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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  00 CLK - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Raleigh Benz - October 2 - 10:00 am

  Too many rattles, tires do not wear evenly, already had the power top malfunction.

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  Geared too low / Poor gas Mileage - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By P3 IFO - October 1 - 8:23 pm

  Overall I love the car. 4500 miles with no repair issues. Car handles and rides great. Low road noise. Very good looking car. I have 3 minor issues; Manual transmission is geared to low, need a different rear end. This leads to poor fuel economy. Driving conservitavily I get 17-20 mpg around town. At 3500 miles the engine developed a low pitched howl. Dealer say it the metal chain on a nylon sprocket that drives the oil pump

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  A Great "Baby Benz" - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By S Penn - September 28 - 7:26 pm

  It has the crisp, tight, precise driving that one can only enjoy from a Mercedes Benz. I have owned many bigger and more powerful Mercedes, yet the C230 Kompressor is an absolute pleasure to drive. Its quick, responsive, and still gives the driver the confidence of a well built, secure vehicle.

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  GLK on the go - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By charlie taylor jr - September 27 - 1:46 pm

  purchased 3 18 09.in shop twice for radio.drove range rover,looked at lexus sold on looks of glk.drive very well.I THINK IT SHOULD BURN MIDDLE GRADE GAS. A finu suv.With the cost there should have benn acargo net and acargo cover

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  ok care for the money - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By BenzyMan01 - September 23 - 10:00 am

  Purchased it about 5 months ago and its an overall great buy, but im not so happy with the reaction on it. people dont like the looks and I dont know if I do. I cant wait for the new generation G to come out.

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  Love my Mercedes - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Mercedes E350 4matic - September 19 - 10:46 pm

  This is the second Mercedes I have owned over the past 5 years. I switched to Acura for a while. The new E350 class is spectacular with the higher horse power (268) over the old 320. I had a S class and was disappointed that they hadnt changed in the last 5 years and went for the new E this time. It is loaded with lots of toys and i highly recommend the integrated SIRIUS satellite radio. Perhaps the best features of this car have to do with how others look at you while you are driving it. I got a special paint, Bordeux Red and it is very sharp and an eye turner. Overall I am very happy with the car and enjoy driving it alot.

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  Worst Mercedes I have owned - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Michael Larkin - September 16 - 11:50 am

  Terrible gas mileage. Uncomfortable seats - no cushioning. Horrible wind noise when driving above 50 mph. Low-end speakers, muddy sound

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  Great Car But Terrible Interface - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mondial82 - September 16 - 12:59 am

  This is our 2nd C-Class. In almost every way, it totally delivers what you expect for an entry level Mercedes. Great drive, great look, reliable. I mean its a Mercedes - its awesome. To the consumer, I say that you should consider this vehicle. The remainder of this critique is directed at Mercedes. Yes - MB remains masters of their craft and because I want them to continue to be - it pains me to say that they really blew it on the logic of the controls. First off, removing the leather transmission shifter with the Mercedes logo from the center console in favor of some cheap plastic stick by the steering wheel smells of a shameless cost cutting measure. Look - its a Mercedes - throw that thing into Sport mode late night on a Freeway in L.A. - trust me - you want something to hold on to. Second, in place, theres this stupid little touch pad (kind of like mousepad on a laptop) with which you are supposed to dial phone numbers when using the Bluetooth. How am I supposed to hold onto something thats flat? Moreover, the problem is that when you try dialing the numbers, it never gets the number right and theres a delay while the system tries to figure out what number your dialing. The old C-Class we had simply had a key pad whereby the digits were physical keys I could feel with my fingers. Thus, I could safely dial without having to take my eyes off the road. Third, if you want to stream media throw your phone, you have to proceed through at least three steps - two of which are not intuitive. Our Volkswagen only has one step and its so straight forward that even I could figure it out. Finally, I have yet to figure out how to switch around my media (i.e. change radio stations, or switch to streaming, dial numbers) while keeping the Navi map on screen. Granted, Navi is now a useless feature given the quality of programs like Waze. However, I like looking at a dynamic map as I drive. Make no mistake - this has not dissuaded me from remaining a loyal customer. But the first thing Im going to do when it comes time to replace this one is check to see if you put in a real transmission shift and got rid of this stupid touch screen. Please MB - shine in the way you can.

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  Bye Mercedes - 1995 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By cuperqui - September 9 - 10:00 am

  I have owned a mercedes for 25 years to include various classes. The S-class was the ultimate car. You feel very much in control of the car. Long highway drives are effortless. However, purchase a good extended warranty. Power windows mechanism have gone out on two windows in my S-class, gasket and seals have been replace twice, the illumination of dashboard components have gone out twice and maintence and repairs are expensive. I recently moved to a Lexus 430 and admittedly I miss my Mercedes drive but the Mercedes pails in comparison to the luxury features of my Lexus and the reliability of the Lexus.

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  Could be great - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By danicro - September 9 - 10:00 am

  Sold 2001 BMW 525IA for 03 320E RWD. Very good ride, excellent gas milage 9 (averaged over 29 MPG on a recent 500 round trip at close to 70 MPG). Really! Only problem I have had and it is hard to understand is the computer system that controls the stereo system. My vehicle was at the dealership for more than 3 weeks waiting for a new "gateway". Not good! Problem appears to have been corrected but this cars electronics are sluggish. Love the styling and the ride. Stereo sound is fine and interior is very good.