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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  Wow - 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By MyE63 - November 23 - 2:10 am

  I am so happy with my E63. It has awesome power, yet its a comfortable ride for cruising. The car is versatile, and flexible. Ive owned 3 MBs now, and this car is by far the best Ive ever had. What a rock solid car.

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  my mercedes ml 500 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mrasteve - November 22 - 2:00 am

  I purchased the inspiration model. Vehicle is fun to drive. Not sure about mileage have not had it long enough. The suv is built very solid and is capable of some off roading. Handling is a joy. Does not bounce like my Grand Cherokee limited 5.9. Probably both capable of the same speed. Nice car

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  Nice Try Cadillac - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Taklberry - November 22 - 2:00 am

  Cadillacs XLR has a lot of improving to do before it ever meets the safety, handling and performance of the Mercedes-Benz SL500. Cadillac can put all the horse power they want into the XLR, but it will never be the car the SL500 is. I applaud Cadillac for challenging the niche market the SL500 dominates.

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  #1 Sportscar - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Mike Cherinka - November 22 - 2:00 am

  Bougth it love it and plan on keeping it

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  nice - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By zac - November 22 - 2:00 am

  the new mercedes is like a miracle from above. it rides good, looks good, and gets all the ladies as well, buy one today

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  Great Car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By clonghi - November 22 - 2:00 am

  Make the garage door process easier. Have two garage doors and it makes it quite hard to program.

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  glad I bought it - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By zjlm44 - November 22 - 2:00 am

  I really like this car. Performance is excellent, great gas economy (I avg 31 on hwy), and comfortable inside.

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  This is my toy car - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By lunixlack - November 22 - 2:00 am

  I have the car (2002 C230 Cope 6MT with the sport pkg and the panorama sunroof) already 18 month and this is my toy car. It makes me younger! With the car suspension I feel that I am driving like on a German autobahn again. The car service on my local dealership is just great. What else do I need?

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  hot ride - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By jose cambroner - November 22 - 2:00 am

  great veh,after having a lexus is300 wich i thought it was great i got this mercedes and its soo much fun to drive and its fast too , love the kompressor engine its great.

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  A MASTERPIECE! Not so, after a year... - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By KON RUZ - November 21 - 6:34 am

  I LOVE THIS CAR~ no so much now when it Starts braking. .. I own it now and still can not belive it. If you bought a car and wlking away from it turn around few times, and then looking at it at the reflection on the glass window...man..you know you boguht a right car. Guys, let me tell you. this car ia a WORK OF ART. IT is ART. I dont evenn want to drive it much. I can just stand there and look aat it ALL DA Y LONG and not get tired. I had Lexuses....eww....most boring cars i ever owned. I had couple dozens of Jags, i love them, but only a few of them can be called art. Other brands llike Audi, BMW, will be forgotten in a few years after you bought it. This car is 10 years old, and it turns head like a real art. this car will belong to a museum if its well taken cares of. It will represent the peack of the era on automaking.