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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  Danger New Brakes - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By James Powell - March 29 - 10:00 am

  MB has brake problems and cannot stop but does not want to admit for fear of recall and bad press. Settling claims for bad brakes. Great engine, poor suspension as the air goes out and the car literally rests on tires. Mercedes acting like General Motors in letting first year models be the quality mules. Buy an S without these bad brakes. It is cheaper for them but is your life worth it?

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  Brakes Dont Work - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By JC Powell - March 29 - 10:00 am

  This hi tech car does not have the bugs worked out yet. The new electronic brakes are not reliable. I ran into a car because the brakes would not work. MB sent someone to investigate but were unable to replicate so said drive it until it happens again! I am not their test dummy. Wait until they get the bugs out.

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  FALLING APART - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By MIKEXXX2 - March 23 - 2:00 am

  THE CAR HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS. HERE ARE A FEW, BRAKES, TRUNK NOISES, SMELLS, ROOF NOISE AND MANY OTHERS.

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  bad service - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By wenshen - March 6 - 5:58 pm

  This car keeps giving me problem. Every time the dealer charge me several hundreds just to check it. Once the dealer charge me $1000 for just checking the warning lights and not finding anything. The car is powerful and fun to drive in long-distance travels, but the bad service keep me away from buying a new benz car.

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  Disappointed Buyer - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Jez - March 4 - 12:40 am

  A few months after purchasing my vehicle the air bag light came on. The problem was fixed but another problem came up. The coolant level indicator appeared. Recently, the car has been brought in for steering bearing problems and the transmission jerks. The steering bearing, computer module, and transmission valve has been replaced. But the car still jerks. I have brought the car in for this problem 4 times. Now they are telling me that the jerking is normal. Ive never driven a car that jerks so I dont think its normal. Im so disappointed that I bought a Mercedes and it turned out to be a piece of crap. I thought Mercedes makes good quality cars thats why its so expensive.

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  Stay away from MB - 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By george219 - February 24 - 6:48 pm

  Long time MB owner, this E350 has had issues from when we drove it off the lot, the worst issue is the terrible transmission shifting, which is a safety issue when driving at highway speeds. There is an intermittent problem with a long hesitation when you step on the gas to pass or avoid something and the car accelerating. The "premium" leather seats (they are not standard and are not on most cars sold) are very uncomfortable because they pivot above the base, so if you dive in any position other than a right angle the bottom of the seat back pushes into the small of your back. Our brand new car had loose parts and noises which were corrected, but is that what you expect from this car?

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  Oil leak causes stirring wheel to lock - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By NJG - February 3 - 10:13 pm

  With less than 6000 miles on the car has had issues with tire pressure, brakes, warning lights and then mother of all car stopping all together in the middle of a busy rd. due to an oil leak that caused the stirring wheel belt to come off. Dealer took close to 2 hrs to send assistance and cannot figure out where the leak is coming from. I will never ever buy MB. Their service stinks for the money one pays. Anyone even remotely considering this car should really burn their money than risk their childrens life in this car.

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  ML430 Lemon - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Lupold - January 14 - 2:00 am

  18 warranty issues in 2 years of ownership, including safety, reliability and drivability problems. This is my 3rd and FINAL Mercedes-Benz product.

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  Unsafe at any speed - 2003 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By Unsafeatanyspeed - January 9 - 10:00 am

  I had a problem with the so called safety features from day one- the ESP would engage going around any corner and the car would swerve into the oncoming lane. It took 4 trips in 4 months to get someone to actually drive the car and discover that there indeed was a defect in the system. By that time I wanted nothing to do with this unsafe vehicle.

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  Lemon or Orange - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Alinago - December 17 - 10:00 am

  I have never, in my life, had a car as bad as this Benz....for over 3 yrs of ownership, my car has been in the "shop" more than Ive driven it. As soon as its fixed with one problem, 2 days later it has another. Ive givin it plenty of chances...25 strikes, your OUT. So,the only option now is to say good buy to it forever.!