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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  Below average quality automobile - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Craig - December 31 - 10:00 pm

  I have owned my E320 since new--10+ years. In that period of time, I have spent an average $422 a month on routine service and an average of $534 per month on repairs. Repairs like 3 window regulators; rear differential seals (recall item); CD player went south after 5 years; leaky transmission plug replaced twice; right and left 02 sensors; vibration damper recall; airflow sensor; broken front coil spring; crankshaft sensor; entire rear tail lamp assembly. I have 120,000 miles on it. Granted a few but I dont expect repairs like from MB. I have owned a number of other autos and have not replaced anything like the things I replaced/repaired on this auto.

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  Love it - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bill - December 31 - 8:20 pm

  Most fun Ive had driving a car in a long time. And in a city where BMW builds cars, the new design and AMG body panels get a lot of compliments.

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  THE SUV - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Darkmann - December 30 - 10:00 am

  The ML has a lot of minor annoying build quality problems and this distracts from the capability of the truck. A good dealership makes the difference between frustration and having an excellent ownership experience. Now, the ML is a great deal in the market. The drive is great and its offroad prowess is really second to none, not even the Cayenne can keep up!! The ML500 is the choice and the best SUV deal anywhere, period.

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  All good - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Evan - December 30 - 10:00 am

  I love this vehicle! thats pretty much all i have to say.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Mike Caron - December 29 - 2:10 pm

  I have thoroughly enjoyed this car. Have owned 3 BMWs and Alfa Romeo Spider, the last year in the US and on and on and there is nothing like the head turning luxury and performance that you find in this automobile. I am amazed every time some kid pulls up next to me on the highway in some souped up car at how much guts this car has on the open road. Sounds good, and Ive literally gotten standing ovations when the top goes down in all its glory!

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  Second SL55 AMG - 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By 4ocious - December 28 - 10:36 am

  After driving an 06 SL55 AMG I traded my fully optioned and modified 04 CLK55 AMG for this fully optioned car with the 030 Performance Package. I had it less than a month when it was totaled on 12/31/08. I am so impressed by this car I bought an 07 SL55 AMG with the 030 and all options after the insurance claims were settled. For comparison I tested the 09 Shelby GT500KR, 09 Chev Corvette Z06, 07 BMW 650i convt, 08 BMW 550 Sport and an 08 SL550 Sport. I even considered an 08 CLK63 Black Series. Personally, I think the SLs are great cars that can do everything very well. Although it is not as nimble as my previous 03 BMW M5 and 02 M3 its still my 1st choice. Its stablemate is a great 05 E55.

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  Nightmare - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By DSMITH303 - December 28 - 10:00 am

  Thought this was my dream car, but it has turned out to be a nightmare! Ive had three air-compressed shocks go bad on me, each costs about $1,300 to fix, a ball joint, and a crankshaft sensor. Thank goodness I have a personal mechanic that does the work or Id probably go bankrupt soon. what else? I have a leak in the back of the car, which makes rainy days scary and the CD player is on the blink. There is no doubt that this is a beautiful car, but it seems as if I am waiting for the next thing to go wrong! This is not what I thought owning a Mercedes would be like. This is definitely the first and last Benz I am going to own, so much for my dream car. Seriously, I hope it gets better.

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  Practical and Fun - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jane in Laguna - December 26 - 1:20 am

  I was waiting to retire to buy a car that is fun to run around in, but also safe. Then I realized that it was dumb to drive a stodgy old car while I still have to commute. Why not get that new car and enjoy it now? So I picked the C230 Komp and never looked back. It has plenty of cargo space with the back seat down, is very maneuverable - a plus on the freeway - and fits my 67" husband comfortably with the seat adjusted. In short, it is a nice mix of function and fun.

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  Front Differential Seize Up - 2008 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By moebaz - December 24 - 7:39 am

  I was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green and I was moving forward at about 15-20 miles per hour, the car came to a sudden stop. The vehicle behind me almost ran into my back since there were no brake lights illuminated when this unfortunate malfunction took place. I immediately looked the control panel for any malfunction alarm and there were none. The root cause of the problem was front differential seize up without any warning. There were the right amount of oil in the reservoir so the problem was no due to lack of lubrication. The car was repaired by MB dealer and I was given a bill for (hold on to your pants) $8,252. I called MB customer service to find out if there are any recall on this malfunction. I was told none reported. I have a hard time believing that I am the only one with this problem. I almost came to a decision to sign over the title and have them sell the car to recover the repair cost. Obviously the dealer is not at fault here. However you would expect that a car of this caliber would be better designed and supported. As you have guessed I am unhappy with my MB. By the way if you are trying to sign on for MB online owner community and want to choose the username "UNHAPPY", you cant. It is already taken. Try it with some #s.

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  Near Perfect - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By S55 Fan - December 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought this over the S600 Twin Turbo after driving it. Other than a recurring rattle from below, the car has been to say the least, a phenominal automobile. I believe I drive the car to its limits and have consistently been able to run 0-60 times in the low 4 sec range (timed). I like to go sideways but when the traction is turned off, the computers still take over when your in a drift. Very annoying. CD based Nav has been addressed with the 04, and other than brakes needing new pads at 6000 miles, Ive been extremely impressed and very satisfied. Truely an awesome car.