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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  Great Car. - 1999 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By William McGrane - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Great Car. I have enjoyed this vehicle very much, especially on long drives and vacations. You feel totally in control of the road and impervious to noise and heat.

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  Love my Mercedes - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By young professional - June 28 - 2:00 am

  Mercedes has really stepped it up in the C class range. I fully anticipated that when I went to purchase my wifes new entry level Mercedes that the acceleration would be just decent and that the fit and finish would contain some plastic. For a 62 male, this car has plenty of room and feels like a mid-size sedan and the handling is tight enough for aggressive cornering but comfortable enough for a luxury feeling. I am very satisfied with the purchase and would buy another any day.

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  The old new G - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By Dave - June 27 - 2:33 pm

  This truck look awesome and when you behind the wheel you feel on top of the world.But it unfortunately from day one since we got our beloved G we had nothing but problems and frustrations. This car does have all problems in the world. Everything went wrong from door locks; number of computer modules, main computer, heated steering, ESP and airbags system to the most resent-paint was coming off on all door latches.Its been in the shop 4 months in the past 2 years and has about 38 pages of problem record. Dealer’s service department was trying to help but this truck was having more and more problems. Finaly Mercedes taking this car back as lemon after 2 years.I would not recomend it at all.

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  C 300 luxury sedan - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Joe - June 26 - 3:03 pm

  Materials are top notch inside and out. I see no difference between the C and the E unless you want more interior room in rear. I carry four adults with no problem however. Mine happened to be full leather, but MB Tex is excellent. Do not get the tan interior. Off color in daylight. Cheap looking. Bad design. Black over grey is best overall. Great in any light. P2 package is worth the money. You have all the luxury ammenities this way. Multimedia is worth the cost for the GPS, Logic 7 surround sound, satellite radio, etc. All great. Very adequate power for size and weight. Follow recommended tire pressures. Gas mileage is exactly what the sticker states. Can beat 25 with cruise.

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  Extremely disappointed - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Verydisappointed - June 26 - 12:56 pm

  I bought the first car of this new Model in 2005 and it has been hell ever since. At some point the dealership offered to give me a new car for additional 15k -- I bought the car cash hoping not to worry about buying a car for a long while. I have the ML320, 99 and it has worked very well for us, so I assumed this would be the same. To start, when the roads are wet or there is a little wind the car feels like it is being blown off the road and I have had this since day one, initially they told me that it might be the tires, but that wasnt it. The car has had so many problems that, at one point it spent 36 days at the dealership and they still couldnt figure out what was wrong with it.

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  be careful with this choice - 2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By not4one - June 25 - 5:27 pm

  Very powerful and well built, but the transmission shifting is truly awful on mine...some new "wet clutch" technology that just doesnt work well. Hesitates badly in confort mode as it rides its clutch, and in sport it hangs on to 1st gear too long and jerks thru 2nd for a nano second on its way to 3rd. The car is fine if youre pushing it hard, but it just isnt programmed for normal driving. Previously had an S550 sport and it is a much more enjoyable car, as is an S65 or S600...all these have conventional smooth shifting automatics.

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  Extraordinary - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By robert - June 24 - 10:30 pm

  I have owned many Mercedez over the years. I almost bought the new S class because of its beauty and drive until this car showed up and it is a dream. Perfect for my travel needs to the mountains. Only have 1,200 miles today and I love the car. Far better than the R or M class. And far better than Range Rover or the new Audi SUV!

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  One of the greatest cars ever! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Mike - June 24 - 2:53 pm

  I purchased this car in pewter with ash interior. The wheels are awsome, they are graphite with bolts surrouding. The tailamps are darkened as a standard feature, and 65 AMG body kits are great. The 600+ hp is wicked, and when starting up you might want to tell the neighbors in case there sleeping. The navigation is so easy! Buttons are at an easy reach and long drives dont make you feel numb and the need to stretch is unheard of. The folding top lets you hear the 600+ hp noise even better, especially when excellerating at low speeds. 180k + price list but my gosh its worth every penny!

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  Its a Sexy Beast! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By TeddySilva - June 23 - 5:00 am

  I have owned my CLS500 only 3 months and love every minute I am inside of it. It drives like the smooth flow of the wind and feels like it too. Had 2 BMW525s before including the recent 2004 newbody style it was just a great drive. But CLS500 is a awesome car.

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  Small but drives big - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mit - June 23 - 1:33 am

  This is a great vehicle. I have only had it a short period of time, but love driving the car. My biggest complaint is that the navigatioin system I paid good money for is the worst nav system I have ever used. If you dont have an address of where you want to go forget finding it with the nav system. Search features are horrible at best. You are limited to one voice for directions, where others offer several voices. The nav system will override what you are trying to input most of the time and will prevent you from typing in the name of a street you are trying to navigate to. Simply put the nav system is junk. Do yourself a favor and buy a Garmin. The car is great otherwise.