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 Car to Purchase! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Quinten - April 5 - 10:00 am

  This car speaks for itself. Nice horsepower, comfort, all the little toy gadgets to keep you occupied while enjoying everything in comfort. Favorite gadgets includes air climate control, controling radio volume/station selection/changing views to see on speedometer from the steering wheel. Also the sunscreen in the rearwindow as well as the cd player. The best part of it all is the ride. Dont let this car fool you its the greatest

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  Mercedes Saved The Best For The Last - 2005 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By Panzer - April 3 - 4:40 pm

  With a 469hp twin turbo V8 Kompressor engine this vehicle has prodigious power. The dual side exhaust sounds incredible. This beast will do zero to sixty in a little under 5.5 seconds which makes it the ultimate sleeper until they hear the substantial roar of the exhaust rattle their ear drums. However when the windows are up you can barely hear it. This is a tight vehicle to say the least. Mercedes teased us all by putting the V8 Kompressor in the last model year for the G - (or is it? - I have heard rumors of possibly continuing the G series under a different manufacturer)

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  2004 S600 Bi-Turbo - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By bmwerz - April 3 - 1:20 pm

  Its a great car, very powerful engine. I beat a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 with this car. My car has all the options available plus some more upgrades, so its a really nice car.

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  Fine looking piece of junk! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By steve - April 2 - 9:20 pm

  This cars exceptional styling belies the fact that just about everything that could go wrong with it will! It regularly goes into the shop with the unexpected. Brakes lasted less than 1 year. Transmission dealybop less than 3 months. Many more repairs----all costly. Never buy this car without an extended warranty!

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  Best Benz yet! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By CLK 320 - April 2 - 3:16 pm

  Ive owned 6 Mercedes, 2 of them SLs and this is by far the most comfortable and fun car yet!

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  Cant believe made such a costly mistake - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By dontuknome - April 2 - 1:10 pm

  Well when we took it for a test drive before buying was kind of impressed. Probably the feeling of "Mercedes" took over. But after about a month since we bought it, started hearing squeaky sounds from the back. Cant even pinpoint where they are coming from but surely while driving can here them. It has just about 800 miles. Cant imagine what it would be after few thousand miles... If I had the extra dough would have preferred BMW..

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  My First Car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By KB Osahan - April 2 - 5:46 am

  I remember seeing an advertisment for a C230 about a year ago saying "Remember how much you loved your first car? Imagin how much you will love your first Mercedes". This car is not only my first car (at 17), but also my first Mercedes. I guess it is for this reason that I am a little bias with my rating. However, this car truly is a wonderful car full of great acceleration and amazing interior comfort, not to mention a great sound system.

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  Its not that bad if youre previous car was a Range Rover:) - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By swfreeride - April 1 - 11:25 am

  Trust me when I say all European luxury SUVs have these kinds of issues. My previous car was a Range Rover HSE and a V8 Tuareg before that. Both had multiple air suspension issues, engine oil leaks, sensor failures, steering column replacements, etc... Friends with X5s dont fair well either. My RR even needed a drive shaft replacement. Fact of life unfortunately, if you want the luxury and style of the Euro SUVs the price you pay is well beyond the window sticker. The key is to enjoying the vehicle is pick the brand with a nearby dealership that treats you well and expect to spend your free time there:) - I tried the Lexus route for a year, just too bland and predictable.

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  Problems - 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By merc5 - April 1 - 6:11 am

  I have had this vehicle for 2 years and 5 months. Service has just finished replacing all of the front end bushings without an apparent cause for wear. 29522 miles of almost all highway miles and good roads. No off roading. After one year my gas gauge started malfunctioning. Service had to drop the tank and replace one gauge. I had a 2000ML with various problems including the same gauge issue. Nine years later and still issues that should never have happened. Mercedes service has been very good but none of these things should happen. Integrity is lacking. Too high a price to spend the time in service for things that should not fail so quickly. Transmission could shift a lot smoother.

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  What a car! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Rocketman - March 31 - 11:46 am

  I went into the dealership wanting to drive a C class but drove the E320 CDI first and drove off with it. This is my second MB and I am impressed with the power, quietness, performance, and MPG. This is the most impressive car that I have ever driven. It will make hybrid technology extinct. You owe it to yourself to drive this car.