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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  Interiors disgusting ! - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Paul - June 15 - 7:43 pm

  Driving this car is a dream. It is so smooth and powerful. This cars styling will humble the best looking chicks. I have the AMG package which gives it that "look". At first I hated it coming from a Lexus LS430,but with time I understood. Ive heard horror stories about this cars reliability however I havent had a problem yet. I bought this car last July with 26000 miles. I hope God continues to bless it.Fuel is not bad for a 5.0 L. Navi should be higher and interior design looks pretty good except for the cheap materials.

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  1998 Mercedes C230 - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Glo - June 15 - 2:56 pm

  This car has had numerous problems that would not be expected from a car of this class from the time that I purchased it. The windshield wiper motor has gone out 3 times costing $900 to replace. The display screen for the temp control has been going in and out since Ive had the car. It was replaced with another one that did the same thing. The dealerships repair shop could not find the problem. The steering wheel is not properly aligned with the car. Problem could not be found once again. There is in a water leak in the trunk that cannot be resolved after numerous trips back to the dealers service dept. Overall this car has been a big disappointment for the money!

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  Never again! - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By schumacr - June 14 - 12:10 pm

  I love the drive of the car but the problems we have had have been way too much. Just had one of the catalytic converters break just 1.5 weeks after the other broke. Mercedes wont fix it due to an 8yr/80K warranty (weve had the car 5 years and it just went over 80K miles). A mere $1600 just for the part! This is the straw that broke the camels back. Too many other quality issues to mention. For 60K, youd think youd get WAY more quality. My 97 BMW has had far fewer problems. Lexus or BMW - you get my money next time. Mercedes? Never again!

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  Benz-no-More? - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By benznomore - June 13 - 4:39 pm

  Keep in mind that my C230 - 2008 has only 62,000 Kms, is driven lightly and garage kept. Yet...time to move away from Benz once and for all. To date: both electric side mirrors replaced ($700 each), both gas tank pumps replaced a couple of times (fuel gauge still goes out once in a while), side mirror full of water (looks like fish tank), tire blown sidewall, amongst others and just today car would not start leaving all scratching heads..$$$$ Not to mention Benzs outrageous cost of ongoing service...$500-$800 each annual visit.

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  Expensive Lesson - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Ticked Off - June 13 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle less than a week ago, and because of my work schedule couldnt drive it for three days. The first day that Im able to drive it I go to the gas station to fill it up and the power steering goes out, I wait 3 hrs to be towed. I contact the dealership who tells me I also have a leak in the rack and pinion long story short I have a $7,000 bill on a vehicle I purchased 5 days ago and havent even driven 150 miles in. I cant use the warranty I purchased because there is a 30 day wait period. I want my trade in vehicle back.

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  Great car - 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Fay Cleghorn - June 13 - 5:40 am

  Great car, engine is quiet. One negative, I do not like the position of the navigation system. Some of the questions is N/A as I only have the car three weeks and am only driving 5 miles to the bus station.

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  Ray of Torrance - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By ray jimenez Suzuki - June 12 - 1:13 am

  This is my 4th Mercedes Benz in 5 years and happy with all of them especially the S550 class equipped with optional versatile features. I have had problems with the computers once in a while but Mercedes take cares of them well. My daily driving experience is great but you have to watch out the gas consumption especially I am driving a 4matic all wheel drive. Watch out the auto gear shifting as sometimes shifting goes to lower gear when shifting to "D" mode.

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  1999-ML430 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Bearman - June 9 - 2:00 am

  My first Benz so i cant really compare to other Benzs but i can compare to the other vehicles ive owned,This SUV is a blast to drive and wonderful on a trip,Right after i bought it i went to Kansas on a hunting trip,16 hours of driving, good mileage, rode well,plenty of storage for gear,the 4.3 V8 has plenty of power,love it!

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  The jury is still out. - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mrigal87 - June 8 - 9:41 am

  I leased the 2012 ML 350 about 2 wks ago. This is my first MB. So far, its been in the shop twice at 2 different dealerships. After several days of driving, I noticed the vehicle would start to shake when I reached 65mph. Also, the windshield wipers chatter horribly and are very loud. So I took it in. They worked on it for an entire day. The same problems persisted. I took it back in a week later to another dealership. The shaking seems to be much better, however, the wipers are chattering worse than ever as I discovered today during a rainstorm. Yes, the vehicle is beautifully appointed and looks great etc. but it is very irritating to be in and out of the shop with a brand new vehicle.

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  MUST READ R500 REVIEW - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By rwagen - June 5 - 6:06 pm

  I am writing this to inform any potential R500 buyers out there of what to expect from this car. First the good stuff - this is the best car you will find with three row seating. It is really fast and luxurious. The V8 which they dont even offer anymore is bullet proof. It is the same engine that they have perfected over 10 years. The R350s are underpowered and there is a problem with the engine. There is a pending class action on the R350s. The gas mileage is not the best... FWY is 21 around town you will average 14-16 The 3 things that WILL need to be addressed are the transmission valvebody $2k, the airmatic shocks $1K and the rear taillights wiring $250 they WILL fail .