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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  2000 ML430 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By bob_2000 - April 25 - 10:00 am

  Aside from a few minor fixes (rear corner glass piece cracks, etc - al taken care of under warranty) my ML has been great. Its relatively quick, sure-footed, and comfortable (keep in mind - I also own an Audi S4). Sure, it drinks gas like theres no tomorrow, but what would you expect from a V-8? I will be trading mine in for a ML500 in a couple of years.

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  R500 - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Christian - April 25 - 9:50 am

  Bought it in aug of 2009 at 7,300 miles from a private party. Window sticker showed $68k msrp (loaded with options). Personally dont think the car worth that much. But buying it used at less than half what it stickered, it makes it a great deal. My first MB. Have had 3 bmws, 2 Lexus. Was a little worried about reliability but so far its been bullet proof at 20k miles. Car rides nice and smooth (too smooth I think). Great on trips with 2 small children with dvd in back. Extremely comfortable overall. I just hope it stays reliable after warranty. Gets about 14.5 mpg with suburb driving and up to 19 if on hwy all the way. Not too bad for 5.0 motor

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  Nice Mercedes - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Ben Hurr - April 19 - 10:00 am

  This is a great vehicle. Its not a boat...easy to see, drive and park. Comfortable and very nice to drive. Has room for 7, but we took out one seat in order to get more cargo room...so make that 6+ cargo. Top of the line safety features, both on and off road.

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  M-B Wagon - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By tjp - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Great wagon! It is fun to drive and has all wheel drive. The gas milage is bad however. Very peppy engine. Spacious interior.

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  C300 zoom - 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By rob schwartz - April 15 - 6:16 pm

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  Bitten by the "Benz Bug" - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By yoonstuff - April 14 - 12:33 pm

  My 2002 Mercedes-Benz C230 Sports Coupe is fun to drive. It has great pick up and it gets great gas mileage on long highway trips. It is a very good looking car with a lot of get up and go. The car looks like it has no room until you open the trunk, lay down the seats and load it up.

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  Expensive to Own - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bandit109 - April 14 - 11:06 am

  I bought this car with 41000 miles on it and it now has 86000. I have spent $4500 in repairs, and am advised by a reputable local shop that it needs $2500 more, but that does not include the odd windshield wiper motor that threatens to go out periodically or the power seat controls that only work half the time. Not the half at the shop where they commonly intone, "Unless its not working when we look at it, we cant tell whats wrong with it." Handles well and gets decent mileage. Built-in analog cell phone only works half the time. Next car will be a Honda/Toyota.

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  What a disappointment! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By MO%12 - April 10 - 10:00 am

  My CLK is <6 months old and has been in the shop more than every car I have ever owned over 20 years combined and I havent even had an oil change yet! The glove box wouldnt close before I even drove my new car off the lot requiring multiple days to fix with a complete dashboard overhaul. Then the driver door had a rattle that required a "bolt to be tightened". A month later the rattle occurred on the passenger side. Then the seat belt arm extension stopped working - all requiring days of service. I gave my thoughts to JD Power & Associates and asked if others had these types of problems - the answer an emphatic yes!

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  Not worth the money! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Dean Shari - April 10 - 10:00 am

  Its $22000.00 car and not $34,000.00!! Very disapointed for what you get for the money, thinking about trading it for BMW.

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  Nice car but too small - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bill - April 4 - 9:36 am

  We really like the car. It has good power and looks great. The star on the hood gets respect. Dont plan on having this car be your family car. Its just too small. Great as a single persons car or a married couple. The car has never left us stranded but has been in the shop often. Were going to trade down to a Chevy. Were also concerned about the cost of repairs after the warranty expires.