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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  2004 E320 SPORT - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By vladimir isov - January 18 - 10:06 am

  There is nothing like a Mercedes-Benz. Here is the bottom line. Mercedes-Benz, like all cars, must be properly maintained inside and out for it to perform and be relied upon during its long life. These are highly advanced vehicles which deserve much respect, and that means no cutting corners when it comes to maintenance and repairs. Most people complaining about their Benz either obtained it from poor care or have not been providing the proper care . I will admit, it does take a financial commitment to make this happen, but so does the proper care for a Honda Civic if you wish to have it running like new at 120K miles. I am blessed to have my 04 E320 Sport and its simply a great car.

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  102,000 Miles & still going strong - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By alapo51318 - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I love it. Bought it new in May of 1998 and have had no problems outside of normal wear. Runs great, looks great, rides great! This ML320 was a steal back in 98. Best vehicle I have ever owned in forty years of driving.

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  clk 320 - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By dggssmn - January 17 - 10:00 am

  great fun to drive, great fun to look at. enjoy everything about this car. have had 1 minor problem that the dealership is more than cooperative on.

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  Lemon - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By conrad - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Dont buy. In the last 14 months I had this car under warranty repair for 6 weeks.Towned from hwy twice!!!

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  Only The Best, Will Do! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By aflame - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Why didnt I drive this car before? My wife took our first test drive, riding in the back seat. Her opinion, "I have never paid much attention to cars, before. This is the only car I have ever really wanted!" If you drive this car, you won’t be able to enjoy any other automobile. You can have the S500, and other models. Our S430 frequently gets over 29 mpg, on trips, and 22-25 in city driving. Specifically, I got 29.4 mpg, driving from Memphis to Cincinnati. I have driven my 1990 Miata over 70,000 miles; yes, I still have it; and, yes, Ill keep it till I die; however, the S Class takes the same turns, almost as fast as the Miata; and, it doesnt lean as much.

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  My Mercedes C400 is the Worst Car Ive Ever Owned - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jennifer - January 15 - 3:57 pm

  Ive owned my Mercedes C400 for less than a year. Best car Ive ever driven. But like anything with astounding beauty and pedigree, its simply too high maintenance, too cold, and now, too unreliable to be practical. From issues with components not properly installed on delivery, door seals unraveling a week into ownership, two recalls, a lack of comfort in the cabin so extreme I don’t drive the car long distances, an engine stall in the street (sans key), service issues, and finally, total unreliability and failure; my C400 experience has been pretty disappointing. Id wait at least a few more generations before touching this model-- the glitches can be severe! Intuitive? Its smart enough to drive without a key within twenty feet, and stupid enough to stay in start mode and drain your battery, without any active attempt to start the car or even be present in the car for up to five (5) hours. How smart is that. Dont let your kids touch that button! I found out. After meter parking the car in NYC, and returning several times to re-load the meter and re-display my ticket inside the car’s dash window, locking the car every time, yet the car remained in active start mode until the battery died, with no error or warning message. Smart would be something different. If there is no active start (after pressing the start button) after a period of time--perhaps this super smart car should inform the occupant, via its intuitive messaging system (no one but Mercedes can decode your car— so they tell me-- hows that for transparency), that if no ignition is attempted within X period of time, the power will terminate, and preserve battery life. Now, that would be smart. The C400 is not that smart. At less than 3500 miles, the battery died and two attempts (one of which was by Mercedes) failed to remedy the problem without dealer interference, some 60 miles and three days away. Think about that. You are stuck in the middle of no where (to you, anyway), with a dead battery-- which can happen to anyone. Mercedes roadside assistance fails to charge the battery or offer any other diagnostics on the car, and leaves you to tow to their dealership, where only they can remedy the issue. Why? The C400 apparently needed an extra long charge, longer than another motorist, a tow truck or their own roadside assistance could seem to achieve when they attempted to jumpstart the car-- the electronics wouldnt even activate but to unlock the doors and leave them disarmed. A stalled battery is one thing-- and arguably my own fault. But who wants a car so smart it wont take a charge from anyone but Mercedes? While I believe the battery had, in fact, juiced itself into a coma, I also believe something went array with the car’s electrical and computer system, and the error was one that only Mercedes could clear. How’s that for holding yourself accountable. I had another safety issue with my Mercedes C400. One morning as I was rushing to work, I got in the car (kids in tow), started her up, and reversed into the street when the car stalled. Realizing I forgot my key, which was some twenty feet away, inside my house, it dawned on me how incredible it is that I was able to start my car and pull into a busy street, with no key in close proximity. After a recent trip to the dealership, this was corrected, it seems but the service manager refused to disclose it had been an issue to begin with. My dealership (the worst luxury dealer Ive ever encountered) insists there is nothing wrong with these cars and sales are robust, yet I have never seen another C400 on the road in my area. Seems to me Mercedes has some work to do in refining this model. I hope Mercedes will proactively recall any C400s with a safety issue and correct any defects in its messaging/electrical systems, if found, of course. Safety should be their top priority. Back to Audi. Tail between legs. Sigh. BTW, I offered my C400 back to the dealership (with less than 3500 miles). Not surprisingly, they passed.

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  Mercedes Does Not Mean Quality - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Richard Bailey - January 15 - 11:33 am

  Purchased my 2000 S430 as a pre-owned. It had 56,000 miles on it, and the rack & pinion had to be replaced. It also has a high rear-end gear noise between 50 and 60MPH. The driver side sun visor no longer stays in place, and I had to tape it to the roof. There is rear vibration between 60 and 80MPH, though it has new Continental tires balanced by the Mercedes dealer. An A/C sensor failed at 57,000 miles, which caused the unit to freeze up. The CD player has started locking up, though it has been cleaned.

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  Goodbye Audi - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Dan - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I had been driving an Audi a8l (2007) and a Ford escape hybrid (2008) I wanted to consolidate to 1 vehicle--it needed to be an upscale, fuel efficient, and fairly large SUV (I haave 3 dogs and no way were they getting into the Audi). I found that in 3 years my Audi had taken a $58,000 depreciation hit! Still I liked the q7 tdi, and had never owned a Mercedes--I was so put out by Audi, that I went across the street and fell in love with the gl 350 bluetec. Its sumptuous and amazingly comfortable interior, quiet, quiet ride, beautiful rear visibility and increased cargo over the q7 sold me. I love this car! I give it a thumbs up and [violative content deleted] to Audi!

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  Very pleased buying CPO - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By coadster - January 15 - 10:00 am

  Purchased recently CPO and must say - it probably was a real bargain. Car is exactly like brand new...fully covered by excellent warranty and saved a bundle by purchasing this way. Many are coming off leases and, after doing some serious research, finding the exact right one paid off!

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  Best car ever, and Ive had many: - 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Schnooky Glick - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I have had many convertibles and sports cars in my 67 years - and this is the best yet. Wonderful ride, plenty more acceleration that I really need, and with the top up or down, it feels as if everyone else is looking my way. Especially when the drivers pull along side on I-95, and fall in behind me.