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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  Only one word: WOW! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By YELLOWONE - November 16 - 2:00 am

  Owned this car almost a year for now, no problem at all, fast, fast, and fast. Cornering? no problem, speed? no problem, COmfortable? Yes, Reliable? Yes, so far. Gas mileage is not bad if you drive it moderately, only a little bit different with my S500. 493 hp and 516lb/ft of torque? It is enough. I can live with it.

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  Wonderful car to drive - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Belius - November 16 - 2:00 am

  I traded my 2003 SL500 for a 2004. Both handled as well as anyone could want but the 2004 with the seven speed automatic is even more fun to drive. It is like getting 50 extra horsepower haveing the extra gears. Everything works perfectly and neither car has been in the shop for any repairs.

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  C230 sport - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Donahue - November 16 - 2:00 am

  quick, quiet, and sexy

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  Went down from a GL450 and couldnt be happier - 2012 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By cmkx1 - November 15 - 12:50 pm

  We traded our 07GL450, which was less than a stellar benz...see suspension... I was skeptical when we were looking around with the GL in service, but was absolutely impressed with the GLK. Fun to drive...Not horrible with storage. We sacrificed our third row seats, but with the gas we were spending this was well worth it. So far the gas mileage is better than average even in the city. As for the ride the GL reminded me more of a lexus. The suspension is a little firmer but it rides awesome. I also have an 11 C300 and MB has done a great job with this platform.

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  Wonderful car with one problem so far - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Robert Russell - November 15 - 4:36 am

  I enjoy the E350. it is my third E Class Mercedes. The only problem has been with the transmission which was fixed under warranty by a dealer in Hyannis MA. It required an overnight at the dealer while the part was shipped in. Since then I have driven the car cross country to Arizona and had no problems. The sound system and my Sirius radio are wonderful. I also got over 31 MPG on the trip.

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  Well Done - 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Bob of Michigan - November 15 - 12:03 am

  Looking at Consumer Reports, I was very concerned with the reliabilty of purchasing a MB as 2004-2006 quality rating were dismal. However, my wife always wanted a Benz and glad we did! Car rides and drives like a dream. Best brakes and overall very solid. Its been 18 months with +20k miles without any incident other than having the oil changed.

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  1999 M/B E320AWD - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By rosetta stone - November 14 - 10:00 am

  great, solid m/b feel. wonderful steering, brakes, ride. respectable fuel economy. spectacular turning radius. cute compartment under phone to keep food/drink hot or cold-- vented. phone difficult to program. surprising problems with transmission at 16K miles and horn blew out. ignition switch tends to not release key.

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  My red CLK Cabrio - 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By johnsecter - November 11 - 10:00 am

  This is my 3rd Mercedes and I love it. The back seat is large enough for the kids to ride in but you do have to move the front seats up. The handling is outstanding. My combined gas mileage is around 25 mpg.The sound system (Bose) is unbelievable. I recommend it to everyone.

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  The best of the best - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Dr Rick - November 11 - 10:00 am

  Every red blooded American male dreams about owning a car like this. It is sexy, stylish and extremely powerful. I have the limited edition Designo sports model. It turns heads and stops traffic where ever I go. It doesnt get any better than this.

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  Flawless - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By RJP - November 11 - 10:00 am

  Flawless performance. Beautiful styling in and out. It looks exactly the way it performs. Responds instantly to accelerator. Can easily get ahead of other vehicles and into clear road ahead. Handling is superb. Does not lean or sway. Beautifully takes curves with ease. Quintessential sports car. Wish it had more cabin storage, and that it had a better gas mileage.