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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  One Nice Car - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By speeddemon - July 30 - 10:26 am

  I drive more than I used to in my 1999 E series, or my 1987 RX7 (a great handling car). I seek out the windy roads.

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  Expensive to maintain - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By RAH - July 28 - 8:23 pm

  I have owned this car for 6 months and have spent over $1,500 for repairs. It had 66,000 miles on it when I purchased it from a dealer and was in great shape cosmetically. For a car that cost over $100K when new and with only 70K miles on it I am very dissapointed with the quality and durability and cost to own. It is a powerful fun car to drive and I like the body style and the interior room but I am thinking strongly about trading it for a Lexus.

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  0-60 in: Whoa!! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Sports Car Heaven - July 28 - 12:53 pm

  Although this is one of the heaviest sports cars that I have ever driven, this car will go 0-60 in (I have tested) 4.0 seconds. This is .5 seconds less that the advertisement. This car is really very fun to drive as well. I recommend that you buy it.

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  Regretful - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By summer0829 - July 28 - 10:00 am

  I have only had it for 5 months and it has already received a new transmission and radiator. I have another appointment because the same problem is happening again. I have little confidence in iy now.

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  Not worth it, Just buy a Honda. - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By AWS - July 28 - 10:00 am

  The electrical system in this car is sad. It has been in for service 8 times in 2 years. This includes 4 fan motors for AC, new control panel for AC,computer control panel x2, the dashboard display and 2 alternators. The door handle fell off and the glove box broke probably from the numerous times the dashboard was removed. Having driven a minivan (96000 miles), and 2 GM conversions vans-the last for 8 years and 95,000 miles I thought I would upgrade to a quality vehicle. Sadly, I was disappointed. I was planning on giving this car to my teenage daughter because of the safety features and her deep love for the handling, but it is simply too unreliable.

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  Great car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By John Gangemi - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Excellent auto. Fun to drive

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  Superman of cars - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By van001 - July 26 - 11:43 am

  Very stealthy by looks. Looks like another C class on the block but when you press hard on gas it becomes super car ;) . I like its underdog appearance which does not attract attention everywhere I go but folks who knows about AMG and see quad exhausts, they know its a beast. Gives the feeling of a race car when you need, comfy compact 4 seater rest of the time. Wifey get 22.5 mpg and I get 16. So it keeps everyone happy.

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  German engineering with a bit of fun - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Rick - July 24 - 10:10 am

  When you buy a C 300,or a 328, or A4, youre buying a good German engineered automobile that delivers sporty and capable driving dynamics without being a performance car, enough features to please most drivers but no luxury amenities (unless you add optionals that will shoot up the price), and comprehensive maintenance/service (every 10k miles or so). Its a very good car that makes me look forward to the E550 or E63 AMG.

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  What women over 50 think - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By jkp - July 22 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive. Great handling with tight turns. Significant blind spot with top up but when its down, what a rush. The excelleration is exceptional and the ride is so smooth with higher speeds. Limited trunk space but can do overnighters without a problem. Comfortable even on longer drives.

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  Joy to drive, but painful to service. - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By JDA - July 20 - 9:40 pm

  Inherited this car while under warranty. This car has beautiful lines, a comfortable interior, and sensational performance. I love to drive it, and I will miss it in three days, when the new owner takes possession...sniffle, sniffle. However, having owned Nissans and Toyotas prior to this vehicle, I have to say, the reliability on this car...not so good. We have had $4,600 of repairs since 2001, mostly electrical, frequently involving window motors - and the car only has 70k. Further, we had to have rear car- seat tethering mounts installed - very expensive on something that should be standard. Electrical issues/ $ repairs outweighed road performance; we switched to an Infiniti.