes cost $200+, and just not the quality that Mercedes use to have. Recently traded it in on a Chevy Silverado and was informed that Mercedes also has not so great resale value compared to BMW.

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  First MB - 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By maxovrdriv - January 24 - 8:39 am

  This is my first Mercedes. Have owned BMW740 ( perhaps worst car I have ever owned) Infinity Q45, and Lexus LS 430. This car is as fun to drive as any of them . As far as ride quality goes, however, the Lexus is leaps and bounds in front of this car. However, I got this car for the performance and it has not let me down. This car jumps when your doing 40 and step on it. It is flat out fun to drive. My older Corvettes were to old to compare but insofar as fun factor, yea its right there. Seats are a little stiff, sound system is okay, nothing great. The nav system is so-so at best, seems like most in cars are years behind the cell phones anyway, but it does work.

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  Second thoughts - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By frank - January 22 - 11:33 pm

  We loved the car until twice the car ESP system went haywire and the car lost power, shook like a washing machine and lost steering. Pretty scary. No explanation could be found, every computer test passed, yet this happened twice, Could lead to an accident. Trying to follow up with a second check up but I doubt the cause will show up.

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  do not recommend - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By wchoi71 - January 22 - 7:23 am

  Before warmed up enough, a little too sluggish. Experienced a few glitches in the shift. I dont know why I cannot direct the heater toward feet only.