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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  SL500 - Good and Bad - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Boybuddah - April 29 - 10:00 am

  The SL500 is my dream car...and also my nightmare. The car looks and drives awesome. But I have had it 3 weeks and it has been in the shop 3 times because the front xenon headlight continues to stop working...which makes its dangerous for night driving. The service dept. has yet to figure out a solution. But like a Jaguar, it looks great SITTING in the garage!

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  da car - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By bdawg223 - April 29 - 10:00 am

  this caar is the best thing that has ever hapened to me

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  SL500-The Best - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By jssurab - April 29 - 10:00 am

  I have had excellent experience with the car. Its styling and design is the best there is. It has plenty of power and the use of the top is easy. The computer controls take some time getting used to and the navigation is not easy to use. Its fuel economy is what I expected, but is not great. Technolically, it has everything.

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  Whats Wrong with the 97 Mercedes 320? - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By gwendolyn Phillips - April 29 - 7:16 am

  I enjoy my car on the highway but in the city, the gas mileage is terrible. The car is designed so that the heat only comes in from the sides and not from the front which makes it cold in the winter. The center dash contains the windows buttons and trunk buttons and will short out if you have spillage. The leather is not the best either. It is hard. In addition, the car is hard to drive since it is only power assisted. There is only a cassette in the car. The styling is beautiful. It looks very much like some of the newer cars. I purchased it used with 38 thousand miles.

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  Trouble Free - 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Robert Amie Sr - April 28 - 10:17 pm

  Once you drive one, youll never go back to the cars that you use to buy.

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  Mercedes CLS - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By ryan - April 28 - 9:26 pm

  From the moment I drove the CLS off the car lot I felt like I was riding like a king. The CLS has everything that you would expect it to have. The ride was as if I was riding on air. Mercedes has really done it this time. I wanted to sleep in the car.

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  Stylish compromise - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Sailor - April 28 - 7:23 pm

  This vehicle is the perfect compromise for people like me who want carrying capacity, but dont want an SUV. It drives like a car, which is what I want, but has lots of carrying capacity. It is big, inside and out. What dont I like? I would like to see a split bench seat in the 2d row, to allow 7 passengers. And the navigation system is really user-UNfriendly. You basically have to stop the car to input info or make changes. And why is there no Bluetooth capability?

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  A very refined motorcar - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By loyal lexus owner - April 28 - 4:50 pm

  This automobile is fabulous in every aspect. More than enough useable power and acceleration. Excellent ride comfort with just the right amount of feedback. Unbelievably comfortable seats with flawless and beautifully understated interior. The command system is logical intuitive and easy to use. The voice activation system has yet to miss a beat. The stereo system is the best I have ever heard. Build quality and fit and finish are the best I have ever owned.

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  Outstanding!!! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Carlos - April 24 - 3:16 pm

  Had the car for about 15 months now and reliability has been excellent! Second Benz in a row I have owned. This is a great car, fun to drive with windows down and a attention getter!

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  Never again - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Shocked - April 23 - 9:00 pm

  Owned it 14 months, visited the shop 5 times( over 30 days of unresolved issues ). A nuisance and disappointment. The last issue : the heating diverting all air flow to the drivers side. I baked and the passengers froze. MB took 20 days to get new parts from Germany!. The new part was also defective so they had to swap the good elements to the original part in my car. MB USA when approached referred me back to the dealer. My only option is trade for another brand and forget MB