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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  I Love it but the gas! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Busy Mom - January 4 - 8:00 pm

  I bought this vehicle to accommodate my family of 5 and that it has done! Elegant look, smooth ride, and the space/seating capacity keeps the kids from fighting. The only issue I have had with this crossover is the gas mileage. It seems I am always at the gas station! We have to stop between our frequent team practices, and I often have to stop for gas several times during the week for work and extra curricular activities. This is a real drag. And we now have to plan a gas stop into our travel time when planning out our routines. This is no fun and it takes the pleasure out of driving this family dream machine.

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  The ML Experience - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Speedi - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I wanted an SUV that would last me for 10 years -- and up to this point, I admit Im a little worried. Granted, its only had 1 mechanical failure in 33k miles, but I have also replaced the brakes once. On the other hand, while the interior is a little dated, the SUV is built like a tank and is fun to drive. The ML430 is VERY peppy with the 24V V8. Would I buy another one? Thats the real question, isnt it? Yes, Id buy another one. The ML tends to get better each year I look at them.

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  Mighty Fine Vehicle - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Sacha Prins - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my 2000 ML320 (old model) for a 2002 ML55 (new model) last may, and I must say that besides the obvious performance gain, the quality of the car (interior, rattling, overall quality) has also improved a lot. Im basically a very happy camper, and besides a recall involving the powersteering everything has been fine. This car and the dealership I bought it at live up to my Mercedes-Benz quality expectations. I dont quite understand the static the other reviewers give the ML55. The only thing against the car would be the fuel milage.

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  Comand System much too complicated - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Lisa - December 26 - 2:12 am

  I have had several Mercedes prior to this one. I loved my E350 and leased the E300 when that lease was up. I am completely disappointed with the entertainment system. I am somewhat of a techie so I usually enjoy playing with complicated systems. Not this one. I dropped Sirius and signed up for the Internet hotspot figuring that I would use iHeartRadio instead. Big mistake. The car kept losing the internet signal ("Connected; No Internet") even though I was in densely populated and internet active parts of the Northeast. It took too many scrolls and pushes to get a radio station - forget about changing stations even as the passenger. Changing between cell phones for Bluetooth is another disaster - everything takes multiple swipes, scrolls, etc... Ridiculous. Im dumping the Internet hotspot and signing up again for Sirius because it is the lesser of two evils. Even playing Amazon Music from my cell phone via Bluetooth requires too much work. Its a shame. I just leased a GLA250 (much less expensive starter SUV for my mother) and the entertainment package there is much simpler and much more basic. The good news is that both the driver and passenger can use it without thinking that they will cause a crash. When my lease is up in 1.5 years, Im not sure whether I will lease another MB if the Comand package remains as complicated -- and dangerous -- as it is now. The rest of the car is fine and lives up to the standards I expect from MB. The entertainment system, however, is a huge dealkiller.

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  Mercedes ML is a partial hit! 8+ - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By PSherlock0 - December 20 - 2:00 am

  This is basically a good SUV; at first I thought it was too small and uncomfortable and after 3 years I am learning to live with the size, but it is still uncomfortable ie, seats very hard and suspension stiff. Mercedes thinks (ha) that only off roaders buy SUVs. Detroit also thought their cars were fine twenty years ago too! At 95 miles per hour it handles like a sports car and feels quite safe (I was late going to the airport). Fuel economy is good considering the weight of the vehicle, about 5k lbs, and the size of the motor. Pulling our boat is easy and effortless and I am glad I had the trailer package.

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  Too many problems for a real MB - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Arturo - December 18 - 8:03 am

  My second ML, realy enjoy the ride and the sense of security on this SUV. But unfortunately Im very disapointed with too many little things that were never solve by MB and too many big repairs that came right after the waranty expired (central locking system, rear wiper motor -how often do you use it?-, engine problems never solve by service department, heated seats burn my legs, speed sensitive volume on audio system,... etc, etc, etc. Tires and brake life is less than 22,000 miles. Overall great looking and confortable SUV, with too many problems for a MB

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  Welcome to Benz......... - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mel - December 15 - 2:33 am

  I went to the "dark side. Coming from BMW 3 series coupe, I decided to try Benz for the first time and wow what a great choice. I love this car. It doesnt have as much power and doesnt handle quite as good as my 335 coupe but damn this car looks good and it has adequate power and handling. Comfortable solid ride which a nice quality sporty interior. No car is even close at this price point in my opinion, bang for buck. My bimmer was $200 more per month!

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  ml 320 - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By ptomlin - December 14 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive, this first year model was not fully sorted out and has some small reliability issues. Once sorted out, it performs fine. Later years of the ML 320 were reputed to be better. It does do OK as a 4WD well and is nimble.

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  Best For Home Use - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By pma - December 12 - 10:00 am

  Big problems with fuel evaporation system;replaced under warranty,now needs to be replaced again since fuelling is sometimes impossible and the gas indicator does/doesnt indicate,lights flash,etc.Brake discs should also be of much better quality. Seats are THE WORST over long distance of any Ive had in 40 years.My chiropractor made a fortune !

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  Half & Half - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By GC - December 12 - 10:00 am

  I always wanted an E320 4-Matic - Bought it as a leftover and was satisfied with the price. 6 months after the purchase is when it started to cause headache after headache. Heated seat stopped working, radio stopped working and had to be replaced, passenger window goes down by itself and the transfer cas had to be repalced because of knocking noise and leaking oil on my garage floor. Have had it back 8 times to the dealer since purchased, what a hassle. For the price you pay for a Mercedes you should get a quality piece of machinery.