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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  MB Wagon - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By anguslost - May 11 - 2:00 am

  I have had very little trouble with this automobile. I have found the climate controls to be unnecessarily confusing. What little problems I have had have been due to electrical difficulties. It is a fun, responsive car to drive and does not tire one out on trips. I would certainly look at another one, when I decide to trade cars

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  Exotic 4 Door - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Greek Boy - May 11 - 2:00 am

  AWESOME car. This car pulls hard like my 2001 911 TT. Exotic performance that fits 5 people with luggage. Love this car since it looks like a regular MB to most people.

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  First and last MBZ - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By DisappointedInMBZ - May 10 - 10:00 am

  This car has been a huge disappointment. The car has had problems since day one. It continues to have problems on a regular basis. Command Center failures for the first 18 months, radio, phone, airmatic pump,faulty warning indicators, steering three times, battery discharge (4 visits to fix correctly), both front windows quit working,numerous trim and molding problems, numerous electrical problems. This is not what I expected from MBZ. This is clearly the most expensive car and the worst performing car I have ever owned. Dealer also struggles to get repairs right the first time. Seems too sophisticated for their mechanics.

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  No regrets! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By capt_blondbeard - May 10 - 10:00 am

  I have been quite happy with this car, and have found no build quality issues of any kind. There are a few things I would have preferred they do in the design, but generally its a fun, sporty feeling car. BMW has been making their 3-series less sporty and more luxurious, and Mercedes has been going the opposite way (now if theyd just make the AMG models available with a stick!)

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  Love it , warts and all - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MarkE - May 9 - 8:13 am

  Owned new, our comfy 4 travel loaded sport modl skied with 4 adult pass, held us/all luggage (skis on roof rack, bit tight but ok) Likes: heated front seats, xenons, moon roof, neat cupholder fold out dash in front of each front seat (wish new ML had), trick center console with 2 position flip top (wish again), nav, teleaid for concierge, mass, surefooted (ESP), one always on power port great for cell Dislikes: black metal trim around windows always sheds paint(?), replaced under ext warr 3x and needs again, road mpg 21 premium, locked keys in, teleaid unable to unlock as advertised/no obstruction anywhere to satellite-said this model was tricky 2 unlok,keep spare outside, no heated rear seat, paid 37k, worth 20k

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  2006 E350 First 90 Days - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By BradQ - May 8 - 6:30 am

  A very good car overall. Well built, great performance and amenities. Dealer service and interest in customer relations is also very good. My only complaint is that the software CD supplied with the navigation system has very limited coverage of the US outside of several major cities. It totally ignores such places as Wilmington, NC, Camp LeJeune Marine Base, and many other areas, limiting its functionality severly.

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  Mercedes Benz The Company and MBUSA - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By never_mb_again - May 7 - 11:57 pm

  I had some issues when I bought this car which were never addressed by the dealer. This is a CPO car which was never put through the CPO paces and months later I had to spend $1000.00 out of my own pocket to fix it. Ive tried to contact MBUSA to help me with the situation and they have refused to even look at the case. Letters, documents, proof of repair (and solution) by another MB dealer have been completely ignored. Good luck if you run into a problem and need MBUSA, or Mercedes proper, to even listen to the case, much less trying to fix the problem. Volvos, BMWs and Mazdas never had a problem with any of them; Advice, run away from this brand...run away fast and far...

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  The Best SUV - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By HunterD - May 7 - 2:16 am

  I am so glad wed got this SUV. The Mercedes Benz ML550 has been very good to our family so far. I love everything about and I promise if you take it for a test drive you will love it too.

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  03 CLK 500 coupe - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Anthonym - May 6 - 10:00 am

  love this car. I traded in my 2000 Clk 430 for the 500. Big performance improvement and body stiffness (not that the 430 was bad at all). design is not as aggressive as the 430 but grows on you...cleaner styling.

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  2004 CLK Cabriolet - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By davrutz - May 6 - 10:00 am

  Typical Mercedes craftmansship and road handling ability. Fun to drive this car laughs at curves! I find myself looking for the back roads.