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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  Good value for a Great car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Mirek - September 22 - 1:10 pm

  Drives very well for used car. Good mileage per gallon when carefully driven, or on highway. Good looks in gray. In sport setting transmission kicks at stops. Wiper not performing well at aouto setup - often too slow to react. Overall comfortable ride. Bit too high seatting position for driver. Once you learn all tech data it is very pleasant automobile.

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  Comfortable family mover. - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By doufitz - September 22 - 11:23 am

  "No" "Never" The replies were always the same when I asked my wife if she would like a minivan for transporting our three kids. She wouldnt even consider the R class, looked too much like a van. So I brought one home anyway..and she came around to the idea of a large wagon. It fits the family of 5 perfectly and room for a friend. Interior is top notch, nice auto tailgate and panoramic roof. 2D Navigation is adequate. It is a joy to drive, looking forward to a long road trip. It is an evolutionary vehicle design, kids would never fit in smaller 3rd row. Extremely happy with vehicle, have owned 5 other MBs, best fit and finish, a few electronic SRS realated messages, otherwise great.

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  a beuty and a beast - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jhonny - September 22 - 2:00 am

  the power is awsome. the car is a beuty ive had mb suvs for a long time the only thing that this suv needs is more comfort for the driver and passenger that is the only thig that lacks .........

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  A Mind of its Own - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By X-TWA - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Was very excited for the new E320 to become available. That was the last excitement I experienced.First,imagine driving at around 10mph and having the transmission start fluctuating between 1st and 2nd gear causing the car to buck..service dept says that is normal ..second,imagine trying to simply accelerate slowly fwd after backing out of a parking space and there is delayed response and then the engine almost stalling....Service dept says this is normal..very disappointed with the entire Mercedes experience.Please get Volvo to bring back my S-70 "box" that I so loved for 8years+ (2cars). Mercedes and my E320 have " A Mind of its Own" !

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  Great Small Sedan - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Dave in Dallas - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Shopped like a madman. Have owned Lexus, Infiniti and a 240D MB. I simply thought that after reviewing and driving most of the $30-40K sedans, this was the obvious choice.

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  power - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By xjt - September 22 - 2:00 am

  had the car for three months, drive is comfortable, but lacks acceleration. for $60000 they should add more power or drop the weight.

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  The best SUV - ML320 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Bruce07670 - September 21 - 10:00 am

  With recent advances in safety, comfort, off-road ability and on-road performance, Mercedes should maintain a strong presence in the luxury SUV market.

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  mercades - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By alishah - September 21 - 10:00 am

  the car is great it is fun to drive and very exciting

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  Almost Perfect - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Mark - September 21 - 9:30 am

  I was able to find a new ML 500 with the optional AMG sports package. I love this vehicle because its styling is second to none, especially with the AMG package. Unfortunately, the performance is not as what I had expected. The transmission has some serious lag. It seems like its got multiple personalities and only responds when it wants to, not necessarily when you want it to. Other than the transmission, theres nothing to complain about.

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  CLS 500 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Jim in new york - September 20 - 2:46 am

  Needless to say it gets a lot of attention. It is a lot of fun to drive. I moved away from Mercedes a few years back due to quality. I went to Lexus and I was so bored. This car is anything but boring. It is a fun drivers car. It reminds you of the joy you felt when you first got behind the wheel. Im just hoping that the quality is in this car.