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 IVE EVER OWNED - 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By EVERALDO - March 17 - 2:00 am

  I love this car, it has to be one of the most beautiful cars on the road. Even now after 3.5 years people still stop and stare. The car is very reliable, Ive taken it in for every scheduled maintenance call, (the computer makes it easy to remember) and if it wasnt for the fact that my kids are getting to big to fit in the back seats, I would keep this car forever.

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  Best in Class - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Glider 8 - March 17 - 2:00 am

  A Great Everyday Vehicle which has not been fully appreciated by the auto critics.

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  What a disappointment! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Poughkeepsie Family - March 17 - 2:00 am

  We bought the Mercedes ML-320 with such excitement and high hopes. What a disappiontment to own a new car that keeps breaking down! Sure the dealer fixed each problem (though not the first time more than once) but the hastle of bringing the car in for repairs was significant. The car is peppy, but this seems to come at the expense of gas milage; we never acheived the EPA estimates even when driving the car gently. Yes, it has a third row of seats, but they are not convenient to use.

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  the good/bad/ugly - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By jaybird of nashville - March 17 - 2:00 am

  Car handles great on long and short drives. little things have gone wrong. EZ to fix pain to get done Ps radio antenna stinks.

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  Not reliable - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Tomas Hay - March 16 - 12:30 pm

  The interior set up with 6 separate captains seats fit our family perfectly, so we almost had to get this car. Unfortunately weve been underwhelmed by the performance of this car. The gears downshift suddenly with a "clunk" when coasting downhill. The steering is "gummy". Weve had this car in the dealership shop average every other month for mysterious problems like a chirping noise from the engine when idling, a recurring rubbing sensation from the bottom of the car when driving <40mph, a somewhat loud vibrating noise when coasting >50mph on fwy. The auto back hatch is slow. The nav toggle is hard to use. If the economy wasnt so bad wed get rid of this car in a heartbeat!

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  Very pleased - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By New Yorker - March 16 - 9:43 am

  Ive had the car for 5 months now and couldnt be more pleased. The car handles exactly like you would expect and has outstanding performance. I have the 500 convertible and it doesnt accelerate, it leaps forward. I can imagine how the 07 550 accelerates. I compared it to the Audi S4 and the BMW 6 convertibles. The only thing the Audi had on it was all wheel drive - but it came with a higher monthly lease cost. The BMW wasnt as attractive and the back seat was not worth having. The back seat on the Benz while not expansive can and has held 2 full size adults confortably. The convertible top works great although it could be a little faster and less sensitive to items in the trunk.

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  Good bye Lexus! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By John - March 14 - 10:33 pm

  I bought an Artic White C350 with Light Grey and Black interior mid- August (premium II pkg and Pano-roof) Waited over a month but it was worth it! I got rid of my Lexus 2003 IS300 and am very pleased. It accelerates smoothly and quickly, I love the 7 speed transmission. The seats are extremely comfortable. It is so much quieter than my previous IS and even quieter than the new generation IS250/350. The ride is extremely smooth and I can not tell you how people have stopped me on the road and walking by to tell me how great this car looks! I have never owned a car that recieves so much attention!

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  Mercedes Sedan Disguised as an SUV - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Jeff - March 14 - 3:00 am

  This is our second MB. We also own an 05 ML350 and have been very happy with it. My wife traded her 04 Acura MDX for the new GL. We looked at the new 07 Acura MDX and although the Acura appears to be a good value we were not impressed by the overall build quality of our 04 MDX vs 05 ML350. We also looked hard at the new BMW X5 V8 but determined it was no larger than the Acura MDX and takes you into the price range of the much larger, faster, smoother and more practical GL. We just hit 3,000 miles and we are still fighting over who gets to drive.

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  2009 G-CLASS - 2009 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By BERGTOLD - March 13 - 5:00 am

  I bought the new G because i was tired of all the 09 vehicles looking alike. well the G is all I hoped it would be as well as fun to own and drive. its not for everyone but its the ideal vehicle for me. THE ONLY NEGATIVE- IT GETS TOO MUCH ATTENTION.

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  Mercedes Not Worth the Aggravation - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bill - March 13 - 2:43 am

  Vehicle was purchased because I bought into the Mercedes mystique that their engineering was a far cut above all others. Not only was that a mistake I found that the required preventative maintenance you have to perform on this vehicle could make you deplete a small fortune. First year cost for preventative scheduled maintenance was about average it is the subsequent years that send you spinning. My average trips to the dealer for scheduled maintenance was hitting me for a bout $600 a pop and they hadnt got to the transmission/coolant flushes and etc yet. Best thing I did lately was trade this dog.