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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  Comfortable ride - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Charles Davis - July 4 - 3:00 pm

  A pleasure to drive. The ride is smooth and soft. Engine is smooth and strong

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  Saved My Life - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By m2e2r2 - July 4 - 5:36 am

  Distracted and going 70 on a 2-lane road, the front tire hit the gravel shoulder. I was spun around across the road and into the ditch on the other side. I could feel the car working to stabilize itself and my thought at the time was thank goodness Im in this vehicle. I should not be here today. Despite the severity of the spinout, the car survived without any problem. I was amazed. I got back up on the road (slowly), got to my Interstate onramp, slowly accelerated up to 65 and went on my way! Had it checked at my destination and there was absolutely nothing wrong. Amazing.

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  The 2015 C-Class is luxury on steroids... - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By luxurylover1 - July 4 - 5:31 am

  Amazing design, finishes, and everything a large car would have in a smaller one without compromises. You cant get that anywhere else it seems. They all try and upsell you to a larger car. My advice for a potential buyer is to option is well. The airmatic suspension----a must. The leather----a must. It seems most luxurious in its luxury version over sport version.

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  Love the Car - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Charles - July 3 - 6:40 am

  Turned in my Lexus GS300 March 06. I started shopping in feb for new car to lease. Lexus gave me high priced lease prices and this would have been my 3rd GS. So went to Mercedes and leased 2006 CLK350. Obsidian black-light tan inside. Have Sirius, lighting package, prem package, heated seats and navigation. Love the car. No problems except had to wait 1 month for Sirius. And the car cost me less than the Lexus. The car turns heads. Love driving the car, Much better than the 2003 GS300. The best time of day is driving to and from work.

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  Electrical Nightmare - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Petersons - July 2 - 2:43 pm

  We bought this certified pre-owned E500 2 months ago, and it has been in the shop 4 times for electrical error messages (SRS and SOS Disabled, electrical consumers switched off message, and more). Today my car caught on fire with me and my 2 children buckled in carseats in the backseat. The entire inside of the car filled with thick white smoke and smelled of burning. The electrical system fried, caught fire,and didnt allow me to open any doors to get my kids out. I ripped them out of their seats, fire trucks put out the fire, we are safe, but a total loss. After the key was taken out the clock and speedometer were spinning, radio blaring, windshield wipers squirting, everything...scary!!

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  LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Shirley - June 30 - 11:40 pm

  I love everything about this car, as I am semi retired I wanted a car that is going to be comfortable for long trips to visit friends, even after 12 hours it is, no numb butt. It is the best cruise control I have ever had but did get it confused with the indicator to start with. I wanted it in the new metallic quartz blue with grey interior, I could not find it in the model I wanted without a lot of extras I did not want so "I built my own" this has just added to the delight of owning a Mercedes, that it was custom made for me, it does not cost any extra to do this, but does add to the prestige.

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  Great Car - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By j_nickens - June 30 - 10:14 am

  This was my first car. Picked it up at a used car auction. Im 19 and I was getting looks driving a Benz even though it was a 96. Handled well. Leg room was a issue in the back. Small trunk. Also my electronics went psycho when it was cold. My windshield wiper wouldnt work sometimes. Very scary.

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  Great value for the money... - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Doctor Karl - June 30 - 9:13 am

  Just traded in a Cadillac CTS-V for a 2005 M-B C230 KOMPRESSOR black-on-black sedan with a navigation system. Not a very powerful vehicle, especially having just had 400 hp under the hood of the Cadillac. Nevertheless, much more fun to drive, in that the seats are more supportive and one feels much more in-tune with the car, rather than just a passenger. The vehicle gets great gas mileage, has sufficient pep from the supercharged 4-cylinder engine and is a pleasure to drive. The navigation system is very user friendly, although could use a graphics improvement. I have no regrets investing in this vehicle. In fact, my girlfriend purchased the same vehicle (but red-on-black); she loves it!

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  This car was created as a joke from MB - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By yelis - June 29 - 1:15 pm

  Its like a cardboard......falls apart probably as I wright this just standing in parking lot.....What broke: transmission at 100k, cooling fans, airmatic pump, gear box shifter, navigation system, tape player, 1 door locking mechanism, and thats after i bought the car used, I would imagine previous owner had nightmares too. One of my friends had 00 or 02 model and had to lease Honda Accord because this MB was simply NOT drivable due to constant breakdowns

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  A near-miss - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jaz - June 29 - 9:20 am

  Despite what other reviewers have said, this car has a major Achilles heel: the 7-speed automatic transmission and the small V-6 engine dont get along. By sporty-car standards, the 2.5-liter engines 201hp is only marginally adequate; to make this 3400-lb car feel zippy, the transmission would really need to downshift quickly and crisply when accelerating. Instead, it hesitates and is reluctant to downshift even in "sport" mode. So what you get is sluggish performance off the line, which gradually builds as the rpms go up. Too bad; with different transmission software programming, this car could have felt much faster and more responsive. Using the semi-manual feature helps somewhat.