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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  Sweet C230! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By SweetC230 - February 8 - 10:00 am

  Great deal on a German engineered, rear wheel drive sport sedan. I drove the 325i, A4 3.0 & G35 and none had the complete package of the C230. The sport tuned suspension, 6 spd tranny, wheel/tire combo, & overall bodystyle made this an easy choice. The cornering/handling of this baby is precise and effortless. The car is a real head turner and stands out better than any car I test drove. . .and having that three pointed star on the hood never hurts!

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  Fantastic car - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By luckysharkey - February 8 - 2:31 am

  Just bought the car a week ago and I am very happy. Even with 275k miles on it, it still runs like new. 20 years later it still has more style then most cars going down the road. great gas millage as well, for a 90s car.

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  Great car and better buy - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By TXdriver - February 7 - 4:10 pm

  After 7 months no regrets on purchasing this car used instead of a new something else. Solid as a rock, handles like its glued to the road. Ive seen the mileage rating but I drive aggressively and get 25+ in mixed freeway/city driving. Top end impressive power but sluggish off the line. Great car loaded with features and very quiet ride.

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  S320SWB - 1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By GIUSEPPE - February 7 - 2:00 am

  A FABULOUS USED CAR AT 25 GRAND AND FIVE YRS OLD AT TIME OF PURCHASE LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE NEW PERFECT SHAPE NO PROBLEMS HAD ORIGINAL TIRES WHEN BOUGHT AT 48 K MILES.COMPARES TO BEST OF LUXURY SEDANS EVEN WITH SIX CYL.HAS GOOD POWER AND QUIET BEYOND BELIEF RIDE

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  MUST HAVE - 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By PJR - February 7 - 2:00 am

  As my wife and I began pricing out new vs used cars to replace my older "college car," we were intrigued by the classiness and sportiness of the CLK 430. My wife, not the finest judge of high technology, fell in love with it faster than I did. She walked in with me and we drove it home. I do agree with previous writings, cheaper interior than we would like, and temperature control near the feet in colder areas are a drawback--the dual temp control is cool, but a little tricky. The sunshade, V8, AMG rims, and ground effects make this my first child...

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  Im scared - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jfdlaw - February 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought this thinking I would own it for years and put 150,000 miles on it. Five months later Im trying to get rid of it. So far its spent 20 days at the dealership. The shops been great, but the problems keep coming back. Power steering quit twice. Brakes quit (pedal to the floor) and took over a week to fix. Replaced shocks, brakes, all with less than 40k on the car. Whats worse is that every time it goes to the dealer they have to air ship parts from Alabama. Appearantly they are type specific for each car. I love driving the car, but I cant imagine the repair bills once it goes off warranty. Would I do it again? NO!

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  absolutely perfect - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By claude LHeureux - February 7 - 2:00 am

  stylish and fun to drive.2003 fit finish improvement are perfect

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  Great Car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By slywun0467 - February 7 - 2:00 am

  I love my C230. Ive had it since Sept 2001 and it has performed admirably. I put ~20,000 miles on a my car a year (up to 37,000) as of this writing and its been great. Service and support of the dealership is top notch.

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  Excellent Redesign - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Ralph Severino - February 5 - 12:03 am

  I truly enjoy the experience of driving this vehicle. I believe this is by far a much better vehicle than the earlier ML Class. This vehicle handles very well and has no problem with power. The only thing I have to get used to is the brakes are a little touchy, and when you are driving in heavy traffic, the 7 speed automatic transmission is geared very low. If you are in normal traffic, the car is superb.

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  Lovin My Benz - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Rachel - February 4 - 10:26 pm

  Although I have only had the new 06 ML for two weeks, I am already in love!! What an amazing vehicle. The new body style is very sleek and attractive from every angle. The Interior is extremely spacious, and unbelievably comfortable. I was a previous Rover owner, and while I loved that vehicle as well, the ML is in a totaly different class. Test drive this baby before you buy anything else!