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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  1998 ML320, 175,000 miles - 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Vicel - December 27 - 1:23 pm

  I have to agree with most of the reviewers. This is one bad MB. Ive owned 3 MB but this is worst of all! From the day Ive picked-up this car, Ive had so many problems for next about 5-6 years. Ive made so many trips to dealers. Luckly, many of the problems were fixed under warrenty. Many times, dealers would fix additional items without telling me though. Real poor build quality. However, I have to tell you that after all those repairs (all done at the dealership), my car has been "Finally" running real nice. I now have 175K miles and really runs very nice. I think it was after about 90K miles this car runs nice. I still would not recommend any one to buy any Mercedes models!

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  It can stay in the garage - 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By traveler21 - December 27 - 8:22 am

  Have driven my new car for a few months now and I am not a fan of this car. The road noise is not blocked out by the body insulation. The various knobs and dials are from ten years ago as is the NAV system. Cant wait to get rid of this car.

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  Love that CL500 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By easthamptonhunk - December 27 - 2:00 am

  The car is a dream. Beautiful and a true driving experience! Power, smoothness of acceleration, hugs curves at 8o mph!!!

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  S430 Review - 2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By rvirk - December 27 - 2:00 am

  Great powerful engine with nice accleration. Easy to use controls. Looks stunning from outside.

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  I Luv This Car - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ChampaignC32 - December 27 - 2:00 am

  The M-B C32 is not for everyone, which is a good thing because only 1200 will hit the US shores each year. It delivers on its $50,000+ promise: performance, quality, comfort and luxury=FUN. It beats Covettes and outhandles most sports car but it also lopes along in sedate silence like a luxury car when driven conservatively. Design, quality of materials, fit and finish are first-rate. It is a safe and solid car but it can fly when asked. My first automatic after thinking for years that I wnated to shift for myself. My car came with zero initial defects and in the first 2500 miles and 4 months the only thing that needed service was a faulty alarm sensor.

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  Quality all around - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By lastcaress - December 26 - 9:57 am

  I got my MB C280 4Matic in 2009. I was turned in at the end of a lease, had less then 40k miles, and only paid $19k for it. I live in Colorado and need the all wheel drive. When comparing it to other AWD cars available, this was by far the best value. When test driving the cars the MB had almost no signs of wear, and the best overall fit and finish. The MB drove as well as the Audi and Subaru, the Toyota and Volvo were overpriced and lack luster. After 3 years I still love my MB. It is still very peppie, and handles (and rides) like a dream (like you think an MB should). Reliability wise,,,,,,, I have not had it in the shop once!!!

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  Class for the Cash! - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Carlton B. Russell - December 25 - 6:13 pm

  This car is my first real luxury car, and I can honestly say you get what you pay for. The car is now 15 years old and I love driving it more and more each day. It is a classy, well built, dependable vehicle. Have put maybe $700 worth or repairs into it in a year for front struts and tension pulley, thats it. Oil changes are a little more pricey, but only need to be done every 7500 miles. Have learned to do a lot of minor repairs myself with the help of manuals and internet. Trust me if you ever ride in one you will see why I am so in love with my baby. Rode in a 2003 Benz and my cars ride is definitely smoother.

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  my first luxury car - 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By sagrawal - December 24 - 9:48 am

  this is my fifth car, but first luxury one. I test drove Audi, Lexux, Infinity and they all are good, but there was something special about Merc. Infinity exterior was little bland, Lexus looked just like my 9 year old camry (BTW I love Camry). Thanks a lot to Edmund, I did not have to negotiate a lot. Salesman did not believe what I was asking for and he checked the TMV at Edmund (I just substracted extra 3K, since Merc was running promotion).

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  Finally - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Loren - December 23 - 6:36 am

  A sedan that sends most sports car owners running to their therapists. Just incredible to haul groceries in comfort, and humiliate most Porsches at the same time.

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  R350 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By r350owner - December 22 - 6:03 pm

  Driven 4500 miles in the first month, great car-wagon-suv, hauls well, excellent highway vehicle. Spend for the roof luxury package, xeon lights, the kids love it. Installed tvs not offered by MB in headrest worked out great. Mileage stays the same with a load or without, amazing! Nav system- great once you use a few times, find a golf course 3 hours ahead on your trip, what other vehicle does that with accuracy? Great vehicle A+!