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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  2016 E350 4MATIC - 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Raj - February 17 - 5:12 pm

  Decent car and works great for what its required for.. would have appreciated if MB had paid more attention to sound insulation . esp. after driving a V8 GL 450 gor the past few years, this seems to have a lot more road noise. The heatinga nd cooling seem to take a lot of time to kick in when compared to other luxury brands

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  Better than BMW - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MB Denver - February 17 - 11:43 am

  You have to drive to appreciate it. Performance, comfort, luxury, style and you name it all in one package. You do not sacrify anything for the sake of sports car. As it is categoriezed luxury sports car. BMW is sports car but not luxury anymore. Needless to say MB performs excellent as a sports car with plenty of luxury and comfort.

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  Very reliable! 24.5MPG @ 245K Miles - 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Chriss - February 17 - 8:13 am

  Ive had no mayor problems with the car, the biggest job was a transmission service @ 177,000 miles. The car has around 245,000 miles and it runs like new. It smogs fine and it does about 24 MPG. I dive it every day and about once a month i drive to LA from northern californa (about 300 miles) and it feels great. It has some minor issues like a stereo volume knob that is worn due to normal use and like any W210 the original head gasket leaks around the front of the engine (cyl 1) which didnt cause any problems other than the leak itself which if you had warranty its fine if not its around 150usd for the gasket set.

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  Not too bad - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Had since 14 k miles - February 16 - 11:43 pm

  While under the generous 4 year 50K mile warranty I had lots of problems including drivers side mirror falling off due to cheap metal. The rear door regulator, transmission leak, cup holder, power headrests (twice) motor, lug nuts rusted away, and battery. But since the warranty was over it has only been an H20 sensor and the Teleaid antenna broke off. The styling is timeless and the ride feels like in an electric car. The motor is smooth along with the ride. There are no child locks for the rear doors though. Uses synthetic oil that needs to be changed every 10,000 miles. It gets better the longer I seem to go. Expect about 18 city and 28 highway

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  Beauty - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Dash - February 16 - 5:10 pm

  This is a beautiful car. I get so many comments from all kinds of people:) Of course my family somehow thinks Im rich! I will always drive a Benz. The car is so smooth. Before you know it, you are exceeding the speed limit. I stay on high because you get so much love. It feels so good to drive a Mercedes!

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  Loving it!!!! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By cdtufts - February 16 - 11:30 am

  My husband and I have owned 8 mercedes. Mostly E-Class and one 240 Diesel.I researched, drove and compared this C-230 Kompressor with the Acura TL, BMW 3, BMW 5, Lexus 330 and 300 LS and GS. The C-230 has it all. Safety, handling, quality construction MB known for and that style that one is still pleased to drive and still attracts attention 10 years later. Exhilarating driving experience. The BMW3 handles the same, the Lexus and Acura dont come close. BMW3 poor left door safety rating on side impact studies. Comparing paint finishes--just check out two or more year olds from Acura, BMW, Lexus.... no comparison to MB.

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  Great Car Technology - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Carroll001 - February 15 - 6:46 pm

  I bought this car 1.5 months ago with only 67,500 miles and it drives great! Previous owner took great care of this car and it shows. Only basic maintenance required over a nine year period! I had this car thoroughly checked by a mechanic and myself on rack and was amazed at the great condition of this car. If you take care of these cars they will last for a long time. I plan to get 300,000 miles from this car.

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  Wasted money - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By michael - February 15 - 11:00 am

  My 1998 ML320 has 67K miles and it is the worst car I ever had. The car had multiple repairs on windshield/sunroof motors, various sensors and transmission parts. But worst of all is the security system. For the last 7 years, keys had to be changed 6 times ($105- 150 a piece)due to a faulty chip. They also had to be changed every time the battery would be gone. I was stuck several times, and had to interrupt a trip and be towed. Once you reach a total of 8 keys, you have to change locks and computer parts (approx $5500). When tried to complain to MB, they have a standard answer- keys are not covered by warranty and there is nothing we can do. Dealing with MB service is very frustrating experience

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  Rating a used E300 D - second owner NC - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Mark in NC - February 15 - 10:00 am

  E300D black with classic grey accents. Mechanically sound but had some problems at first with (95 new) feul line design (O rings problamatic). Smooth ride, great looks. Bought from Local dealer specializing in used MB dealer (20+years). If, like me, you not mechanically inclined, the key to success is to get a friend you trust to recommomend a mechanic that specializes in MBs and is honest. Never look back!

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  Poor Drive - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By I500X - February 14 - 12:30 pm

  I was expecting a lot more from a Mercedes. This has to be one of the poorest performing cars in its class. The handling is poor and vague, the accelerator is vague, and the brakes are vague! This car has vague written all over it. What is it really for? Mercedes made a stab at the SUV market and, in my opinion, failed miserably. The one thing that they do well with this vehicle is having Mercedez Benz luxury. Its great to be driven in thiscar but its horrible when it comes to driving it. It gives me no confidence,no power, and no feel.