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:
Showing 791 through 800 of 7,492.00-
My SL500 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
By Sterling - June 11 - 10:00 amReally like the car. I had two SLKs and one c320, but this is the best of the bunch
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Great and safe for money - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
By Steve P.B. - June 11 - 10:00 amsafe and economical for the money,24- 30mpg with air on, 4 years maintenance, versatile hatchback,fun to drive,8 air bags and all the safety features of $50K MB
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Why buy anything else - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
By Andy - June 11 - 1:53 amI have had my Bluetec for a little over a year, tons of power and torque. You could not guess you are driving a diesel. It is fast, quiet, luxurious, and most of all economical, getting 26 mpg around town and 32-34 on the highway. The $1,000 premium for the diesel over the E350 is worth it,( just look at resales between the E320 vs E350) test drove both with little to no difference in performance or comfort. Love the classic understated good looks, the pre-safe technology, and all the other safety features. Once I drove this car I questioned why would I drive any other car in this class ( test drove E350,BMW 528I, Cadillac STS, Infiniti M35, Lexus GS350).
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Beautiful look - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
By TA - June 9 - 5:26 pmGreat car... amazing exterior... turn heads all the time. Great drive and it is a lot of fun to go over 100 mph until the police stops you.
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Wifes Benz - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
By Big Pauly - June 8 - 3:10 pmWent car shopping 2 weeks ago as my wifes lease on her Jag S type was coming to an end. Went to see the E350 first. Went to BMW, Lexus, Volvo, and finally Jaguar/Audi. Well, we went back this weekend and picked up the E350 sedan. Car is used for business so the coupe was out of the question unfortunately but as 4 door cars go...this is clearly a head- turner. I was disappointed by Jaguar this year as we had actually loved the S type..we liked the old English luxury styling..but this XF..it seems they couldnt make up their minds about the look of the car. Lexus merged into well, another Lexus. Indistinguishable from 100 other cars on the road.Toyota? with a leaper hanging off the trunk.
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Outstanding Vehicle - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
By Rodd n Seattle - June 8 - 10:00 am29 mpg on recent road trips, brakes are easy to replace and are outstanding, comfort on long trips, good resale, paint job equal to none and if you buy slightly used, one or two years old you dont take a big hit, but that goes for any car. Fast for a V6, great stereo with the Bose upgrade...worth it, smooth transmission and comes pretty well equiped as a base.
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NIce car - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
By Bill - June 8 - 1:23 amI had a 2003 E500 which seemed quicker than this car, I think for the money it should have more hp
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Like no other - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
By My Retirement Gift - June 7 - 8:16 pmI purchased this automobile as a retirement gift to myself as my old truck had finally croaked. Everything about this vehicle is a delight to own, handle and drive. From dealer servicing regardless of where I have managed to land to quality of repairs and frequency of service. Its comfortable on long rides, its quiet its fun. I would really purchase no other car given a choice.
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E320 CDI Rocks - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
By John - June 6 - 5:53 amHave owned BWM, Volkswagen, and Volvo vehicles. This MB is by far the best in terms of build qulity, ride, and engineering. This is my first diesel, so Im hoping for a huge improvement over my current SUV (16 mpg). The design is timeless and the car feels like it will go hundreds of thousands of miles.
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Perfectly Balanced Sport Sedan - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
By Christina M - June 6 - 12:53 amThis car by far outruns the other vehicles in its class. The horsepower that lacks in the beginning compensates at the end. The interior is classy and elegant, while the exterior is sporty and eye-catching. The gas mileage is the best you can get for the type of vehicle it is. Im overall very impressed with my car, and even though I leased it with the intent to trade it in for another Mercedes, I just might buy this at the end of my lease, its too good to be true.
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