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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  2008 ML 320 CDI - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By cfrazier - November 23 - 8:33 am

  As others,looked at RX250,X5,and ML. Came to MB ML in looking for SUV with better than average MPG. Diesel won me over and liked exterior above others. As some have noted, nav (need touch screen, improve intuitive flow) and signal stem (proximity to cruise control) need updating/improvement. MB could use better value packaging like Lexus. Start w/ P2 and tailor to need. Downshifting non-issue with slight and logical modification of driving habit. Very pleased with choice.

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  08 ML350/Alpine Rain/P2/IPOD - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By AVI - November 23 - 7:16 am

  This is my 2nd MBZ, coming from an E- Class, I thought I would give the ML350 a shot, after reading so many good reviews here. I must say, they are true. This is really a great vehicle. The Alpine Rain color is hardly seen here in NY and love it, with the Ash interior. I think MBZ should have more standard features though.. you have to pay for everything! My buddys KIA came with bluetooth, but MBZ wanted $400 for it. I really have nothing to complain about. Rides excellent and looks even better. Much better than previous shape.

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  Can spend more, but cant do better - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By El Cid - November 22 - 4:06 pm

  Updated review. Car improves with age. Ride is much better, not harsh like other German or soft like Lexus. Very comfortable on long or short trips. Everything works exactly as it should; even A/C is 100+ temps and 90% humidity. Makes me feel great every time I look at it, sit in it and drive it. All of my relatives and friends are greatly impressed by what it offers.

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  Awesome car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By fadious - November 22 - 10:00 am

  This has been a treat. I did the European delivery program and the trip was amazing. I feel bad that we have speed limits in America. This car was phenomenal on the autobahn. AT 130mph, I put it on cruise control and I could take any curve easily. The stability on it was amazing and I loved racing with BMWs and blowing the hell out of them. I did pay the price as I had to gas every day for over $100 each time but it was worth it.

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  love it so far - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By rking1118 - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I traded my 2000 Jaguar XK8 in for this and hope to get better reliability. So far so good. I love the car except the navigation system is pretty much useless. It doesnt even have my town in it. I still have to keep my Garmin Street Pilot in the car.

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  Excellent so far - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By benz virgin - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I always owned Japenese Luxury, until now! I looked at Mercedes because the exterior styling was fantastic. Then I drove it and knew I had to buy it. Then I discovered it was affordable. I am only worried about the reliability. If it is reliable, then this car is the best car Ive owned.

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  New ML500 - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Marvin - November 21 - 2:36 pm

  Its too early to judge performance, fuel economy or reliability. The biggest disappointment so far is the navigation system. The nav system in my 2005 Lexus SC430 is a Rolex compared to the Timex quality unit in the Mercedes. Also, there is no bluetooth option for cell phones.

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  Outstanding Car - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Jerry Getsay - November 21 - 1:17 am

  This car has so many features for the money that I am thinking about going back to the dealer to offer them more money. I will probably resist that temptation.

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  It has almost everything - 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By vic kasner - November 20 - 10:46 pm

  Excellent all around vehicle. Some obvious features missing that is found in lesser priced vehicles. eg compass, easily accessable change holder (lifting up armrest is cumbersome), poorly located cup holder without provision for passenger

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  Not a happy owner - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By SocalJoe - November 20 - 11:30 am

  We had several costly items right after warranty period though the mileage was still only just over 30k, we had to replace valve gasket, airmatic air pump and relay, and recently (37k) replace air injection pump and relay. reliability is much worse than any other MB we owned or had owned.