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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  Twelve year experience with ML320 - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Island - February 28 - 10:06 am

  I have just traded in my 1999 ML320. We had a rocky relationship but it did last 12 years so it was not all bad. Frankly I loved the basic design, drive and utility of the vehicle. Maintenance was very very expensive and reliability reminded me more of GM than Mercedes. However, it never failed to start except when the battery died every four or five years so it did serve as reliable transport. So many little and bigger things required maintenance however that it was simply not economical to own and would have been cheaper to walk away from four or five years ago than to keep on the road. I finally threw in the town when the transfer case started acting up and repair was over 5 grand

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  A good value used - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By DSanborn - February 20 - 7:33 am

  I purchased this vehicle for my wife for Christmas. She has always wanted one. I was a little hesitant due to the reviews on Edmunds. It appears some people love them and some hate them. We purchased a certified one because of these concerns. It has performed very well and is comfortable to ride in. I really like how stable it is off-road. This vehicle is ridiculously over-priced new (as most are) but has depreciated nicely to where you can get a good sport utility at a reasonable price with a decent warranty. The best thing about the vehicle is the safety features. I bought it for my wife and young son so they could walk away from almost any accident. Its a tank!

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  No longer the best or nothing - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By fedakj - February 18 - 2:00 am

  This is a fine car, however quality problems are magnified by equaly poor service. Vibration at 33-45mph, mb claims this to be harmonics of the car, otherwords we can not fix it.

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  not all MB is made equal - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By fedakj - February 18 - 2:00 am

  The C240 is great car, however the vibration in the stering wheel a speeds of 33mph to 48mph is most disturbing and takes all the pleasure of out driving in town. The dealer and Mercedes Benz admits the problem however staes they have no solution. The poor service and client care is not a feature MB advertise. Schremp o mania is taking foor hold.

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  For the Second Time, Bravo! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By A.Setiawan - February 17 - 8:43 pm

  This is our 2nd R-class and our umpteenth Benz. We had a R350 and an E- class in LA and now that weve moved to Jakarta, we decided to get another one this time a 7 seater and CDI to combat Jakartas traffic. Having first bought a Toyota Alphard here, we now find it too big for self-drives and prefer the R-class. The 7 seating version makes better sense and more practical. Weve now passed-on the Alphard to the kids for their activities and keep the R-class between my partner and me. Were no longer getting an S-class since the R- class also carries a lot of panache and grandeur without being too overbearing especially when we self- drive on the weekend and during vacation and not use the drive

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  FAILURE OF IMPLIED WARRANTY - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By asg - February 13 - 10:00 am

  2003 PUCHAASED 2/2003 FROM DAVID MICHAEL MOTORS. oRDERED CAR WITH NAVIGATION SYSTEM "PREWIRING" FOR RETROFIT WHEN NEW SYSTEM BECAME AVAILABLE IN SPRING OR SUMMER 2003. LEARNED THAT MB HAS DECIDED NOT TO RETROFIT 2003 CAR WITH NAV SYSTEM AND THAT CUSTOMERS WHO ORDERED WITH THIS INTENT ARE "JUST OUT OF LUCK. DEALER CLAIMS, " NOT HIS FAULT" IT MERECEDES BENZ DECISION. IS THIS WORLD CLASS SERVICE FROM A PREMIUM AUTOMAKER OR MORE LIKE CHRYSLER CORPORATION 198090.? bE cAREFUL OF PROMISED WITH MB AND GET IT WRITING. HAS ANYONE HAD A DIFFERENT RESOLUTION? NO LOW END TORQUE. CAVBEAT EMPTOR=

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  Not an SUV guy and I LOVE it! - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Ernie - February 9 - 8:23 am

  This was to be my wifes car, as I have my BMW 650 - yes, quite a contrast in style to my demise. Great driving car, roomy, responsive and OK - I can open up the Sun roof to get that convertible feel, as I do on my 650.

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  Balanced perspective - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By mcantwell - February 7 - 8:27 pm

  I bought a used 2002 S430 in November of 2012. It was $11,000. I immediately had an issue with the air suspension which leaked and I had Peter, a local mechanic (SilverStar Motors) who specialized in Mercedes fix it. He is much more reasonable than the dealership but the repair was $1400. He warned me the car has a history of expensive issues. I replaced the tires with ContiPro fro $600. I did not have any additional issues until recently it was side-swiped on the street and the driver mirror was tore off. The parts alone are over $1000 and Im looking at 1300-$1,500 with labor and paint. To pile on my check engine light came on and the car has a bit of a shake and rough idle. We will see.

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  My First Mercedes - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By tlrust1 - February 7 - 10:00 am

  And most likely, my last. In the past eight months the car has been in the shop eight times for nearly 20 days. I broke my longstanding rule of never buying the first year of a new model and Im really paying for it now. Build quality is horrible. In addition, my dealers service center is the most disorganized and poorly run I have ever encountered. I miss my Lexus.

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  The Cruiser - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By JOHN - February 7 - 3:16 am

  My Dad just recently leased the R500 for me. I only have about 300 miles on it and I am having some problems with the transmision and lots of rattling noises around the car. It is a kick to drive around and I love the power. But for a car that is just below 70K, it needs more standard features. Full leather seats was an option.