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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  WHAT A CAR MBZ E350 - 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By hotformbz - November 17 - 2:07 am

  Finally got back to MBZ E350 2013. What a car from the past ones I have had. This car is as smooth as butter when driving and not only that but the 4000.00 premium luxury package we got with it is the best. All around I am in heaven with this beauty. Comfort, security, the SOUND, you feel like your are in the concert when you listen to the CDs or DVDs . The best of the best for me and the family, Great job MBZ. You will not be disappointed when buying or leasing this baby .

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  I love this vehicle! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By Lori L. - November 14 - 2:00 am

  Compared to my 2001 Range Rover 4.6 HSE....wait, there it no comparison! My G500 provides a far superior ride. So far, problem free!

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  Great deal. - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Brabus - November 14 - 2:00 am

  The car is built well, with German eginering and the Mercedes desgner looks and performance, this car runs great, it protects your transmission by locking your 1st gear when speeds go past 10 MPH...its built well, no bad comments on this one...

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  V-12 SL class - 1998 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By jake - November 10 - 1:56 pm

  A good ride and is very, very fast. Love the style of the body and hard top. Sweet car!

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  15 years with very few problems - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Bob F Deja - November 9 - 6:13 pm

  15 years of hard city driving in Chicago winters. The exhaust, rear shocks, alternator are still original. I got it with 30k miles, all I did over the 15 years is a rear wheel bearing ($15 on amazon), a cam position sensor ($10, 10 minute fix) front shocks, window controls ($100, 1 hr fix), belt tensioner after 17 years, and the starter went out after 15 years ($150, 1 hr easy fix). That and fluids, belts, oxy sensors. I tow boats, cars with it easily, love it. Most things are an easy fix and easy to get at, the metal quality is superior, always amazed at how easily the bolts come out after so long and so much road salt. Unstoppable in the snow with Michelin LTX tires.

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  me - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By fet - November 9 - 10:00 am

  great car best car around

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  Solid Car - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Solar Winds - November 9 - 7:03 am

  I was rear ended at a stop light by a pick up truck going fast and all I heard were screeching tires and then the crash. The e300 took a hard hit and did well. I got out out with whip lash. The seat held me in like a glove and felt if I was driving a lighter tinier car it would have been worse. The insurance company paid me 2300 more then what I paid for it. This diesel engine is great and gets up to 30 city and 36 hwy going 80 mph. I am debating on a new diesel or a 320, 430 e or c class This is a safe car and fuel is cheap knowing your safe...

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  Awesome - 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
  By pothmer - November 7 - 4:58 am

  Happiness is AMG. Love this car. Never had an AMG before, so cant compare it to other AMGs. Had a BMW M3 (sweet car) and this is better. (RWD super cars are undriveable in snow. Unless you get high-performance snow tires--then they are tanks...except that one time when you hit throttle on a wintry turn, rear wheels slide out, plant themselves into a curb and the axle breaks). But Mercedes has 4matic (which is a technical term 4magic; or "hand of God" if you dont believe in magic). The CLA45 has 4matic, 4 doors, 355hp and 332 lb ft. Torque.

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  Effortless Power, Unique and Rare - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Chuck - November 5 - 4:16 am

  This car is outstanding! I have now owned the C55 AMG for over a year and I still am not tired one bit from driving it daily. The power is absolutly supurb, so great it can stay dead even with my Dodge Viper! The main reason I bought the C55 is not only because of its monstrous 362hp V8 but because it is very rare and unique. Today I still have not seen another one on the road! When you buy this car do not expect people to be taking pictures of the car out their windows, But Once in a while you will notice someone checking out the car. For the most part this car sleeps under the radar until you "OPEN HER UP" and let all the people around you hear the cars V8 roar.

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  Top Down, Fast Fun - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Bnatt4321 - November 4 - 7:46 pm

  This car is great. I decided it was time to have a convertible again and this CLK430 has not disppointed. The performance is incredible (although it does drink the gasoline) and it has been very reliable. The ride is very tight and taking corners at speed is like riding on rails. Two downers about this car: 1st: unless you must have NAV, dont bother as the screen is very small and its not very user friendly. 2nd: beware of parking lot curbs as they like to eat up your front spoiler. With that said I bought the car with 40K miles on it and now have 55K. It has been a true pleasure to own and great fun. I am very pleased with this Mercedes.