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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  1998 ML-320...Nice Ride - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By BKR - May 5 - 6:53 pm

  Good mileage; good performance; highly reliable; go almost anywhere. Well worth the money.

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  Best car for all road conditions - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By A. Neil Harvey - May 5 - 3:53 pm

  My E-320 handles very smoothly on wet roads, snow covered roads, and under normal conditions with regard to acceleration, maneuvering in and out of traffic, and stopping ability. It is the best car I have had as to smooth "shifting". On a recent trip of over 1000 miles I averaged 26.2/miles per gallon with an average speed of 64 miles per hour.

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  A head turner - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jorge Baeza - May 3 - 10:46 pm

  It is the car of my dreams, it combines sporty features with luxury, great exterior design, sunroof, excellent stereo sound, great interior design, all friends and family love it, keeps heads turning around on the streets.

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  BEST CAR EVER - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jad - May 3 - 4:40 am

  Let me just say Im not easy to please, ask my spouse, BUT this car is a DREAM. I had a MB in 2002 all kinds of problems, swore them off. After 2 disappointing BMWs and 9 months of car shopping, decided to drive into MB dealership and check out what was new. Fell in LOVE with the C class but wanted more power. The salesman suggested C 63. Once I drove it, that was the end, it was mine. Loving the 450 hp and the "kick" when you gun the engine to get around a slow poker. I wake at 5 am just to go out in my garage and have a look. AWESOME car, I couldnt be happier.

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  S55 Awesome fun, but not a Lexus - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By islandsonly - May 2 - 7:46 pm

  You got to love the driving experience this ride provides its fortunate owner. You also have to appreciate the awesome exterior design and the resulting looks and conversation that breaks out every other time you take it out. But like every large purchase and decision there are drawbacks. I have driven Lexus LS 400s & 430 Ultra Luxuries for years and believe I know quality and great engineering and the Germans just cant compete with Japanese. If only the Japanese could build a heart pumping, hold on for dear-life sport sedan like the S55, I would be with them for life. My wife drives an 05 BMW 745LI or an X5 and the 745 is in the shop every other month. The trade off is worth it!

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  An excellent alternative to the BMW 5 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Peter Jackson - May 2 - 10:36 am

  I have owned this vehicle for 2 years and was a dedicated BMW driver. The latest BMW 5 series drove me away from them. The new E series is a great looking vehicle with adequate space and a superb V8 which pulls well from low revs. Apart from the ubiquitous sound system software issue, I have only had the recall on the brakes to deal with. The car has a dual personality, the "easy drive in traffic mode" and the "give me the pedal and let me go mode". Fussy interior is distracting and lack of GPS irritating (not available when I bought her). Roomy and classy looking. Handles well but you need to push it. Not very "chuckable" due to the disconnect between the car and the driver.

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  so far so good - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Brent Clarke - May 2 - 7:05 am

  Bought this low mileage GLK 4Matic and have driven for a month including 900 mile trip. Car is very quiet and accelerates well. Only problem so far was a dead battery in a proximity key. Navigation and audio system are a challenge to understand basic issues like setting radio presets without breaking out the manual.

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  07 E550 - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By E550 - April 30 - 10:03 pm

  This car is the best of 25 cars I have owned. It appears that MB has gotten all its quality problems behind them. The 07 E class seems to be very high quality and is very easy to drive on long trips.

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  $10,000 overpriced - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By No Name - April 29 - 6:56 am

  Great looking and interior is very nice looking, but some controls are awkward. The ride over any road imperfections, especially at lower speeds, is poor, even with comfort suspension and in comfort transmission mode. Not up to M-B reputation at all. Would be fun to drive if more comfortable. Asians copied M-B in past and now it is time for M-B to copy them rather that thinking we have always done it this way and will regardless. Engine is so underpowered that you have to accelerate for any uphill driving, which greatly reduces MPG. Wiper stalk is hidden behind S/W spoke making it easy to leave in auto and damage wipers in car washes. Trunk is cheaply done & lacks trim.

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  transmission - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By emughlee10 - April 28 - 6:40 pm

  I recently bought my Clk430 coupe for 5k and absolutely love the style the interior and exterior ..but i have been having problems out of the transmission..slip codes it acts like it doesnt want to shift right? so i am stuck between crossing my fingers and getting it fixed..or getting something else i really love this car and i am going to hate giving it up..but i am scared i will get it fixed and other problems will occur lol..someone please help!):