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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  A Moderately Good Vehicle - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Andy - March 1 - 8:56 am

  Bought used with 28k miles on it. Was all excited about getting this car, but excitement has worn off. Radio sounds good, but controls are poor. Knows nothing of folders on MP3 CDs. Too many button presses to get from Radio to CD to other. Defrost is annoying: full fan speed, highest temp, turns A/C on. Have to use MB phone, no BlueTooth. Engine is very good, powerful, economical, driving range is excellent (near 700 miles). Yet to see 40mpg like people claim, and I drive conservatively. Steering is soft/spongy. No Oil Dipstick?! Leather is good. Overall a good car, but I expected more from a company that charged $50k+ for this car when new.

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  Great car - 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Frank - February 27 - 10:47 am

  Sensitive to tire puncture issues. Its a big heavy car but it has racy low wall tires on it. Update: since bought a 2017 Cabriolet S63 AMG (same car, just a convertible). Has been perfect now for 6 months.

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  smooooth - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By tlfrench - February 24 - 10:00 am

  having traded up from the audi A4, I have been absolutely thrilled with my CLK 320. I love the style, love the way it feels when i get into it and hear the solid thud of the door closing, and the performance has been a pleasure. Ive also loved the extras: the way the seats push up to let someone climb easily into the back, the trip computer, the rear mirrors automatically dimming, the automatic sensor in the windshield wipers... to name a few! Drawbacks so far? (just under 10,000 miles)The analog clock loses time, and the rear windows stopped working. My first check-up at 10,000 miles will keep them busy, but I wouldnt trade this car for anything.

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  Drives nice but... - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By LISA - February 23 - 8:56 am

  Purchased this car in 2005 with only 9000 miles, luckily under warranty. Car is nice to drive but has had a lot of electrical issues. Tranny leaked but had a recall on that and so far so good on that issue. The problematic electrical seems to be ongoing though, now at 40K miles the moonroof switch does not work all the time. Probs with electrical have been: Cig lighter failed (dealer said from plugging in cell phone?) told me to use the one in the back..convenient!; front headbeam would work sometimes when it wanted to, now taillight is out; drivers headrest failed. Non-elec quality- back seat cover seam tear fixed 3X (still torn); carpet on floor came apart; both front struts blown at 20K

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  great driving car - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By sdax - February 22 - 10:00 am

  I owned mine for 3years until i had an accident and it was totaled. The car protected me very well and i was able to walk away unharmed. It was a rear impact and it crumpled/absorbed the impact so that i could still drive the car, but the rear doors would not open. I love the way it drove, but it wasnt the greatest on gas in the city, was getting horrible mileage, but on the highway it shined and i got at least 25mpg. It was awesome in the snow.

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  Rover and Beemer killer - 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Wolfepack - February 18 - 1:20 am

  Have owned the Discovery and LR3 and was ready for a change. Drove the Ranger Rover Sport, X5 and ML350. Simply no comparison. The Benz is by far the best combination of luxury, performance, safety and styling for the money. We are completely blown away by the driving characteristics and features of this vehicle. It is light years ahead of its predecesor, the ML320, which was a stubby, truck-based abomination. This thing is an E-class with some ride height and storage space. If youre considering an SUV in this price range, you must drive this car. My only complaints are the position of the cruise control stalk and the learning curve on all the features. Gas mileage is as bad as the Rover.

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  Poor Gaskets - 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Pip - February 15 - 6:50 pm

  Great car that feels sturdy and smooth. Purchased the car with 69k and Head Gaket, front engine seal and front timing chain cover was all leaking. After fixing those items it started to have electrical problems. The engine wire harness was brittle and arcing under the top engine cover. Then the center vents in the dash stopped flowing air. To fix, $300 up to $1200 depending on the 6 vacuum pods (10 hours labor).

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  ML is magic on dry or wet roads - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By greglynn - February 15 - 2:00 am

  The ML is designed from the ground up to be a superior performing light truck in all weather conditions. My experience to date with the vehicle has been superb. Performance is strong, handling is tight, and traction is amazing on dry or wet surfaces. All Wheel Drive is a *must* in my book. It is part of what makes this vehicle a superior performer. So is the Independant suspension. It seems to get better when you go off road or load the vehicle with passengers or cargo. I drive this car 120 miles day to and from work. I average 80mph on the freeway. This vehicle rocks! It has some design flaws on the interior mostly but these things have been corrected in the 2000-2002 models.

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  Great but why latent design defects? - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By JPouchet - February 12 - 11:50 pm

  My first Mercedes and it has been a fine car. Our dealer is nothing but first class. I enjoy driving this car so much that I had to buy my wife her own new E 320 (2004) as nothing really compares to driving a MB. Considering the new 2006 ML 350 as a replacement but recent nagging latent design defects and poor support from MB USA are making me look at BMW. The steering wheel leather is falling apart, the headliner has pulled away from the C pillars, and the rear window regulators/motors have gone out several times. And this car is always garged, no one rides in the back, and is treated like a baby. It should hold up much better, like a Honda or Toyota.

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  Almost perfec except for the engine noise - 2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
  By Kenny - February 10 - 4:00 pm

  This is an excellent crossover, which Mercedes named it the "Grand Sports Tourer" uniquely classified-like no other. Lets start with exterior and will work our way to the interior. Got the Premium Package 1 includes: panorama sunroof, automatic rear pop- out windows, dual shade sunvisors, pwr tailgate, TeleAid, harman/kardon Logic7 sound system, rear audio controls, Sirius satellite radio, hands-free communication system - bluetooth adapter..awesome clarity. Superb ride and comfort but the engine while inside the cabin was a bit loud and more noticeable but overall the R350 gets two thumbs up from me.