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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  Topless beauty - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By sammy - May 31 - 6:23 pm

  This Benz is beautiful with the practicality of four seats. Sensual with or without the top. Smooth delivery of power thru 7 sp tranny. Had problems with the keyless go which required a few trips to the dealership. Finally, they replaced a key component. The stereo started to blast (mostly static) by itself, as if it was possessed. It would only happen sporadically. This problem was linked to the keyless go and was repaired. That was about a year ago. Since then, so far so good. It sure does get alot of looks.

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  Exquisite driving - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Andy - May 30 - 7:46 pm

  I jump from BMW 335 to the E550. I missed the aggressive driving of the BMW but this sedan is also very powerful and the drive is so smooth. The handling is incredible.If you like the style and sometimes you want to hit the trottle and feel the power under the hood of this powerful machine, I recommend this car.

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  Chic and Smooth - 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Jessica - May 30 - 3:40 pm

  The best car I have ever owned! Its smooth and gets pretty good gas mileage. It has room in the back and front! Great technology. I like the backup camera and parking sensors. Not to mention those great massage seats and the panoramic roof. This car is sure to turn heads anywhere you go!

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  Quality problems for Mercedes Benz - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Chris - May 30 - 10:33 am

  Buying a Mercedes Benz was the worst decision I have ever made when it came to buying a new car. With a name like Mercedes, I thought I was buying the best quality available on the market. Boy, was I wrong. After having only 16,000 miles on my vehicle, I noticed that there was damage to the rotors, so I took my car in for a brake inspection. The service advisor told me that the wear was normal, and that I would have to replace the rotor and the front brakes at a cost of $450- $500. The advisor told me that Mercedes uses a different metal for the pads, and a thin rotor so all Mercedes owners can expect to replace rotors and brakes every 16,000 to 20,000 miles. What kind of quality is that? By the way, my girlfriend has a 2006 C230 also with 4100 miles, and we had to take it in to replace the electronic cluster that displays all the info to the driver.

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  MB E500 Sport - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Mark Kassab - May 29 - 10:00 am

  I currently have 2500 miles on my car. To date, it has been perfect. The power is great yielding 5.9 sec 0 to 60 mph. Not bad for a 2 ton 4 door sedan! The 2003 redesign for both the interior and exterior is the best around in my opinion. I really like the combination and tread offs in ride, feel, comfort and performance. Its truly the best of all worlds!

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  Good little car - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By jwalt1 - May 28 - 4:50 am

  Good car. Very reliable. Bought with 8k mikes in 2011. Now have 90k. Never had anything other than oil changes done to it. I do NOT recommend the 20 inch wheels. They go through tires fast. Needs more storage. Dont like the angle of the backseat. Also dont like the curve of the backseat next to the door. Makes it hard for car seats to properly fit. It gets good mpg in flatter terrain. But in the small mountains of Arkansas, Im getting about 9mpg. Its a great compact SUV, very capable. Having to get rid of it due to my child needing more legroom. Would buy again if they could upgrade storage and me the backseat larger.

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  Geaux Mercedes! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Impulse II - May 28 - 2:33 am

  I bought the car with 22,000 miles and now have 65,000 miles almost a year later. The only repair Ive made (under warranty) was some front end work. The diesel has returned 35 MPG total average in predominantly highway driving (150 miles/day). With the exception of the front end work, the vehicle has been flawless, even the electronics (which is surprising). Ive owned six Mercedes before, mostly diesels, and wholeheartedly recommend the brand, and particularly their diesels.

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  Love Love Love my C300 - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By O2T2 - May 27 - 12:15 am

  Bigger quicker yet better Gas Milage from previous years. The nicest & classiest interior in its class. These are just the standouts. For everyday driving this is the car.

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  This is my cream puff - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By Lynn - May 26 - 6:46 am

  If I could adore a car, it would be this one. Everything is right. I have 0 problems. This is a solid car that performs well at both high and low speeds. I have a lead foot on the freeway, so my mileage is not the best (18 mpg) in the city. Unfortunately, it uses premium gas. At 80 the car handles just as well as it does at 25. The sound system is excellent. If I had to criticize the car, the blue tooth is not 100%. The interior controls are well thought out and easy to use. Spacious, comfortable, feels good, looks good. This is not my first Mercedes. I grew up with the brand and by far, this is my favorite.

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  Very Impressive. - 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By global7132 - May 25 - 10:30 pm

  We just brought 2011 Mercedes Benz C300 Sport sedan. Love it. Beautiful car! The car is quite and handling very well. Feel secure and solid. Get a lots of attention on the road. Great pricing and peace of mind. Black on black with L.E.D running lights. Moon roof come with it. We compare with BMW 3 series, Infiniti G sedan, and Lexus 350is and go with Mercedes Benz. We go to Edmund.com to shop our Mercedes and got $1400 below dealer invoice. With in few hours local Mercedes call us back. Thank you Edmund for saving us time and money.