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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  Wow, what a ride... - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Mike N. - September 11 - 7:20 am

  After a test drive on the 2004 Coupe, I was done for. It is just too exciting to drive. I had to have it. Ive only had one other car that got the blood pumping like this - a BMW 540i. But this car is pure power and fits the driver like a glove. THe 302HP engine purrs like a lion and then springs to life. The cockpit is well designed, with most controls in easy reach. The computer can be programmed in all the expected luxury ways. Seems like MBZ did a great job on this.

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  Better than expected - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By sharon spatz - September 9 - 2:00 am

  Saw one on the road and loved the looks. Ordered it and had to wait in order to get 2004 model. After ordering, while waiting for delivery, was told by someone that loved luxury cars that I would hate it. He drove it and would never buy one. I am so glad I took delivery. Best vehicle I have ever driven. So solid, comfortable and love the looks - gets lots of attention.

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  No Regrect - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By issey55 - September 9 - 2:00 am

  Despite of so many negative reviews through the internet sites, purchased Inspiration Edition over X5, RX330, FX35, and MDX. MB is still MB. Classy looks of both in and outsides. Power, quietness, smoothness, may be less than the competitors, but they are adequate enough to be happy, and just fun to drive as a truck-feel, after all. No regrect at all on my decision.

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  Krajiak - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By scanizares - September 9 - 2:00 am

  Great car. Very safe and excellent in winter conditions

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  What a car! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Zachmbenzfvr - September 9 - 2:00 am

  I originally had a 2000 S430, and this 2004 is leaps and bounds an improvement over that car. The Seven speed tranny is smooth, and responsive. Love the exterior and the interior. The quality improvements inside are amazing. The exterior is Black Opal, with Grey interior. The combination is beautiful.

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  The almost perfect sport sedan - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By C350rox - September 8 - 7:40 am

  My C350 Sport is almost perfect. Its ride is so smooth yet this cars sporty suspension has very quick reflexes. It also gets 30 MPG cruising over 80 mph! The styling is unbeatable, the car is drop dead gorgeous and the rims are so sporty I didnt even have to upgrade to the AMGs. However where this car falls short is performance. I test drove a Lexus IS350 and BMW 335i both had the same size engine, and same MPGs yet they were much quicker and more powerful. About a full second faster 0-60. Also the interior styling is bland and not as impressive as the exterior. However the fact the this car has Mercedes craftmenship and rock solid engineering made me pick the C350 over the Bimmer and Lexus

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  So much hope - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Already re-sold it - September 7 - 11:10 am

  Loved driving the car, great handling! Made me look forward to the drive to/from work. Fun on the weekends too! However, having an alternator go out at 52,000 miles is ridiculous. We bought this car used, 44,000 miles, in May of 2005. After the alternator was fixed at the dealer yesterday afternoon, drove the car straight to be sold. We felt like this car was ready to become a money pit. We had MANY bulb failures, and a "thumping" that the dealer couldnt ever figure out nor fix. We had researched the Lexus and intended to buy one, but, found this car on the lot and fell in love. Reliability is very important to us, and we (I) made the wrong decision.

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  Wifes tiger - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By bruceb - September 7 - 10:00 am

  This is actually a review of my wifes 2002 430CLK. IT was the 1st red 2002 imported into the US. She loves it and gets great compliments from her girl friends. She too has had the window problem; apparently this is very common. Dealer replaced both sensors and no more problems. Only real negative - road noise is terrible but tolerable. Not like a Lexus or E430. Gas mileage is also poor - not as good as sticker. Otherwise, great car!

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  my 280 - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ROGER - September 7 - 10:00 am

  Not a single problem or adjustment since purchase. On trips the car averages over 26mpg.

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  The Best - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Driver23 - September 7 - 10:00 am

  Best Car in the Market