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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  The perfect SUV - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Andy - January 19 - 1:40 pm

  This is my wife/family car, we owned this GL320 CDI for more than a year and I love this SUV. Every time I drive it, I enjoy the ride. I drive a 335 convertible, but the handling, feeling and cornering of this truck is incredible. I strongly recommend this vehicle for big families, and if its diesel more.

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  Best car I ever owned - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By richard - January 18 - 11:16 pm

  This is the best car I have ever owned. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. The styling, power and build quality are as good as it gets.I suggest you get silver with the charcoal interior for the classic Mercedes look. Its a head turner.

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  ITS NOT ALL ITS CRACKED UP TO BE - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By JOHNNYBGOODONLY - January 17 - 10:00 am

  IT STILL RIDES ROUGH - EVEN FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE. SHOULD HAVE GONE TO LINCOLN.

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  Great Car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Jay Kay Bay - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Fantastic car, if only i could afford it.

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  Its about time. - 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By HBL of TYSONS - January 17 - 7:53 am

  I have worked for Mercedes for over 10 years. Always known its the safest car in the world and the craftsmenship is A+. Finally I leased one and even more excited then I could have imagined. There is no one noise at 80mph+. The stereo system with over 600watts is awesome. The suspension system with the upgrades to agility control cant be beat. It even almost makes sharper u-turns than my motorcycle. The Nav is hard drive based and is almost immediate when using. The voice control system is awesome and can even be tweaked to understand people with accents, like my wife who is from Romania.

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  This should not happen to Mercedes - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By om424la - January 16 - 4:15 am

  2007 E320 Bluetec V6 Diesel, Nothing major but bunch of small stuff that disables car for days. Cracked inter-cooler hoses, failed Mass Air Flow sensors, Failed EGR valve, Clogged DPF filter, scary one was when fuel filter clamp failed, sprayed fuel on hot turbocharger and ignited, my lucky day I was standing in traffic so I was able to see cloud of the smoke coming under the hood and can of soda put the fire out (I should let it burn). All this under 74K miles. This is my 8th Mercedes and seams that newer the car more problems with it.

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  Torque for days - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By D Fink - January 15 - 8:45 pm

  First thing that gets you is the exhaust. Cant beat the sound of the AMG V8. It is definitely an experience to drive one, imagine the German answer to muscle cars. I love the car but there are things that I dislike as well. The seats for one, I am 5 11" 275lbs, wear about a size 56 in a jacket. The seats are okay but I am leary they will kill my back in a long drive, time will tell. For a $60-70k car the interior is, well, blah. I owned an 08 C300 before buying this, there are very little differences in the two as far as quality of materials used. Had I based my decision solely on the interior I would have kept my C300 and saved myself quite a bit of money. I cant complain to much though, I bought the car for the performance, and it has plenty.

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  My First Experience with M-B - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By William - January 14 - 1:06 am

  Bought this car with 32,000 miles on it, and have put about 9,000 on it since. Beautiful styling was the initial attraction. Overall pleased with ride and handling and fuel economy. Occasionally get over 30 mpg on highway trips. Transmission is unpredictably jerky at low speeds on occasion. Radio cuts off by itself, stays off for a few seconds, then comes back on in CD mode. Dealer not been able to fix. Brakes very touchy also. Overall impression is great design and engineering (except for the cupholders, what were they thinking?) but overall poor execution. Weve been more pleased with the BMWs weve had. The M-B has fewer features and not near the quality of my daughters 2006 Accord EX

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  CLS55 is the bomb! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Brian - January 13 - 10:20 am

  This is a great car! Styling is beautiful and the performance is outstanding. I had an 03 Viper prior and this car is very close in performance and much better in size, comfort, and driveability. This is the best 4 door Ive owned.

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  An amazing automobile - 2009 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Jack W. - January 13 - 3:23 am

  The R350 is an absolute blast to drive. Perfect for our family of 5. My wife simply loves driving this car and so do I. The panorama roof is spectacular along with the exceptional fit and finish. You feel very safe in this auto. Voice activation works very well and the sound system is superb. With the shifting capability on the steering wheel the car has plenty of power and is very spirited. All seats are comfortable and access to the third row is easy. Highly recommend this car if you need more room but dont want to lose the fun of driving.