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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  alerts - 2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Donnyboy - June 1 - 2:00 am

  The car is beautiful and a real eye catcher. Fit and finish are top quality. However, since three months into ownership I have been plagued with false/positive alerts for brakes, coolant, and the auto climate control is hit or miss. In addition, my radio lcd display blanks out and above all if I dont shift into N or P after R, the transmission winds out and bangs into lower gear. This causes me to have to pull over and either re-shift into N or P or restart the car. Once the car is restarted, all systems return to normal. The dealer hasnt been able to correct and I am demanding an open-ended warranty or new car.

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  Rock solid - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By oakster - May 30 - 9:53 am

  Bought this car with 64K miles, now have 101K miles. Zero problems. The inline six is the only truly balanced engine made, and makes for smooth running at any speed. I prefer to buy American, but this 280 engine is great. Dont waste your time with the 220! And for a nine year old car, EVERYTHING works from power windows, seats, etc. Very impressed. My next car if not American would be the E320CDI (inline six, diesel-sweet!) Just wouldnt want to buy new, ouch.

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  Great truck - Bad service - 2002 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By SAFEWEALTH - May 30 - 3:26 am

  Great looking, safe, comfortable and fun. Goes anywhere on or off road and feels solid in any weather conditions. Lots of cargo room and I have moved lots of small furniture in back with seats folded down. PROBLEM: Dealers have little experience or knowledge of how to service this vehicle. Many small issues have had to be fixed three or more times, also bodywork is a nightmare if you get in an accident. Mercedes does not have its act together in training its staff and service techs.

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  C32 AMG 1 YR - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By D. Baker - May 29 - 5:26 am

  Decent car: AMG did well on engine; suspension. My 1st automatic/"tiptronic transmission - hate it!! Too boring. Other: Tach way too small & should be in center for this car. Indicator light for speedo stays fixed - Dumb. Gear selection indicator - way too small - dumb. Self dimming rear view mirrors - cant judge cars behind - way too dangerous! & dumb. Elec windows either go all the up or down; have to take eyes off road to adjust - dumb. Car should CENTER BETTER on any road. I thought this would be a fun sedan; just too sedate (except speed) and boring in just about every category. Little character for the money. Plan to give up.

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  1996 C Class - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By NEW320 - May 27 - 10:00 am

  Wiring harness gone at 125,000 miles. Very disappointing for MB.

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  Decent Entry Level Benz - 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By benxguy - May 24 - 8:13 am

  Bought with 50000 miles and worked fine for 2 years. Needed $1500 schedule B at atbout 75000k but that solved the acceleration problems. Had to fix the crank sensor at 76000k and no one really knew the problem cause. $250 for that one, then the engine light at 80000k was the air sensor- not a big deal but cant get car inspected with an engine light on. Air sensors are $500 from MB but got one from ebay, plopped it in and problems went away. Now at 104k and have had no issues..oh yeah, watch front springs they break at 90k. Replaced those as well. Power seats work when they want to and now fuel gage is not working all the time- problem comes and goes so unknown cause. Get trans fluid chged!

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  our c32 - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By jhalz - May 20 - 10:00 am

  speedtronic tranny isnt useful for manual shifting - up or down. Kompressors whine can get pretty annoying if no stereo on. Faster than my blown 95 Carrera. Staggering high end speed. Straight line performnace is the envy of many a sports car. Very compliant ride over bumbs, giving the overall driveability a great compromise between sport and luxury. Handles neatly, although turn in not as crisp as id like. very good brakes. very comfortable. very content to cruise around town at 25mph and get great gas mileage or to tear it up on back country roads. keep ESP turned off unless its wet, out.

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  C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Debbie - May 18 - 11:13 pm

  This is the most fun car to drive that I have ever owned. All the bells and whistles anyone could ask for. It hugs the road in turns and acceleration in this 4cyl. engine is excellent

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  Excellent car still going strong! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By guile - May 16 - 9:43 am

  I bought my C240 after I totaled my 3- series BMW so the MB was not the same sporty performance ride, but its no slush box either. Interior is very comfortable with supportive seats in nice leather, typical of Mercedes at all levels. Power is produced via a 2.6 L V6, delivering 168 hp (not so bad back in 03, but hardly stellar) in a linear fashion. Its very smooth and the car doesnt feel like its on at idle (have to double check every now and then). Cons are the loud air conditioning. Only one problem with the cat converter and that was fixed under warranty. Just change the oil regularly (every 10k mi) and you should have no issues. My car was made in Brazil according to door jamb.

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  C280 Sport - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By CSport - May 13 - 10:00 am

  Sporty version of CClass was highly rated by car mags at the time I bought this car. I really wanted C-36 for the horsepower but couldnt afford it, so I settled for the Sport version. Ive never had a more comfortable long trip vehicle, never feeling tired or sore from 8 hours in the seat. I bought the car for the high engineering quality and was impressed with the tightness of the entire body structure. No creaks, rattles or squeaks. Sport package gave a lot of options for very little money and was worthwhile.