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:

• 

  The best new car purchase Ive ever made! - 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Gary Neill - January 21 - 9:43 am

  I just purchased the 2015 S550 Coupe, and I must say that it is a pleasure to drive. Smooth, comfortable, luxurious and sporty. This is the best new car purchase Ive ever made.

• 

  Love my 2013 E350 - 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Mike Shanok - January 21 - 7:50 am

  32,800 miles since previous review with no service needs other than routine maintenance. Because I drive more than 35,000 miles a year on business and typically buy a 3-year old car and turn it in at 300,000 miles, durability, reliability, comfort and safety count much more than the cache of a luxury auto. My previous auto, a 2007 E350, was great, but the added technology in the 2013 model - better fuel economy more safety features and better storage - is a remarkable improvement.

• 

  Best so far... - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By carlover14 - January 21 - 2:00 am

  This is my third S-Class, and it is the best one to date. The materials are much improved over the previous generation and now having been with the COMAND system for 3 years, it has become intuitive. The ride is incredible and all the electronics (albeit somewhat worrying me reliability wise) have been working flawlessly and easily. If MB keeps building them like this, a Mercedes is all Ill have until I die.

• 

  2012 C350 Coupe - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By oh2ny98 - January 20 - 10:05 am

  My GMC 4WD Envoy was approaching 10 years and 125,000 miles and it was time for something different, much different! After months of research, a visit to the annual auto show, and many test drives later, I purchased this beauty! I was looking for the same thrill when getting behind the wheel that I experienced years ago with my 1999 RX-7. This car comes close - given that its an automatic. It fits me like a glove, looks great, and drives like its on a rail! Excellent build quality (except for a few rattles from the rear shelf deck) and a blast to drive, Im always disappointed when I reach my destination! Would I buy it again after having driven it for 9,000 miles? You bet I would!

• 

  Wonderful - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Kmalk - January 18 - 8:20 am

  The light truck, as Mercedes calls it, is simply a joy to drive. Handling is superb. Engine is very powerful. Interior is extremely comfortable. Friends at school are filled with envy of my car. No problems yet anyway. New replacement key - $115. New automatically adjusing rear view mirror - $585. But overall ride quality is just wonderful.

• 

  new owner - 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By gee - January 18 - 4:39 am

  just bought two 4 matic 2014s in nov 2016 with 14 k and 11k miles. polar white and indigo blue colors are beautiful. really impressed with the cars. classic grille and tri star on hood-hate the sport package grille and placement of the MB emblem. traded 08 e 350 for one of them. the 08 was a fine car but this new model is better, at least for 2014. Both cars are cpo luxury models. thought both purchase prices were good based on original msrp. have most options but not all of em. great highway car. electric steering at 65+mph straight as an arrow with no vibration. dont buy sport package unless your roads are perfect, too harsh a ride. love the dash and IP layout, analog clock gorgeous, even the fake metal surrounds look good. ride is very good on bumps but not great. handling in corners sufficient, brakes high and tight pedal. must have radio ON to enable back up camera-dumb! leds are bright-love em. wife loves her car too.

• 

  First non diesel since 95 - 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By sarkinen - January 18 - 4:08 am

  Rock solid SUV! Its the first vehicle my wife may admit is better than her audi Q7 tdi. The designo interior is amazing. I thought the radar guided cruise would be a joke, but I love it. With direct fuel injection and two turbos, my diesel days may well be over. 510pound-feet of torque wait at LOW rpm to effortlessly pull any load.

• 

  Buyer Beware - Please read - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Stephen L. - January 17 - 4:44 am

  Ive been a Mercedes owner for 10 years now, and loved my cars. I started with a C class and then three E classes after that. I just picked the 2017 E300. Ive never been so disappointed... First, let me say that Im a very experienced technology consultant. The COMMAND system is way too techie. Many features take multiple actions, sometimes 6+ if everything goes right, and it frequently doesnt because of the swipe action. This makes it incredibly distracting to the driver, I hate to say it, but I feel unsafe changing the song in my car while driving. There are way too many inconsistencies in the rest of the electronics to spell them all out, but I highly encourage any potential buyer to take the car for a minimum of a couple of hours and really test it out, especially the COMMAND system. A few small things to note. There is no CD player. The engine is a turbo charged 2.0, I was told 3.0. Voice control is fair at best, Id call it poor myself. On three separate occasions, the COMMAND system went blank, froze, and was completely blank. The dashboard clock continued to work and the COMMAND clock stayed at the same time. Remote features via MB mbrace, a whole slew of problems, again, too many to list. The dealership told me that its not uncommon to have some problems with a new car, but I strongly disagree. I bought a Mercedes Benz. There is an expectation that I have as a customer that they are providing a superior product, in this case, my expectations were not meet; not even close. Ive never any problems with my other cars, not even close to this. Last, but not least, my check engine light came on with less than 100 miles on the car. I would say buyer beware for sure, and trust me, I hate to have to say that.

• 

  This is my third M-class - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By MAtthew Erickson - January 16 - 10:00 am

  I am aware that other consumers have had diffuculties in the past regarding the M-class however I bought a 98, 320 when it came out, a 99 430 when it came out and a 02 500 as soon as it came out. I have been extremely happy with it and I love to see the look of disbelief on the faces of the Mustang GT drivers when off the line and to 60mph or more they are only a distant memory in my rearview mirror. I couldnt justify the added expense of the ML55, the 500 provides all of the power, and more, than I will ever need.

• 

  I Must Have Bought A Lemon... - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Valerie B. - January 16 - 10:00 am

  Well, after reading the other reviews Ive concluded that my CLK430 must be an exception. I have taken the car back to the dealership for work on the headlights (1x), windows (2x), ABS light (1x), CD player (2x), and most repeatedly, the front bumper/molding (5x). MB should be ashamed of the design for the front bumper of this car. The molding around the fog lamps pops off with even slight contact with a parking bumper. While I will agree the car is peppy and having the top down is WONDERFUL, every drive has be overshadowed with the worry of, "what new is going to happen today?"