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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  99 Mercedes ML320 - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Colorado - March 16 - 12:30 am

  My wifes car. Wonderful for her - sits high with great visability & comfort. The AWD is supurb here in Denver - great in snow and it doesnt eat up tires as I feared it would (we get 40K miles per set). Gets only 20 MPG on highway at 75. (I dont even try to determine our mileage in the city!) Reliability has been better than some other owners reported: Replaced air mass sensor (expensive!) at 55K miles (it caused transmission to shift late or not at all). Replaced front brakes at 40K and 73K; rear brakes at 73K. Brakes/rotors are expensive, but very, very easy for a do-it-yourself project. (Brake parts for four wheels cost me about $350.) Transmission cant be serviced by non-MB shop.

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  Not a fine wine... - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By okedoke - March 15 - 4:43 am

  Bought the car used with 104K miles for my kid as I wanted her in a mini tank, along with traction and stab control, side airbags, etc. Just my luck, had to fix almost everything - brakes, rear deck leak, amplifiers, blown speakers, rear antenna, ball joints, dashboard digital metrics (outside temp, gear display, etc) shot, intermit wiper, etc. I think it also just sprung a leak somewhere up front on the passenger side, and I think I just lost the driver rear wheel bearings. Ive owned late model American and Asian based cars that never experienced as many problems as this little gem? Also - Bose radio sounds like crud, lots of static.

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  Some-Cheap feeling to it...!!! - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By moeaboelela - March 13 - 2:00 am

  From a previous owner of S500 (1997), it feels like I am driving an old 740IL, they went cheap on the plastic as well as the wood. Doors are lighter and smaller back seat…

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  Good buy - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By mbcars - March 11 - 7:16 am

  This seems to be a reliable car with good gas mileage. The interior seems to have a lot of cheap material and the chrome is flaking off of the gear shift. The front cup holder(s) is cheesy. I like the separate lighting for the rear. I like that I can do most of the maintenance like oil changes, filters, brakes, without having to go to the dealership.

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  A "wanna-be" Mercedes - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By skikid787 - March 8 - 2:00 am

  The 2000 ML320 is a good car. The interior is very comfertible. It rates terrible for a Mercedes. The dash is made like crap for one thing. There are not enough cupholders, and no one touch windows all around. It handles well for an SUV, and fuel economy greatly worsens over time. The engine and transmition were brilliantly matched. The transmition is the best I have ever seen.

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  Nice drive - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By carson - March 8 - 2:00 am

  This is a very luxurious sporty car and fun to drive. It will get you a lot of looks. It is very comfortable and the amenities are very useful and well positioned. The throttle lag takes a bit of getting used to and the car feels a bit heavy. However the V8 is generally smooth and sounds great. The AMG55 might be just the ticket but for pure driving pleasure I would pick a slightly smaller / lighter body.

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  A Very Strong Capable Vehicle - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Tough on Cars - March 8 - 2:00 am

  The ML500 is a rock solid SUV. It is fast as hell and can hold up well against very bad roads. I was very impressed by the traction in the snow and rain. I was driving more cautiously than I should have. The SUV is built extremely well, I feel safe and secure in this care. It is very fun to drive and a head turner.

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  Transmission problems - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By huitz - March 6 - 12:10 pm

  Love the car except for the transmission. Rough downshifting. The dealer has put in tow new transmissions (three in total) and the problem persists. This is the seven speed transmission thats throughout the Mercedes line. Id stay away until they get it right. Were giving them back our car.

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  a little surprised - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By hosuk lee - March 5 - 7:13 pm

  I had to take my car(C240) in for a warrenty job 4 times. They werent because of big jobs.. They were just minor jobs but I was very annoyed. I expected a better car than this from Mercedes. The things I had to get fixed were windows making clicking noise when closing, remote key not working properly, and the trunk not openning unless manually opened with the metal key. I expected more of a car since I paid $37000 for a tiny car like C240.

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  9 Month Update - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By DSanborn - March 2 - 10:03 am

  This is my 2nd review of this car. I just bought a 24 boat and Im using the ML320 to pull it. Im extremely pleased with the towing capacity of this somewhat small SUV. It pulls a 4600lb boat with no problem and I live on a large hill. The low gear is a great feature that works well. We have had no issues with the vehicle and it has been fantastic. I drove it 2200 miles across country without an issue. I noticed the battery comment in a previous review. Be careful - Germans dont like maintenance free batteries so you need to check the water levels in your cells or it will die with no warning. Im really impressed with the capabilities of this vehicle.