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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  Big disappointment - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Nailz - September 3 - 6:40 pm

  I bought this car as a Starmark certified vehicle from Mercedes. Almost immediately I noticed some issues: Two exterior plastic body pieces spontaneously broke, interior plastic parts seemed prone to breakage as well. Also, the breaks were very noisey and fluttery (dealer told me to live w/). Eventually, more serious (i.e. expensive) issues arose: fuel injectors became blocked, spark plugs fouled, coils needed replacement, power steering line ruptured... all within 21000 miles of purchase. Of the thousands of dollars in repair bills virtually nothing was covered by the Mercedes Starmark warranty. Shockingly poor quality, esp. from a company with such a premium reputation (and price tag)

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  Ml 350 ??? - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By R2r - August 8 - 6:00 am

  Bought this Suv new. after 4 years with 25000 miles i replaced front and rear brake pads and rotor and 4 tires.After 6 yrs with 35000 miles need a pair of ball joints and door assembly.

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  No Luxury Car! - 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Elizabeth - August 2 - 12:06 pm

  This was my first MB purchase, and I bought it for the "reliability" and craftsmanship - HA! At 26K, needed to replace all 4 tires (get rid of Dunlop!), had leaking rear differential and the low-range light kept flashing. At 52k, entire front end had to be rebuilt (just off warranty, thank you very much), needed new front brake rotors and brake pads all around, front headlight "leaking". At 72K, had to replace radiator (cracked extrusion joint), and rear differential again had to be fixed. I cant wait to get rid of this crappy car.

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  Poor Quality - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Problems1 - July 28 - 2:00 am

  Had nothing but troubles. Catylitic converter went out. Speaker problems, rattle in wood trim, EC button problem, ABS problems, malfunctioning key. You get the idea. The car also has accessive ratling.

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  2001 ML320 - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mrouw - July 28 - 2:00 am

  Bought based on MB reputation for quality. This vehicle is a disgrace to the marque. Poor interior build quality and very poor dealer service. In 2 years and 30K was at dealer 6 times for warranty (replaced window tracks 2X - rattles,glove compartmen and map pockets fell OUT, center console top broke, Windows and sunroof covered in Goo from iside door and ceiling sheetmetal, Drivers seat panel fell off. Dealer service even worse. Stated work complete that was not, Actually told me the ML was not built to MB standards.

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  not like 1999 model - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By jac 45 - July 17 - 10:00 am

  The new one is smaller and much more plastic. Driver seat is comfortable, passenger is not. Sure, it has more zip but it should be called a 200 series as that is the size of the body. Nowhere near the space for passengers in rear.

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  Transmission problem - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Pamela - July 12 - 5:00 am

  I love the car but have had a horrible experience from service at the dealership. Sometimes the car jerks, downshifts and drives very rough when you are slowing down. I had it checked at 1000 miles and again at 11,000 miles. Gas mileage is pretty good but runs on premium. Design is great but does not make up for horrible service.

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  Cant Keep Up With Repairs - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By RANDI - July 11 - 10:26 pm

  I purchased this vehicle 1 year ago used with 70,000 miles. Since then I had to replace driver side window switch ($482.00), cad converter($2000) oxygen sensors($1000),rear brakes & roters($1000), the interior squeaks, front squeaks, etc.. many more repairs to come and it did not hold its value I might as well just burn it!

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  Mercedes-Benz ML 350 Inspiration - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By SUVdriver - June 28 - 10:00 am

  On my fourth day of ownership, I was on my way to work when the truck began leaking power steering fluid. Soon I found myself unable to steer and was forced to pull over to the side of the road. I had it towed back to the dealership. A recalled part (clamp) had failed and was replaced by the dealership. Three days later I was on my way to a business meeting when, once again, the power steering fluid began leaking and I was unable to steer the vehicle. Yet again I had to call to arrange for towing back to the dealership.

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  If you like the shop - 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Not for me - June 26 - 3:10 pm

  Having always wanted a Mercedes. I finally poneyed up the money and purchased a used 320 with only 37K miles on it. Since then I have been on a first name basis with my service advisor as I am bringing the car back to the shop almost every other month for different problems. Here is what has broken so far. Interior visors, both left and right due to the mirror covers hinge breaking (not covered under extended warranty) Catalytic converter at 70K. Ball Joints at 78K. Windshield washer resevoir (not covered $230). Instrument lighting. Entire radio. Voltage regulator. Most of this would not have been covered if I hadnt purchased the extended warranty. Too much for me. Back to Lexus