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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  Best Car for the Buck - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Drew - June 23 - 6:50 pm

  This being my first MB I will focus on my reaction to car now that I have owned it for a month. All I can say is wow. What a nicely built, very solid, comfortable and fun to drive car. I test drove, BMW, Audi, Volvo, Infiniti, Acura and some of the lesser import brands but the E350 is bar far the best mix off all. The stunner is when you push your foot down on the gas and the car hauls to 60 in less that 6.5 secs. Even better is when you hit a corner and there is 0 wheel squeal. Return the car to center at a cruising speed of 70 MPH and its sublime. Simply put, this car fits my image. A bit reserved, but push it and the wild side comes out, but returns to civility just as quickly.

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  Total Happiness in Virginia - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By David B. Bolt - June 23 - 4:10 am

  All-around great car, love the handling, and the awesome power is out of this world. Its my first Mercedes and if all keeps going well it wont be my last. Love the wide Terrelli tires, they really grip the road. Love the inteior and easy access to all controls. A CD changer in the dash would be a plus instead of the trunk. Love it when the car turns admiring heads on the open highway. It has quite an appetite for the gas, but the superb handling and overall fun of driving it supercedes that negative. Impressed with the roomy back seat and large trunk space. Overall thumbs up, thank you Mercedes.

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  Very Satisfied - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By j v f - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Enjoy driving it and hope to keep it for an additional 50,00 miles

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  c230 Kompressor coupe - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By apreed3 - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Simply just a blast!

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  The best buy in any which way! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Ed Hernando - June 22 - 10:00 am

  The 2004 MBZ Sports Sedan is the best buy in the market. Base price under $30K! You get 17" alloys Z rated Michelins, powerful engine,smooth and quiet in power delivery excellent gas mileage. It is confident, handles extremely well at high speed cornering. 4 yrs. 50K mile warranty, Wrap around Air bags,Roadside assistance AM/FM Hi/Fi surround seven speakers with cassette. vital information on oil. Durability and the Engineering technology on safety of the Mercedes Benz name is superb. Made in Germany! It is well worth the money. No regrets! Just a pleasure to own and to enjoy every mile of driving.

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  THE JOY OF DRIVING - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By DOUG CELAJ - June 22 - 10:00 am

  THIS IS TRULY AN AMAZING MACHINE. FROM THE SECOND YOU PUT UR FOOT DOWN YOU CAN FEEL AN ADVENTURE EVERYTIME YOU DRIVE. THIS CAR DRIVES AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS AND BELIEVE ME IT LOOKS GREAT. YOU CAN TELL WHEN PEOPLE JUST TURN AND STARE AT YOU.

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  Much improved - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By asiafish - June 21 - 8:40 pm

  This is my 3rd C class Mercedes, following a 2001 C240 and a 2005 C230 Kompressor, and is easily the best of the lot. It is faster than any of my previous ones, more luxurious and far better built. The only area where it fails to live up, at least to my 2005, is in its aggression-factor. The 2005 C230 Sport was simply a far more aggressive car, with much stiffer springs, deeper and firmer bolstering on the seats and a loud and sporty exhaust. Of course, the new car is far more luxurious and still adequately sporty.

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  Elegant & Sporty - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By BarkCLK - June 20 - 9:56 pm

  My CLK is quick and nimble but feels so comfortable and smooth while cruising. Its solid feel and construction makes me feel very safe and its style is classical sporty elegance. Its just beautiful all around.

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  Really Impressed! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Steveman - June 19 - 8:33 am

  This is basically my wifes car. The extra .5 was just for me. I am blown away by the performance and handling of this small sedan. With traction control off, it will smoke the rear tires, and run to higth speed in short order. In fact, Im taking to our local drag strip when its broken in and the weather cools down to see what itll turn. I know, I sound like a redneck, but who cares? I must mention that a bought this car with the 320 Multimedia Package, metallic paint, and I-Pod integration kit for 36K.

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  Gorgeous! - 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By A.Christian - June 18 - 10:23 pm

  I dont know a lot about cars but I know that I love to drive my new MB! Its so much fun, but I also feel safe. Truly, a dream car!