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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  C230 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Brenda - June 27 - 3:43 pm

  This is the first Mercedes that I have owned. I traded in a 2004 Nissan 350Z. I must say this car is just about the name Mercedes. Very sluggish, no power. Have had problems with the center console locking. The interior is only part leather, just doesnt have that new car feel. The seats arent that comfortable, and the airconditioner is just ok. Turn signal is very loud.

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  Pretty good overall - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MefromWA - June 22 - 2:33 pm

  I bought my C240 in Sept. 2002. I have had problems with the right side mirror not coming back up after I put the car in drive from reverse. Took it in many times to have the problem fixed, all under warranty. I have had BAS-ESP error messages appear, and had a grinding noises in the brakes on a couple of occasions when coming to a soft stop, where the ESP light came on. (There was no way the car lost traction) The wiring on the back blinker light needed to be fixed recently, which was costly for the repair. On a recent trip to CA last summer, the air conditioning decided to stop working. The AC would die, then start back up after about a minute.

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  ENJOYING IT IN ANY TYPE OF WEATHER - 2004 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By MOVINGTIME - June 20 - 2:00 am

  REPAIRABLE ELECTRICAL ISSUES

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  Love It! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Serena - June 20 - 2:00 am

  After having a SL and wanting the sporty, convertible feeling of class i got the 320 and was soooooooooo much happier even though rear seats are so small its a plus for room.

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  E-500 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Dr Tom - June 20 - 2:00 am

  My E-500 has been in the shop 5 weeks out of the last 52 weeks for radio, telephone problems and to replace windshield and rear glass due to scratches at delivery. The shop then scratched the paint and it had to be repaired. I think theyve finally solved the radio/telephone problems just last week. Otherwise, the performance of the engine and comfort ride are great.

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  Nothing but problems - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Cent45 - June 19 - 10:00 am

  Its been in twice for engine work. The sunshade has broken twice as well first the front and then the back. The shift casing is constantly coming off. They had to replace my radio once because it kept fading in and out. Its too bad because I love it when its working, but now Im trying to get rid of it. Also any dealer that has voicemail in their service dept. should be flogged.

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  Upgrade to 5.0 litre - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Dan - June 16 - 10:30 pm

  Drove both versions before deciding on the 5.0 liter. The 3.5 was sluggish, and lacked responsiveness when it was called upon for sudden acceleration. Not as prominent in larger engine. Some body roll on corners, but not too bad. Steering isnt that responsive. Comfortable ride, reliable car. Shifting is smooth unless car is called upon to accelerate (as noted above). Gear shifter is unique (one day, someone will put this car into reverse by accident thinking that theyre putting it into park). A pleasure to ride in, better than a standard SUV. Quiet ride. Controls all in good spots. Good in snow.

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  My sad experience with my S600! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By VML - June 15 - 10:00 am

  The air conditioning had to be replaced 5 months after I bought it. The entire dashboard went out (i.e. no speedometer, no dash lights, no signal indicator lights). The engine kept running AFTER the car was turned off and the key taken out of the ignition. The hydraulic system failed leaving the car sitting 6" from the ground. Replaced battery twice in 30 months. GPS is archaic - not user friendly and half the addresses are not in the system. Have to buy addl CD-ROMs to go all over the U.S. The mobile phone with the car is not digital and the dealer said it will cost $1,100 to upgrade to a digital phone.

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  Interior Leather Quality - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By sonny - June 14 - 5:23 pm

  Great car but few problems since I bought the car. Engine is excellent. Interior leather is not of a good quality especially arm rest and center console-peeling. Other small problems such as sensors malfunctions.

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  Going back to GM - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By GoingbacktoGM - June 4 - 1:03 am

  When I first purchased my C230 Kompressor I was really excited but that quickly passed after experiencing the cost of repair The wiper was the first thing to malfunction Cost of repair 500 dollars. Brake job 600 dollars Mass airflow sensor 400 dollars All around 90,000 miles. Transmission shifting very poor since I purchased. Will not buy Benz again GM much more dependable and less costly to repair.