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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  Best SUV I have ever driven! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Purple-Ginger - July 6 - 5:36 pm

  Have had the car for couple of months now. Great power under the hood - the turbo really makes a difference. The fuel economy is excellent. Once you get the hang of it you can get about 32MPG highway and about 20 city - I get about 25-26MPG for 50-50 city/highway. Not bad for an SUV with this size an power. Cant mention enough about the torque! All in all the best SUV I have driven (compared to Lexus, BMW models). Have taken it to the mountains - starts with ease and pure pleasure to drive up hill - gasoline engines are no match to the power!!!

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  This car is amazing - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
  By Ellis Hicks - July 6 - 2:30 pm

  Since taking delivery of my GLA in November 2014 I have grown to love this car. Although it my wifes car I cant get over how fun it is to drive. The smooth quite power is amazing the first time I really appreciate this car I was cruising on the FWY at 70 in 7th gear, I needed to accelerate quickly, pressed the gas pedal and the car just took off and never changed a gear. Its big enough for my golf clubs and luggage for 2 and thats all that matters to us. we did buy the GLA for cargo space just wanted a fun economical car for weekend getaways!

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  SL 500!!! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By G-Unit - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Awesome car w/ great performance and luxury of a Benz.

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  First SL - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By ec - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Modern look with classy lines. This 50th anniversary edition is true to the 1954 300SL in looks but a little light on performance. This car should be faster. Also, light knocking on acceleration is annoying. New 7 speed transmission is very smooth. Handling with 18 inch wheels is superb. Steering is a bit heavy at slow speeds and you can tell this is a heavy car. But at highway speeds, its a dream. If you have the money, this is the hardtop convertible to get.

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  Outstanding Value - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By al s - July 5 - 4:23 pm

  The MB 2006 C280 fourmatic is a fun car to own. I bought it for 26000 with almost 11000 miles on it. Its powerful and on long trips theres good fuel economy to be had, even around town 21-22 mpg isnt bad, on trips upwards of 30 mpg. Youll forget that the soul of this car is a sportscar. What will make you remember is its preformance and power. It handles quite well at high speeds on turns, and stops on a dime. The turning radius is very sharp too. I have driven many cars and this car might be the best for value. I absolutely would recommend the MB C280 fourmatic to anyone

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  Caveat Emptor - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By LVS - July 4 - 6:30 pm

  I purchased my CLK coupe in April of 06 and have regretted it every single day since. It looked beautiful at the dealership with its full Brabus tuning and appearance package. But as they say about Monets paintings; it was good from afar and far from good. The litany of problems with this car ranges from a new transmission at 20,000 miles to multiple broken window motors. And I dont even want to get started on the apocalyptic depreciation. In exactly 2 years of ownership, it is worth less than half of what I bought it for. It is such a terrible feeling to get into a car everyday and wonder what will go wrong with it next. So please take note and do not buy this car.

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  Best used car for the money! - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By El jacobo - July 4 - 10:33 am

  I had a Subaru Sti and replaced it with this. This is truly the last great Mercedes convertible! More like a rolls than a BMW. Elegant without being flashy. Great smooth transmission without a too big engine. Plenty of power but really a luxury car, not a sports car.

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  Not what I was expecting - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Jac - July 4 - 2:00 am

  Lots of electrical and electronic problems. Everytime the dealership repaired one problem they seemed to create (2). Example on 3rd attempt to get auto-up feature on window to stop dropping the window down, they pulled the door panel and found corrosion.Replaced window parts. Obviously the lost power to vital areas and scrambled all the memory features, mirror controls,etc. Back to the dealership for another week. Replaced windshield and damaged exterior and interior trim pieces. So many problems I dont remember them all.

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  Mercedes Diesel - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By vl39 - July 4 - 2:00 am

  Have been purchasing automobiles for 40 years, and this was my fifth(5) Mercedes. I have owned 1997 BMW740il, 1998 BMW328iC, Cadillacs, Pontiacs, 1961 Austin Healy. My 1998 E300TD is the best all around vehicle I have ever owned. Great mileage(>30mph), excellent handling and ride comfort, 0-60 in 8.5 seconds and 135mph top end with superb reliability. I have put on 91,000 road miles in 4 years with not one problem! I will sell this vehicle in the next few months because Mercedes has just announced they are bringing the diesel back to the US in the E class, a E270CDI, that will get 40mph.

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  Top Notch - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Edz auto - July 4 - 2:00 am

  This car is tight,controlled and the only car I have driven that has zero wind noise under any conditions. The only problem a first was the Goodyear tires that vibrated at highway speeds. Once they were replaced by Michelins this cars was like a jewel.