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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  Fun when it works - 2005 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Dissapointed - March 19 - 9:30 pm

  Great when it works. Fun to drive, quiet, responsive, nice style, but reliability is awful. Electronics are terrible. What a shame. Second Mercedes in a row that was a lemon. It also depreciated from $96,5000 new to under $50,000 in just a little under two years. Stay away! Look at Lexus LS instead.

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  not the best built mercedes - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By C200 esprit auto - March 10 - 5:30 pm

  Would i buy another c class merc the answer would be no i would not, for the simple reason that this car just seems to go on and on with never ending faults.As for the body work thats no better than a rusting ford escort from the 1980s. Its a shame because i still enjoy the look of this car and still for some mad reason still like driving it,even when things do keep costing me more money each month and each year. The problem with most of these merc c class models seems to be all the same,with very bad electrical problems like wiper arm gives up working hazard warning switch gives up headrest button stops working, blower fan stops working,along with warning lights flashing at high speeds.

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  Buy extended warranty, maintainence$$$ - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By don - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Dealership charges $600 for glorified oil change (schedule C). Have had for 4 yrs only about 7000 mi/yr. Now my warranty is up- last month. Only 28,000 mi., I have had numerous transmission problems, only the Mercedes dealership will take care of it. Have spent over $5000 since warranty out.

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  Reconsider before buying. - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By M.A. Melendez - February 17 - 10:00 am

  If I had a second chance, I would not buy it..

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  GAS guzzler - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By oliver - February 10 - 4:16 am

  Ive had the car half a year and what I have to say that its a gas guzzler will never buy another Mercedes again, interior and exterior dont have the greatest design, mostly bought because of the name, but I got tricked on this one.

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  rollover - 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By johnmargolis - January 12 - 2:00 am

  This is thje seconfd ML I have rolled. This rollover came whena car hit the left rear quarter after running a red light. The car was traveling at 35, and I was travelling at a similar speed. The ML rolled to the side, upon being hit, and then onto the roof. I was not injured, except for a laceraton on my head. This is the second ML I flipped, the other wasa 2001, that the right rear tire blew. I skidded, ;lost control of teh car,and the car again went right over.

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  ML goes up in smokes - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By dyoon001 - January 8 - 4:09 pm

  My daugther spilled some water in the back seat and within minutes, the wipers went wild (couldnt turn it off), the windows rolled down by themselves and various warnings signs came up on the dashboard (i.e. brake fluids malfunction). Then, smoke started to rise from the passenger side. This all happened while driving. How do you design a vehicle that malfunctions like that with a little bit of water spill? Why is the electrical panel located underneath the passenger side seat? What is the electrical system better protected? I think this should be a design defect and warrants a recall.

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  Mercedes M class - 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Not a Mercedes, drives like a Jeep with a mercedes name

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  Is this a MB or a BM? - 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By mshoe - December 24 - 2:00 am

  all the articles that say MB reliabilty has gone down are correct. its also too small of a car for the price.

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  Just Plain junk for $45K - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By ssanan30 - December 2 - 9:23 am

  I have had 4 window switches put in, 2 CD players, got a leak from somewhere when it rains (water ends up on the floor boards). Brakes wear out early, tires wear out, traction control sensor, and air bag sensor on the same side go bad 2 times. With 48K miles, the stiching on my front leather seats have come appart. And we dont drive this car much!!! Have talked to others with similar problems. Beware before you buy. Will never by anoth MB product again. Oh yes $500 for mass air flow sensor.