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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  Bad Car - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Davis - September 25 - 4:00 am

  I bought this car, my first Mercedes, and while driving down the road, with the family, the front drivers side coil spring came flying out. This also caused the ball joint and the tie rod to give up the ghost. Asked Mercedes for help with the bill, 1700.00 and got a resounding NO!. Seems like this should be a recall, and or Mercedes would live up to the mechanical default without me having to hire a lawyer. Wont own another, I will but something that doesnt self destruct while Im driving down the road.

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  Gl550 ccc - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Hasan - September 24 - 10:01 am

  Well warranty wont cover air ride which is shock absorbers and this car has issues with air ride in 65,000 miles I changed all my cost 5000$ i been ridin S class Mercedes all my life never had air ride issues this suv is junk belive me junk Mercedes be ashamed of production and German car i am for sure switching to American built cars snd suvs

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  Fair - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By KL - September 23 - 10:26 pm

  Very impressive, classy car. Always dependable, no mechanical issues since purchased in July 07. My only issues; this vehicle is zippy and performs fabulously on the highway, but a bit sluggish for a supercharged vehicle around town. I expected more power than this. Youve got to put the pedal to the floor to get out of the way. Im most disappointed in the front seats of this car as they have no lumbar support and built like cardboard. Not a good choice for long distance driving. Ive had to add a lumbar support module to my front seat which looks rediculous and shabby in a Benz, but necessary. No lie, every passenger Ive had in my car have complained about the seats.

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  Great Car - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bill - September 22 - 7:53 pm

  My wife and I both wanted the C300 Luxury Sedan. We have had it a week and took it on the road this past week- end and love the ride, average 28.1 MPG, love the looks inside and out. We plan on keeping the car for a long time.

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  Lived up to its expectations - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By SINGAPORE - September 22 - 2:00 am

  I am from Singapore. I must say that this E class is definitely better than the previous E.(I sold the old Efor this). Sohpisticated Air conditioned system. Wonderful styling both interior and exterior. Personnally, i feel the brakes are superior to the previous e, giving drivers a very sensitive yet gradual braking feel.

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  I really enjoy my new MB C280 (thought purchased USED with 37K miles) - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By newmbkid - September 21 - 4:59 am

  I love the car. However the repairs are very expensive. I bought it old from an Accura dealer. I like everything about the car

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  Cant Hate It - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By BILL - September 20 - 10:36 pm

  Build quality is not like the old SLs and its been back to the dealer many times for problems with transmission, brakes, water leaks, accessory malfunctions. But its so beautiful and fun to drive that you cant hate it.

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  Never Had Better....BUT - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By AL - September 20 - 5:33 pm

  I have had many cars but this car has to be the best all around car ever.It is the ultimate GT car,sports,coupe convertible,luxury and hot rod.I dont believe there is a car in the world that works better in a combined package.I cant wait to get my four year old 2009 SL65 at a $100,000.00 + discount. Im pretty sure I got mine for about the cost of a new loaded mini van...

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  reliability - 2012 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By kingcape - September 20 - 9:18 am

  I purchased this SUV new expecting to get a quality vehilcle. I am a high mileage driver and this is what you should expect Air conditioning: Stops working after 2 hours of driving. Brought it to the dealer who said nothing was wrong. Took a vacation from MA to South Carolina. It Stopped..stopped at a SC dealer who left a long VM for my dealer saying it doesnt work. Brought it to the dealer. They tested it and said it was fine. It is not. Alternator: Broke at 49000 miles. Brought it to the dealer and they actually fixed under warrantee. They were not very happy to do it. Heater fan: The dreaded squeak as I have read on line. Almost constant. Cost about $500.00 to fix. So sorry I bought

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  A very solid car but horrible nav system - 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Jan - September 20 - 7:23 am

  Bought car because of incentives (with premium I package paid only $39k AND got 2.9% financing for 5.5 years, plus sales tax write-off)! The car feels extremely solid and stable and has a remarkable balance of comfort and sporty driving characteristics that few other cars can match. Interior and exterior design are very nice and materials and assembly are first rate. However, vinyl seats are totally out of place in car with MSRP of 57k. They are extremely uncomfortable (sweat inducing and sticky when less than 40 degrees F). Navigation system is a nightmare, too. Nothing is intuitive or easy and even after studying manual for hours the system is still fury inducing.