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:

• 

  Mercedes dropped the ball - 2002 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By roosterly9 - January 8 - 8:02 am

  I bought my 2002 Silver arrow after I read very positive reviews here. It had 98000 miles on it, Everything you read here about the car being fun, powerfull, great looking is correct, but Man as fa as body goes no engineering work has been done. the plastic handle on emergency break broke, the button, and the handle on console brok, the button on storage net broke, just about everything you touch has broken, or breaks first time I touch, the signal light lense just fell off, MB insignia broke lose, the jak hole cover just fell off, and the insignificant piece is $211 only available at dealer. Car vibrates at speed over 60, tires are new and balanced, known issue. I do not recommend buying.

• 

  Safety, Comfort, Style and Value - 2005 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Dr. Mike - January 7 - 4:16 pm

  I have bought two of these cars in the last few months. The first was for my wife. She loved it so much, she would not let me near it. I had to get one for myself. It is quiet and solid. Definite first class ride and feel, and a great value in comparison. You can easily negotiate 15 to 20% off MSRP, making it a great buy for something you will love to drive for many years to come. I do love the gadgets. Voice activated system, great navigation, satellite radio, phone, and all the extra stuff I still need to learn about. My only criticism is MB did away with the included maintenance and some of the cloth interior, i.e. visor, etc look a little chintzy on this flagship model. A great car!

• 

  Very Nice Car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By linny - January 7 - 5:53 am

  Wonderful car with a lot of interior space, convenient features and Keyless Go is a really cool option that lets you not use your keys, its like a credit card, very neat.

• 

  Farewell to all that - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Jersey guy - January 6 - 12:46 pm

  Owned the car for 3 yrs, bought used at 38,500 mi. Beautifully styled exterior and luxurious, comfy interior -- wonderful to look at and to ride in. However, I have never owned a more problematic Benz (this is my fifth). Most of the issues were electronic defects, most notably gear shift that jammed in "P" because of defective sensor, which took dealer months to figure out; A/C sensor needed replacement after a few yrs; the V-belt broke apart on the highway, causing loss of power; front-end vibration required new engine mount; air suspens. struts replaced; CD remote multi-changer stopped working -- and more. I bid farewell to the car today, more in sorrow than in anger.

• 

  Great Hatchback - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By tdog - January 6 - 10:00 am

  This is a great hatchback. It is quiet, handles well, great build quality, and gets good gas mileage. For a little more than a Honda you get a Mercedes with all maintenance paid for 4 years. The C230 is peppy and fun to drive.

• 

  classic design - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By Jay - January 4 - 5:20 am

  do usual in depth checks. buy a vehicle that was local and was a cpo. mine has 80k and checked out fine. i only drive it on weekends. my mechanic said this will be fine. if driving the usual 15k/yr, just be ready for the usual expensive repairs. i had lexus sc430. benz has more of that 1 piece porsche feel to it vs lexus and more fun to drive. also liked the classic long nose look like old jag xk and sc400. lots of stuff you dont need but work with the manuel and all techno stuff gets easier to use. of course more stuff means more possible problems. buying used is great way to beat the big depreciation. the more i play with it, the more i like it. no mpg but dont care. didnt buy it for mpg

• 

  This is the car I ever wanted - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mr_ed_ - January 3 - 11:49 am

  Driving this SUV feels very robust and classy. The side lane assist has already saved me from several minor accidents. MB did a great internal and external design for this vehicle, much better than previous versions. Space in the back seats is great, my kids enjoy that feature. If you are looking for a high-end mid-size SUV, this is the best choice, beyond the X5, Acura, Cayenne or any other.

• 

  Wow - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Investor Man - January 2 - 2:53 am

  This is my first Mercedes. It handles like a dream. The car is quiet.The p2 package gives you all the toys. You get behind the wheel and just say wow! It is like owning a luxury car and a sports car all at once. You step on the gas and this car really gos.Gas mileage is actually pretty good for a eight cylinder.

• 

  Comfort zone - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By Philip Kennedy - January 1 - 8:13 pm

  Left the 330BMW convertible as it was both uncomfortable and small. The CL500 has made my wife and I feel that it has put us back in a smooth ride again it makes us feel very safe.The style is nice as there isnt a window bar betwween the front and back window giving you as close a feeling to being in a convertable. Very roomy with enough horse power to get onto a parkway that is moving at a fairly fast pace.

• 

  From an SUV to a MB - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By SC - January 1 - 5:20 am

  The ride, performance, and quality are very close to the Edmunds review. The change from a full size SUV to the C300 was a major concern as I am over 63". As it turns out I am confortable in the C300 with some legroom to spare. However I dont think many people could sit in the back behind me as the leg room is quite limited. The mpg savings will off-set the slight increase in payments. This is probably one of the best vehicles that I have owned. I highly recommend the C300.