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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  Dont Do It !!! - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By Ian Bourne - August 26 - 7:26 am

  I bought this car in 2003 and kept it 5 years. It was $118 new, I paid $66k, I sold it in late 2008 for $19,500. Is that a clue ? Great looking , great driving and the absolute worst reliability. Mostly electronics, although the trunk brake light popped off when my wife closed the lid gently. the V-12 side emblem broke its plastic self off twice while I gently washed it. The car developed oil leaks, my " Nice People, Nice cars dealer " quoted $9,200 for that. Suspensions tend to collapse also I was told. When we sold it it only had 42k miles on the clock. Oh, We also replaced a computer fuel feed unit, $1,400. Youll fall in love but be ready for an expensive divorce !!!

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  Traded In at 62,000 miles - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By J Ziomek - August 24 - 9:50 pm

  I absolutely loved my C230. It was a blast to drive, looked great on dates, and I could blow by most cars on the highway. Up until 2 weeks ago the only problem with car was tire replacement, $600 every 12-15K miles. But that was to be expected. Two weeks ago I was driving home from NC to PA I stopped for lunch and the cars electrical system failed. The SRS, ESP, BAS warning lights began flashing and stereo stopped working. End result $2000 in repairs including replacing the stereo and various other parts. These repairs are to be expected after years of ownership but not at 62,500 miles. I traded it in on a Volvo and the trade value was $16,000 without repairing it.

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  Spend more up and get a bigger Mercedes - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Doug - August 22 - 6:03 am

  I had this as my first car. The car is very attractive. I have had numerous problems such as, alternator, batteries, serpentine belt. I would also note that I upgraded the drive train, supercharger belt, and the exhaust. This improved the gas mileage on the highway to 33-35. I would also like to note the faux leather placed on knobs and buttons have begun to fall apart. Outside of that the car is cool, also all of mercedeces cars during this time had trouble with fiberoptics, which were just being introduced. This could explain the "ghost" that seems to plague most mercedes of the early 2000s. I would recommend buying domestic because they are cheaper to repair

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  BEST CAR EVER! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Mica - August 21 - 5:06 pm

  I just received the CLS 500 as a gift from my parents, Im 17, and I absoutly love it. Before this car I had the Volvo xc90 T6 AWD. After only driving SUVs and now having a sport coupe, I dont think i will go back. It is extremely easy to handle and you will definetly get noticed. With its sleek design people often mistake it for a 2- door coupe. In addition to its easy handling, its interior is very comfortable and practical for example its "in-ground" cup holders. They truly are what you might call "million dollar" cup holders becuase its simple...they cant break!!! But honsetly its an awesome car with a lot of thought, time and effort put into it.

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  THIS IS A TRUCK - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By ROUGHRIDER - August 19 - 2:00 am

  You cant criticize a good off road vehicle for being a good off road vehicle. If you bought it just for the looks or for the trendiness you will probably will get tired of it. But if you appreciate the confidence of being able to face whatever the weather report throws at you (even if you never ever go off road), you will not get rid of this warranty on life. Plenty of power. Just a bit rough on the potholes (you are not supposed to drive 80 mph off road)...

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  Honest C230 Coupe Review - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mark J - August 15 - 3:36 am

  I have had this car for over 4 years now and still looks sharp. Paint has held up well and even where I have chips/scrapes very little rust. Excellent gas mileage (28+) for such a sporty car. Good performance and still feels solid (no flex or gives) just like when I bought it. Very comfortable for a small car as long as you are not too tall in back seat. Trunk room is average for small car. Would get higher ratings but its a horrible car in the snow. I got stuck once on flat driveway <1" snow. With all season tires still bad in snow. Also, car is very tough on tires, wearing them quickly. Car was in shop 4 times (fortunately under warranty) for computer and sensor prob.

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  Not your fathers Mercedes - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By carfreak23 - August 13 - 2:00 am

  The ML feels a little cheap and not as solid as what I expected. It does not have that heavy MB ride, and I do not feel swathed in luxury when I drive it.

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  Not what I expected - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By randallc - August 13 - 2:00 am

  As a previous owner of a 1995 S class, I was expecting more from a Mercedes. The M class is in a much lesser league than my old Mercedes. It does not exude quality and opulence. It is "plasticy." It feels like a car for the masses. It lacks the solid, stoic, German, big, heavy feel that I was looking for. Instead, it is what I would have expected from a mid-priced line.

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  ML 500 slightly disappointing - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By hairydog - August 7 - 10:00 am

  Excellent vehicle overall, however a number of minor defects take away from the overall positive impression we have. Defects include: window trim that is fading extremely quickly/unevenly; rear windows which watermark w/o remediation possible; climate control fan system which randomly sends air to areas of its own choosing (noisy as well). Dealer resists repairing despite informing me these are "common problems" on ML 500s.

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  Over-engineered cars are not reliable - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mike - August 6 - 10:53 am

  The 2001 C240 is a solid ride. Looks good,is safe,but not dependable! I am at the delearship every other month. Everyone there knows me by name. Where do I begin? Locking problems with the keys, then locking problems with the cpu. The leather de-laminated from both doors. fuel pump had to be replaced at 42000 miles. rear brake lights not working,defective SAM card. Front directional not working, defective SAM card. finally car will not start when engine is warm, the timing chain-cam sensor is defective! Most repairs were not under warranty, and averaged 800 dollars per event.