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:

• 

  MB S600 - 1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By tareq - March 25 - 11:13 am

  A fabulous car from 13 years the date I bought and still feels and looks new. It is a great car with great power of 12 cylinders. I love this car. I bought a new 2008 Lexus and I had to do some repairs after 6 months, but the Mercedes I had nothing to do but the checkups every year

• 

  Love my E - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Dailey - March 25 - 10:00 am

  This represents my 7th MB car and 6th E class. MB finally got it totally right. Nothing left to lust for except the SL for top down summer driving.

• 

  great car - 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Scott K - March 23 - 11:13 pm

  My first Mercedes and I am hooked....dealership was amazing etc etc....cannot complain....I see what they mean about in Economy Drive mode it may be considered a bit more sluggish BUT I am not a sports car driver so I dont need that to be better for any real good reason...love the interior...love........ I have the Sports Package and love it............

• 

  Outstanding Value - 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By R Sorrenti - March 23 - 4:19 pm

  It takes a couple of hours to become acquainted with all the technology features but after the dealer familiarization coupleD with the online videos at MBUSA.COM..it really a snap! Very impressive car; looked at several luxury sedans by various high end OEM but came back to MB.

• 

  Awesome - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By heatkar - March 23 - 5:50 am

  This truck is awesome! I drove every SUV under the sun and this one blows them all away. Not too big, not too small. Just right. Love the pick up. Pure luxury. Hope there wont be any problems to work out being its a new model and all.

• 

  They stopped thinking. - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Florida Benz - March 22 - 6:13 pm

  My chief complaint of this car is it has no locking glove compartment. For Gods sake Kias have locking glove compartments. How do you turn your vehicle over to a valet? Presumably a Mercedes would likely visit valet parking more often than most? Add to that, access to the rear seats comes from lifting and pulling forward the rear seat. Cars half its price have electric motors that do it. Its like driving an old Euro taxi. Build quality, first year, 3rd brakelight lens cover fell out when trunk closed, whining belt pulley,seatbelt not retracting correctly. Wifes 06 E series needed new tranny first 3 months of owning. Not your daddys Benz.

• 

  Amazing car and deal! - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Rownak - March 21 - 8:43 pm

  Over all Im happy with the car. The only thing is when going on bumpy roads you feel a lot of vibrations.

• 

  A drivers car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By alfred barrett - March 19 - 7:30 pm

  A great performer without going to the extreme of excessive horsepower. The car is also beautiful.

• 

  LEMON - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By tm1 - March 18 - 10:00 am

  This car would be in the shop every three weeks. It had a full range of problems too long to list. The MB dealership and MB of North America arent very friendly or helpful, they are horible to deal with. Please stay away from this SUV, its truely a lemon.

• 

  C230 Coupe - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By mayday510 - March 18 - 10:00 am

  Some minor problems initially (oil leak and rattles)that were corrected by the dealer within the first 7K miles. Ive got 27K miles on it now and the car has been flawless. I ordered this car and have been driving it daily since Nov 2001. Great in the snow as long as you have four snow tires mounted.