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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  STOP: Do NOT buy this car - 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By pylt - September 16 - 9:30 pm

  After a decade of buying BMW 3 Series, I made a major mistake with an end-of- year lease of a C300. This car is "sport" in name only! (Well, okay, it _looks_ sporty too, but thats as far as it goes.) What a joke--the only way you can maintain any cornering grip is by bracing yourself against the door or the console. Steering and other controls: a mess. Its very easy to see why BMW outsells this poser. I got it on a lark after I found that the latest BMWs have no place to plug in a Valentine 1 radar detector, and I found out they were giving the MBZs away: $770 to start; $444/month (3 years). NOW I know why it was so cheap.... Please learn from me: do NOT buy this car!

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  Caution DO NOT BUY! - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By mabklb - September 13 - 2:00 am

  The vehicle has been in the shop for warranty repair twice a month since purchased - between electrical problems, sensor failures, integrated telephone failures (on 3rd phone), and overall lack of response from MB - RUN from purchasing one of these lemons! It basically boils down to one thing - MB no longer holds the reliability it once prided itself for manufacturing. They have gone the path of "Chrysler" reliability and quality.

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  Total loss at 48k miles - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By lemon9697 - August 25 - 2:12 pm

  I thought this car was a wonderful solution for a luxury drive with three rows of seats. That is until it had complete transmission failure at 48k miles, notwithstanding regular and expensive service at my local dealership, Autohaus on Edens. According to my independent, it has a failure in almost every major system. Neither the dealership nor Mercedes will stand behind the car and it will cost more than its blue book value to fix. Had planned on buying MBs forever. Never again!

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  A Chrysler with a Classy Hood Ornament - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By New Junk Driver - July 30 - 10:00 am

  This car should not be marketed as a luxury car. It sets expectations too high. Its poorly engineered, constructed & the reliability is appropriately bad. Ive had this car in the shop 6 times in 3 months!! Ive also had a Lexus. Spoiled, I know what luxury is. Mercedez has ruined its reputation as far as Im concerned. BE WARNED! You will not be pleased with this car unless you enjoy sitting in an auto shop.

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  Mercedes doesnt Care - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Bad News Mercedes - July 16 - 10:00 am

  No quality customer service here and Mercedes doesnt stand behind the car. Brakes are soft and need replacing often(they suggest every 10-14000 miles). Dealerships arent knowledgeable enough to do repairs(they nicked my leather, dented the hood and roof top, scratched the wood grain) and denied they did it. Dont buy from Mercedes..honda,toyota,nissan,bmw...anyone else is better.

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  Mechanical Mess - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By SCHHI - July 8 - 10:00 am

  We have now had our new E350 sport sedan back at the dealer for the fourth time to fix a "SRS Malfunction" In total, the car has been in the shop about three weeks. Totally unacceptable and hardly what we expected from a MB.

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  Not for the long haul....costly repairs - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By BenzOwner516 - June 8 - 2:10 am

  I purchased this vehicle in 2003 and currently have 125,000 miles on it. This car has been a NIGHTMARE. The suspension has major issues, my total cost for suspension, control arm and various related issues is well over $7,000. The catylytic converters went at 90k miles,$2,300. Transmission control module, power steering column and pump, calipers froze, transmission mounts, motor mounts, heated seat caught on fire.....the problems are too numerous to name. Overall Ive spent at least $20,000 on repairs. All the mechanics Ive spoken to advise getting rid of this car after 5 years. It is definitely not built for the long haul. First and last Mercedes.

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  Poor Quality - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By armani5 - May 3 - 12:50 pm

  Car died at 90K miles. I have had three Mercedes and all of them have had severe quality issue. Never buying a Mercedes again.

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  Take Away This Lemon Please!! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Tom - April 6 - 4:10 am

  This is my sixth Benz. All the rest where ok as far as dependability. This 2006 E350 4 matic has been nothing but trouble.I bought it 24 month and it has been in for service 16 times. 5 times for trany problems(leaks,shifting trouble,transfer case problems) 5 times for electrical troubles.(battery kept draining still cant find the problem three new batteries so far) Air bag trouble(2x) , steering rack leaks(2x) and the seat back panels had to be changer (they came loose) and the front power seats jammed 2X .MB is in the process of replacing the car (I am only paying for mileage used) They treat good customers well. First time buyer would have a problem (Lawyer Time )

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  A Waste of Money - 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By John III - April 3 - 2:00 am

  The 2004 S430 is not worth the money. We have had problems that have never been corrected since the day we took delivery. There is always a problem that can never be fixed, nor does Mercedes care to solve the problems. We are even told that the battery cannot support all the electronics in the car, so if you go on vacation, you better buy a voltage charger or assume your electronics wont work when you get back! Moreover, Mercedes doesnt care about this or any other problem they know exists!