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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  Practical, beautiful, slim and luxurious - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By autofahrer1 - May 15 - 5:10 pm

  Despite the fact that this is the shortest luxury car available, it is extremely luxurious and refined, with very good handling (excepting steering), ride, and impeccable fit and finish. It is very refined, the most refined car I have owned (and I also own a BMW and a Porsche). The configuration of the car: length; visibility; practical trunk, folding back seats and 4 doors; coupled with perfect proportions and 4 wheel drive make it a car for all seasons, both figurative and literally.

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  Wish I could give this a good rating - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By lynnz - May 14 - 9:00 am

  I purchased this car new and I will give it one thing- it is a lot of fun to drive. However, I have invested nearly $8,000 in repairs in the last 4 years.(starter,gas tank,ball joints,ac compressor,suspension breakage, etc,etc). It is always garaged and has had to have a lot of body work because of rust problems. The dashboard looks like a lit Christmas tree! Ive taken good care of this car, but just cant wait for another $1500 repair to occur. I will never buy another Mercedes- period. Theyre too expensive to repair. Ive owed 3- Series BMWs that were more reliable.

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  A Good but not Perfect SUV - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By steveman - May 13 - 11:26 am

  Ive had 26 months to live with the truck. Best SUV yet, with my 2001 Denali being a very close 2nd. Friends dont all agree. Real 3rd row is great. I dont quite agree with other posts though, about how good this vehicle is in ice, mud, and snow. Could be Im not using the settings properly, but with all the snow this winter, did not feel confident in real bad weather. Although Im at almost 28K with the original Michelins, it is appalling that theyre about gone. It is expensive to maintain. The 20K service is more than an S550s major service. I checked. That is absurd for a diesel, and MB should be ashamed of themselves for that. For the record, I got bluetooth mod for free.

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  Wish I bought my 2013 C Class - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By JM - May 13 - 5:05 am

  I leased a 2015 C Class when the lease was up on my 2013 and now I regret not buying the 2013. I like the interior on the 2015 much better and the styling is okay, but I absolutely hate the turbo 4. I have tried all modes and this engine has a great deal of turbo lag. Dealer says "thats just the way it is". I have to floor the car sometimes when merging on the highway and constantly use the paddle shifts because the engine does not seem to shift at the right time (in my opinion). The engine clouds my whole opinion of the car...Hoping I can get out of the lease early.

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  My Benz - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Willie - May 12 - 4:56 pm

  I love this car. It is a beautiful vehicle with lots of power. It is great for running the kids around to take my wife out for the evening.

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  My first and last M-B - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By peanut - May 12 - 3:16 pm

  I am very disappointed with my first M-B. The wind noise at highway speeds is terrible, have to turn radio up 3-4 notches just to hear, dealer says nothing they can do. The placement of the cruise control lever is a joke, dont know how many times I end up signaling a right turn and not turning on the control. My bluetooth phone worked fine in my last car, but will not connect in the M-B. The navigation system got me the first time I needed it with the "Prepare to turn right". At the next street I turned and as I did it then says "In 800 feet turn right onto bla bla street". Wouldnt it have been just as easy to say "In a quarter mile, right turn etc".

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  Outstanding automobile - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Four door sedan - May 11 - 1:46 pm

  This is my third MB. It is the best auto I have ever owned or driven. My wife and all who have driven it, rate it as the best drive and ride they have experienced. Mileage is fantastic. A 1000 mi. trip, with 900 miles of turnpike driving resulted in 35.9 mpg as measured with fill to cap to start and fill to cap at finish

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  Driving the CLK 500 convertible - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By NJF - May 11 - 2:00 am

  Picked up this car one Monday evening after an 8 month wait. Im delighted I waited for it. Besides being beautiful it drives and handles great. After picking car up left the following morning for a one thousand mile trip. Cant get over how quiet this convertible is. Almost as quiet as my Lexus LS was. Rides like a much larger car. Most of the controls are very user friendly. Going thru the mountains the car hugged the road and took the turns like a sports car. May be the best car I ever owned and Ive owned a bunch of them.

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  Looks Good but Wears Poorly - 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By rsalinger - May 11 - 2:00 am

  I just traded my 2000 S500. During the 60,000 miles I drove it, it suffered from too many expensive defects for me to recommend the car. I had the fuel tank pulled at 14000 miles, the computer replaced at 40000 miles, the mass air flow censor at 60000 miles and the entire steering system - rack, pump etc at 50000 miles. All in all too many repairs.

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  ms - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By DANIELW - May 11 - 2:00 am

  Its prestigeous, but not very reliable.