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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  Spoiled Rotten - 1999 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Spoiled Rotten! - April 2 - 9:06 pm

  I saw it sitting in the dealership waiting for me to buy it! I did!! Best deal and amazing car to drive. Its response is great, well brakes could use some help. Its made up with the intant brake lock when it picks up you want brake NOW. Love It!! Everything will recommend it and Im planning to upgrade soon to the new version.

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  Trouble in Paradise - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By MsTC - April 1 - 10:30 am

  This car is beautiful and a pleasure to drive. It is nimble and responsive. Unfortunately, little and big problems have occured. The battery died when the car wasnt driven for ten days. The transmission failed without warning on the highway 100 miles from home. The Teleaid system couldnt pinpont our location. The car took a week to repair and I wasnt given a loaner. Later, the trunk wouldnt open without use of the valet key. The computer keeps losing the seat memory.

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  Ultimate Fun - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Ute Lisa Appleby - April 1 - 1:40 am

  This is a most beautifully designed car, and driving feels like floating on clouds. Enjoy the sound of the engine when starting the car. It is luxury at its best. Trunk space is small just enough for 2 small suitcases. Dont plan on doing major grocery shopping with this car. It is a great car but not practical in everyday life i.e. if you are on the road, in sales or real estate and need to transport kids/people. You need an "everyday" practical second car if you own a CLK. Save it for going out or somewhere special. It is so fast that you dont realize how fast you go. Total, absolute luxury. It will spoil you forever.

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  Love the car 3 and 1/2 months after - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By merc2009 - March 30 - 3:30 am

  A follow-up review 3 and 1/2 months down the road. Love the car. No disappointments at all! Really happy about the performance, ride comfort, and the looks. Gas mileage is quite appropriate (get as bad as 17 mpg in the city high traffic and as great as 28 mpg on the highway). Really great combination of solid feel and ride and yet the car feels quite light. The COMAND system is outstanding. Pick up from the 1st gear is a bit sluggish, but, again, never expected it to beat more powerful BMW 3 or Infinity G35, for example.

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  Beverly Hills Hotrod - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Drew Beverly Hills - March 30 - 2:00 am

  A sleek bolstering style and smooth ride maintains the classy feel of this awesome speed machine. This solid, fast yet distinctive car is definately the leader in 55-65k range. Andrew, Beverly Hills, CA

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  Meeting Expectations - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By FirstTimeBuyer - March 30 - 2:00 am

  My first MB. I like the ride, handling, safety, and sound system. Disappointed with quality issues (body dents easily, sensor light problems, window switches not functioning, I lost power steering prior to recall, air conditioner "weak" in hot weather). Biggest disappointment is: engine is burning oil and requires additional trips to dealer to "top off" oil between "computer approved" dealer services. Dealers solution: change oil more often (at my expense). This ML320 hasnt met my expectations of the quality I associated with MB products. I believe the MB reputation of retaining value is being significantly damaged.

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  I wish I was a Mercedes Service Advisor - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By RoberNdenver - March 30 - 2:00 am

  Issues during the first two years, I am on my third fuel tank (service department can not figure out why the check engine light comes on, but threes a charm??), driver window would not go up (repaired twice because the second time is always better), Gear shift at times will not go out of Park, CD Changer "not installed" , rear hatch would not lock, sunroof cover cracked, headlight washers would not pop up, trip computer went out, etc... By the way, at the dealer I use in Denver the Service Advisors are paid on commission based on the Labor portion of the bill. Keep the customer coming back in, "we hope your car falls apart" is what Mercedes is telling us.

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  R-Class Beauty is only skin deep - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Rich Baker - March 29 - 6:10 am

  We have had our R-Class for about a year and a half and it is a beautiful car that seats 6 like no one else. However we have had to take it into the shop too many times, for things like: 1. Static in the audio system Across CD, Sat radio, regular radio, (MB has made software upgrades to the software numerous times, the issue may be addressed but the issue was very intermittent so we will see. 2. Frayed driver seatbelt. 3. Transmission strange noise 4. Electronic tailgate not operating properly. 5. Cloth being separated at the back opening of the tailgate. 6. Navigation system returning erroneous information frozen random display. 14 service tickets over about 16 months.

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  No other car compares.... - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By adrockj - March 29 - 5:06 am

  i purchased my 2001 s500 with 86K miles on it for $12K. i now have 188K miles and it still drives like new. i am still amazed that people still bring their cars to the dealership for repairs??!! ANY vw mechanic can work on your benz. it is not rocket science. i needed to have my water pump replaced and it cost me $500.00 out the door including parts and labor. other than that, i just bring it to jiffy lube for the fluids and oil changes. this car has cost less in repairs than any other car i have owned and gets about 20 mpg.

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  Best SUV.. I also have my 96 Range Rover - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By AMG - March 28 - 10:00 am

  Way better than Range Rover in quality, finish and performance on and offroad.