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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  GREAT CAR! - 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
  By yancy - December 7 - 4:44 pm

  Have owned a 2018 for a short time now and absolutely love it! Excellent power, agile and very good ride for a mid size SUV. This is the perfect car for a single person or couple to go tooling around in. If you are looking for a "family" vehicle I would look elsewhere. I did a great deal of research and comparison shopping and looked at Audi, BMW and Lexus. What sold me on this car is that it has, hands down, the best interior of any of them. The fit and finish are superb, the knobs and buttons feel like metal rather than cheap plastic and the interior oozes luxury. I am not a techno geek so all the negative customer complaints on the technology deficiencies of the vehicle meant very little to me. If you are like me and care more about ride, comfort, visibility and quality of the fit and finishes then you would be making a huge mistake if you did not take a look at this vehicle. One final note.......when I pay almost $50000 dollars for a vehicle, I want it to look like I spent $50000 on it and this was the only mid size SUV that did.

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  Pathetic - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Fed up - December 6 - 12:03 pm

  The infotainment system is the worst I have seen in a luxury car. The controls are poorly designed and hard to use. The integration of the system is one of the worst I have seen. Tire pressure sensor is the dumbest I have seen. It tells you that pressure is low but you have to figure out in which tire and by how much. Many of the components failed in the first year of ownership requiring several visits to the dealer. Oil level sensor was replaced twice within the first 2 months. Tires and brakes wore out before 20k miles. Blue tooth adapter is a $500 option, but is not well integrated. Mine failed after 12 months and 6 days. I will never again purchase a Mercedes.

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  Diamond metallic CLK cabrio - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By jim - December 6 - 8:40 am

  I took delivery in July 2005 and the car has been perfect in every way. I owned a 1999 CLK cabrio and never had a problem with it in over six years of ownership. The new engine and transmission are a vast improvement over the 320 CLK.

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  Nice. - 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Michael - December 5 - 2:46 pm

  I got the 2006 SL500 in Feb 2006. I am really a Jaguar person, having owned three so far, but at the time Jaguar would not even quote a price for the new XK, and I was able to get a good deal on the Mercedes. Well, the car is nice, but certainly not thrilling. Perhaps the SL55 would have been better for me. I consider the wonderful 7 speed automatic transmission to be the cars forte. It seems to be just in the right gear at all times. I keep the transmission setting in "sport" mode. The AMG package with the steering wheel paddles is a nice touch and I like the optional panorama roof. I must say, no car I have ever owned has attracted so much interest. My clients always ask how I enjoy it.

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  Not bad for a 10 year old - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Michael - December 5 - 12:36 pm

  Our car now has 74k on it, we purchased with 54k 2 years ago. It had some issues with some of the seals, but weve turned it into our family car and a daily driver. Heck, before we bought it the car averaged 5.4k a year. We replaced a 1996 Maxima (250k miles), with this car, and honestly the older Maxima had more advanced features. However, having said that you cant image the status upgrade this car will give you, if thats indeed important to you. But seriously, this was not our first European auto, but we were a bit suprised by the price of maintenance and the lack of performance upgrades on the market.

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  Sexy and Fun! - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Randy Bradley - December 4 - 1:48 pm

  This car never fails to excite me! Ive enjoyed each and every of the 34,000 miles Ive driven it over the past 3 years (I purchased it in 2013 with 9,000 miles on the clock). One word of caution though - if you need to drive it in the snow youd best get winter tires or look for a C350 4Matic. Its a great road trip car, commuter car, or a back roads car. No matter where I take it I always have a blast behind the wheel! Its been extremely reliable with no warranty issues, although I did buy a 3 year, 75,000 mile extended warranty just in case. Would I buy it again? You bet I would!

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  C 230 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Professor Kompressor - December 4 - 10:00 am

  One of the best parts of owning this car is the dealership it came from. They have amazing customer service. Unfortunately I have had to use it a few more times than I would have liked. There was an electronic glitch that shut off the engine when I turned the wheel too hard. However, it is still GREAT to drive. I love blowing past everyone on the freeway (even the new 8 series BMW I saw the other day).

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  Multiple, Major Problems - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By ewagg1111 - December 4 - 1:52 am

  I bought my 2006 R Class brand new in January of 2006. I have enjoyed driving the car and agree it has been the best car that fits my lifestyle, children, and hauling. However, this car has been very expensive to maintain. I have invested nearly $15K in repairs for things that were not covered under warranty. I have had to replace both the front right and left struts for $4K. The SOS system which I never used for $1,700. The seals on the transfer case for $1,100. The Cam Shaft for $5K. The airshock suspension systems for $2,100. The list goes on and on. MB USA has never stepped up to assist in any of these repairs. I doubt that I will ever buy another MB again. Dont love the car that much.

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  Ive been waiting for THIS car! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By mta - December 3 - 3:30 pm

  I knew this beautiful car was coming for about 2 years. When I finally saw it, I had to buy it. It is an amazing car in style & performance. Everyone notices it on the road & it has so many updates over the E320-4 matic I traded in. I did not want another boring looking M.B. I bought the "Launch Edition" which had a list price of $74,500. A limited # of them were produced.

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  Two years later and still loving it! - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By carbuff50 - December 3 - 3:47 am

  We have driven it 14,000 miles so far over the past two years-it has been flawless in every way. Feels solid like it was carved out of one piece of steel, handles great and looks terrific. Average about 19mpg in town-highway is a better.