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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  Bravo M-B Class Act all the Way! - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Barry - July 11 - 9:50 am

  Handles & drives better then the Best of them. Truly car like with all the luxuries of cars costing much MORE!I gave up my Audi A5 with NO Regrets! .9 interest rate sealed the deal!!

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  Pleasantly Surprised - 2007 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By John - July 10 - 6:40 am

  After researching, the MB ML500 was the only SUV that appealed to me-used for utilitarian purposes as fast cars are my preference. I am surprised at how well the MB drives. It accelerates nicely & handles turns better than most SUVs I’ve driven. It’s extremely quiet & has great curb appeal. I love that it’s predictable & that the ride is true MB. I avg 20+mpg highway and 15+mpg city. I like the console & control center a lot (as for the clock in the center for the passenger-they can buy a watch or drive) & seating is comfortable on long trips. My friends have the Lexus & Infiniti & other than outright speed-FX is much faster-RX not so much-my M Class wins in every category-especially style!

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  Great car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By alfreds - July 9 - 2:26 pm

  Why go with some lower middle class vehicle liek the Lexus or the H2? The G500 defines luxury and is used all over the world for military, industrial and civilian use. This is a tested SUV, not something marketed to soccer moms.

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  NICE...BUT CMON.... - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Ross - July 8 - 5:20 pm

  The car is truly beautiful from the outside and wonderful to drive. You have to get the V8. There is probably only 1 mpg difference but a huge difference in power. The only thing is that the inside is soooooo simple. The interior is ok but cmon, Mercedes really hasnt changed anything on the inside in 100 years. Old buttons, mediocre nav. It makes you wonder about the price when far-inferior cars look amazing on the inside in comparison. Little leg room in the back. Mercedes is a driving machine, yes. But for $60,000- plus (with AMG), I want my cars interior looking a little better than a Honda... dont you think?

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  AWESOME CAR - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ROBERT - July 7 - 1:40 pm

  GREAT ENGINE LOTS OF POWER AND TORQUE AT ALL SPEEDS AND I LIKE THE 5 SPEED AMG SPEEDSHIFT ADAPTIVE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT YOU SHIFT FROM THE STEERING WHEEL OR SHIFTER. MY YOUNG SON CALLS IT THE FAST AND FURIOUS CAR FROM THE MOVIE, BUT WITH THE LUXURY YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM MERCEDES. I GOT IT WITH NAVIGATION AND ITS A VERY SMOOTH SYSTEM COMPARED WITH MY WORK TRUCK VERY DETAILED AND ACCURATE. THE SOUND SYSTEM IS VERY NICE WITH 12 SPEAKERS FROM KARMON/KARDON. AND THIS CAR HAS THE BEST BRAKING SYSTEM OF ANY CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED. LOTS OF SAFETY FEATURES. ONLY NEGATIVE IS THE PRICE BUT ONCE YOU TRULY DRIVE IT, ITS MONEY WELL SPENT.

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  My C300 - 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By nruss - July 7 - 8:51 am

  The c 300 runs well and handles niclley on the rough New England roads. We have 27,000 on ours and it makes a thumping souond in the brakes now so it is going into the shop.

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  SE320 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Yen - July 6 - 11:00 am

  Cheap materials both interior and exterior for an expensive car. Engine very quiet. Fixed A/C, radio in first year.

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  Poor delivery, poor dealership - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By ad wood - July 6 - 10:46 am

  Maintenence expense for this car exceeded $10,000 in the first two years. The quality was a disgrace. Major components had to be replaced. Finally found an independent machanic who virtually rebuilt it for us. Now it is a great car. Mercedes should be ashamed of the quality of this car.

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  Beautiful but Balky - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By V.M.Greene - July 5 - 10:00 am

  My new MB is a beauty both inside and out but the balky shifting of the auto trans has spoiled my enjoyment. This is especially true going up and down hills. Its like it just doesnt want to shift. There is no such thing as coasting down hill to improve mileage as it just slows down unless you give it some gas. The mileage is another issue (11 City and 20 Highway).

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  Update to previous review - 2007 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By JulesH - July 4 - 7:53 pm

  Ive had this vehicle now for 5 months. It has been in the shop several times. It is not reliable and I cannot recommend it. The steering wheel shock absorber was replaced and front end was aligned, the entire headlight bulb assembly had to be reworked to fix an electrical short (this took 3 trips to the dealer) and the passenger side door had to be realigned since it would not close properly. This was all within the 1st. week of ownership. Then the rear door lock went and now the rear window washer does not work. Car is a time bomb. The dealer is now offering to buy it back after my complaints. It was supposed to be CPOd, but problems since day 1 have been occurring.