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:

• 

  Great car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By RCarroll - September 26 - 10:00 am

  A great car. Although considered a compact car it feels like a full size sedan on the road. Comfortable and fun to drive with many great features. The air conditioner is the best, very smooth ride, excellent braking, and sound system. I love seeing the Mercedes Benz hood ornament while sitting behind the wheel, like I need to be reminded that Im driving a Mercedes

• 

  2004 C230 Kompressor - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By brad4310 - September 26 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle appox. 3 weeks ago. Its performance if good, a little sluggish when the AC is on but, not bad. There is very little room in the rear seats if you are tall and have the front seats all the way back. I have put 2500 miles on it so far with no concerns. Nicely equipt, the cost is approx. $34,000 + taxes . I would recommend it to other buyers. I had a 22001 BMW 3 series but, didnt like the ride. The Mercedes is much more comfortable while driving then the BMW. I also have a 2001 SLK Convertible which is fun to drive. Overall I am happy with both.

• 

  $0.10/mile car - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By StateStreet - September 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car with 50k miles on it and have driven it for the last 10 years and currently have 270k miles on it. I agree with most of the comments below and aside from replacing a transmission (that in all fairness, I beat on) and replacing wear items (breaks, belts, front end, tires, charcoal canister) the car has been outstanding. My goal is to put 1 million miles on it and the key is finding a good, independent mechanic that knows Mercedes and have him look it over once a year. Its good in the snow with 120 lbs of sand tubes in the trunk and good treads on the tires. Im in New England and dont even use snow tires with the extra weight.

• 

  Looks full size and sporty - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Ann Arbor Bob - September 22 - 7:06 am

  Best feature is the distinct design change between the sport and lux. Looks like a full size sedan compared to the previous C-Class (the Civic looked bigger). Rear seat room is equal to that of the E-Class. Lacks in power and gas mileage... but hey, its a Mercedes. If I wanted power I would wait for the AMG to tear the asphalt up...and gas... comon.. who am I kidding? Its a Mercedes, I didnt buy it for fuel economy! Looks like a 50k car - I highly recommend the AMG 18" wheel upgrade.

• 

  CLK 320 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By LARRY S - September 20 - 2:00 am

  OVERALL PRETTY GOOD A LITTLE SLOW IN THE PICK UP FROM STOP

• 

  MB should not have redesigned it - 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Dan - September 19 - 4:56 pm

  I purchased this car new and still have it after almost 9 years. I was driving a Dodge Avenger back in 1998 and saw this car on the road. The next day I was at MB dealership and ordered one with every possible option except for ski sack. The 3.2L engine is more than I need but it accelerates smoothly without any delays or gaps until you go above 60. The car is still the best looking vehicle on the road. Too bad MB had to redesign the look of it, I would have bought another one again. Now, I am keeping it. Ive had mostly electrical problems including failed front computer twice and blown bulbs here and there but nothing major. Sometimes the car fails to start on first crank in any weather.

• 

  Fast but Unreliable - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Bummed Out - September 16 - 9:40 pm

  Yes, fast, beautiful and fun to drive but thats where it ends. The car has been back to the dealer three times in 7000 miles for mostly electronic related problems, twice on a flat bed. The latest is a bad alternator causing the computer to flash a red stop sign at me with an alarm blaring and a warning that the brakes were about to fail. Have to wait a week for the part because not one is available in the US. The navigation system is useless and the sound system inferior to say that of a Lexus 340SC. Scared to drive this thing any distance now and looking to trade her in sadly.

• 

  substitute for a BMW?? - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ITR driver - September 14 - 2:43 am

  I test drove BMW 335i before settle with MB C300 sport. I bought it because of good discount from factory + dealer. It is a well built car, not as fast as the BMW, and handling is just as good as BMW providing you are not on a track. I do feel the throttle response is slow! so is the Automatic transmission down shift! It takes about 1-2 sec. from gentle press down the gas pedal to actually see response acceleration. The AT also reluctant to downshift quickly when press the gas pedal deeply. It is ok in regular driving but will be a different story if try to avoid an accident or quick lane change.

• 

  Pocket Rocket - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By gajeffo - September 14 - 1:43 am

  Well Im still OK with this car. Just put new tires on it, Toyo Proxys, and it seems to have gotten rid of the road noise. The Dunlops stink! They just seem to be way too soft and as they got some age on them the ride was terrible, bouncing and swaying everywhere. This car has had zero problems mechanically and the dealership replaced the 2 back side panels as the clearcoat was coming off. (each side of the rear glass) I still think that for the money Mercedes could put a little more into this vehicle. ie: lumbar, power tilt and telescopic wheel. But go see if your Lexus can move like this!

• 

  Best small luxury sport sedan, a few warts - 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By wised - September 11 - 9:15 am

  This is without a doubt the best C class ever made. It handles superbly, particularly one you ditch the run flat tires, is very powerful, rides in excellent comfort, plus, its beautiful to behold inside and out. If you want to "enhance" an already very powerful car even more you can have Renntech tune it for an additional 50 hp making the AMG version only necessary for strict race track duty. The downside of the fist year have been a few trips to the dealer; the wonderful sounding Burmester system died once, the air suspension suffered a broken sensor and finally the handsfree door handles also failed. The powertrain however has been bullet proof for 10k miles. European cars in general tend to have teething issues and this car has been no exception. The C400 has been replaced with the C450 which includes a factory AMG "tune" of the engine and transmission and another few extras. Hopefully the few electronic gremlins are also now better too.