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:

• 

  LOVE MY CLK 500 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By David Silverstein - March 23 - 2:00 am

  I love it, got all the options!

• 

  Just Amazing performance - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Thomas J - March 23 - 2:00 am

  I just bought my new CLK 500, I had an Audi before this car. The CLK 500 is just amazing from a performance standpoint, it corners very well and has tons of power.

• 

  Only the outside rear view mirror.... - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By AdeP - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Im finally driving my new E320 2003 Sport package. No doubt superior in handling and looks that the plain E 320. Everything looks perfect. Only minor observations. The outside rear view mirror, on the drivers side, could very well be turned more to have a better, and safer, look, at incoming traffic when waiting to get into an expressway from a 45 degree intersection with a stop sign. Also the gas lid could be as solid as in previous models. Also the screen is too small. Time for corrections. Warning! MB dealers are slowly looking more and more like American automobile dealers. Watch out!

• 

  Avoid buying this lemon - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By JP122 - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Nothing but problems. Recalled 5 times. Electrical problems that the dealer couldnt figure out and cost me thousands. Problem solved, bought a new Lexus.

• 

  g500 solid and safe - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By f40chuck - March 21 - 10:00 am

  solid and safe feeling truck.great visability makes parking easy.strong motor and outstanding brakes.overall is a tight solid and safe vehicle.

• 

  Worth every penny - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By svlasco - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned this SUV for about 2 months now and so far it has been excellent. The attention it draws and the rocks it climbs. Youd feel like a celebrity everywhere you go. It is almost like driving a Ferrari, every car on the road wants to pace with you just to check it out, then they catch up to your window just to see whos driving. Definately one of the vehicles I will keep in my collection. The people who trash on this vehicle are usually the ones that couldnt afford it in the first place.

• 

  JUST ABOUT BEST MONEY CAN BUY - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By LETCHAW - March 21 - 10:00 am

  TRADED IN A 2004 MB 500. THAT CAR WAS A DELIGHT TO OWN, BUT NOW WITH THE CL500S IT FEELS LIKE I AM FLOATING ON A SOFT CLOUD INTO HEAVEN. WISH I COULD HAVE HAD PARKTRONIC WITH IT, BUT DEALERS INVENTORY DID NOT HAVE ANY IN STOCK. AND I WANTED IT NOW, NOT LATER!

• 

  leaky trans - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By neepy - March 21 - 10:00 am

  2005 ml 500 sp edition.Transmission leaks after just 2000 miles , dealer replaced valve body, after two weeks , found a pool of trany fluid on the floor, back at dealer, not so sure about reliabilty , should of bought a Porsche pepper.

• 

  Amazing Vehicle - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Manohar - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I have traveled in the citty numerous times. It is also my every day driver. I have even used this car on long road trips, from Chicago to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and from Chicago to Niagra Falls. It is extremely comfortable for all occasions and I enjoy it to the fullest extent. It is the best car I have owned in my life.

• 

  2005 SL55 AMG - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By jason ray - March 21 - 10:00 am

  IT IS TOUGH TO KEEP THIS CAR UNDER 100MPH THE SL55 AMG IS AN UNBELIEVABLE RIDE AND EXTRA POWER TO SPARE WITH ITS SUPERCHARGED 493 HP AND 516 LBS OF TORQUE. THIS VEHICLE NUDGES OUT THE 03- 04 VIPER STOCK ON THE TRACK BUT IS STILL COMFORTABLE TO DRIVE ON A FEW HOUR TRIP UNLIKE ANY OTHER CAR IN THIS CLASS. THE BEST $125,000 EVER SPENT....