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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  An excellent SUV combines the goodness - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By WWW - December 30 - 5:33 am

  I own a Toyota minivan. I have tried Lexus Rx and GX 470, BMW X5, Toyota 4-RUnnner and Highlander hybrids before I settle down to this ML 320 CDI. All the Toyotas and Lexuss have the similar driving trait and characteristic, includ quiet, comfort but boring. BMW is impressive for its road handling and driving capability but it is louder and coarse. Its electronics is too complicated with a lots of trouble. The Mercedes combined all those goodness plus the advantage for fuel economy. So far I got 22-24 MPG combine local and highway in the break in period. The truck is more comfort and quieter than Lexuss and Toyotas. The road handling and drivability is definitely better than Lexus and Toyota

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  Got it right in 2006 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mlarocco - December 28 - 11:06 pm

  Bought my 2006 ML350 in November 05 and so far Im very pleased. Love the look and feel; performance is excellent. Gas mileage not bad for its class. MB finally got it right with ML series in 06.

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  Exciting - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By jim - December 28 - 9:03 am

  The CLK350 is sporty and elegant. What a joy to drive. No need to worry about speed or safety, the car has both. Plenty of truck space and seats four comfortably. On top of all the wonderful features you get professional service support. Thanks for the awesome experience and ride.

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  On my second one - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Jennifer - December 28 - 7:30 am

  Im on my second new generation E- class, the first one having been a 2003 model, the first year of its new profile. The 2006 now has a 6-speed automatic relative to the previous 4- speeed, and navigation, which was too new and not yet introduced to my previous car. They dont drive like BMWs, but when you drive 60+ miles a day, this is both fun and extremely comfortable, for your passengers too. Gear shifter seems more responsive than before, and thats not just because of the shorter gear ratios.

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  Fun to drive - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By E, B. Mitchell - December 28 - 6:30 am

  I love my C280. It handles like a dream, small turning radius, lots of power, not too big, not too small. Have had some electrical problems ( replaced starter, alternator, fuel guage after 50K mi). I will probably buy another small MBZ or the new BMW 330I

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  08 C300 Best Car Ive Had - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Timmy B - December 27 - 11:53 am

  I waited many years to buy a Benz. It was well worth the wait. The car is smooth, has great features, power and comfort. On a country rooad, it drives itself. best value for the money.

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  Great vehicle - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Kasasbeh - December 26 - 11:20 pm

  This is a great vehicle. Disclaimer: wife drives it during the week, I drive it on weekends when we go out together. Awesome vehicle, all around. Love driving it, handling is awesome. The exterior color is culprit brown: its beautiful - but its a color my wife picked. Interior is a beautiful shade of reddish brown.

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  Perfect Until it Snows - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Guest - December 26 - 4:56 pm

  This car is fast, smooth, comfortable and reliable...until it snows. Then it becomes your coffin. There is no traction and it slides from the moment you put your foot on the gas. I love my car, but if it snows even an inch it becomes dangerous. Do not buy this ca if it snows where you live. Otherwise, its a great car.

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  Overall Pleased - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Lauren - December 26 - 12:10 pm

  I owned an ML before and was very excited about the GL when we were first told about it in Jan 2006. We preordered and took deliver May 7, 2006! I loved the car right away, and already have 10,000 miles. Having driven it now for 6 months, I can say that I would make two changes! DVD location, and split 2nd row seats. I have two children (in car seats) and running carpool with this creates big problems getting into the 3rd row! Also, DVD player needs to be accessible and controlled from the front seat! Children cannot unbuckle or get out of carseat to change DVD player that is located under the 2nd row seat! Very poor design for a mother with children! Otherwise, a fabulous car!

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  Best Mercedes I have owned - 1994 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Roger M. Gray - December 25 - 5:13 pm

  Since 1976 I have owned 8 Mercedes. The first was a 1976 450 SL and the latest being a 2005 E320. I currently own a 1994 SL500 as well and really love it. It is the best car I have had to date. It current has a bit over 125,000 miles on it and the only thing I have had to do to it was rebuild the transmission and replace the soft top. The engine still has a lot of get up and go. It is not as strong as the new SLs (2004 as an example). It probably needs some tender loving care. Of the 70s 90s and newest body styles I really like this body style (129) the best. It has class and character. I would really would recommend this car to anyone.