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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  Best Car Ive Ever Driven - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Jim - October 18 - 6:16 am

  Wow! Ive driven high performance cars from a Mustang, Porsche, and even Ferrari. This 2006 S65 AMG is an absolute beast on the road. And a classy beast at that. The best way to describe it would be to say it is a rocket! Its super fast from 0-60, and even pulls hard above that! Pure power, smooth acceleration, superb handling and great comfort! If you can find a way to get your hands on one of these babies, its worth every penny (or dollar in this case) I cant wait to drive tomorrow. Sweet!

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  Platinum Blue Beauty - 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Chaslap - October 17 - 4:50 pm

  I attended an investment seminar held on the dealerships showroom floor with no intention of changing cars. It was love at first sight. Upon returning 2 days later, it was being delivered as I drove up. Had one trucked in for me. I have gotten many compliments on its appearance, and the ownership experience thus far has been positive. It has power far in excess of ordinary driving demands, but that reserve is there in case of an emergency. The service department has been very helpful when called upon. Had to replace a strut early on, and the Pirellis (all 4) feathered around the tread edges creating road noise. Rotated right-left hoping that reversing the rotation will smooth out the feathering

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  Geat Car For The Money - 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mouse - October 16 - 4:46 pm

  Been a very good car (close to 100K miles now). The only failures have been the hood struts, pano roof, and the multi function display. Both hood struts and MFD are easily fixed by anyone with the slightest mechanical skill. Pano roof is basically unfixable because of the significant cost (and lack of utility anyway). Handles very well had has adequate power. A bit slow off of the line though. Very practical as it is a hatchback and storage is generous. Rear seats fold down which gives even more cargo room. Simple to maintain yourself (both A & B service). Get one used with the leather interior and the Bose sound system (sound is excellent). Avoid the pano roof if possible. I give it an A-

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  Great car - 2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mighty Max - October 14 - 5:40 am

  Never thought Id own a Mercedes because I thought I was more of a BMW or Audi kind of guy, but after owning this vehicle for around six months, I know that I made the right choice. The car is solid. I feel completely safe and in control while driving this car. Its freeway driving ability is just amazing. I hit 100 mph and was impressed with the stability of the car. All I can say is that I found out why people pay more for Mercedes.

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  expensive piece of crap - 2008 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By baby786 - October 12 - 5:22 am

  after 3 yrs of owning the ML320 CDI, I do have a lot of problems and expenses, the check engine light never ends, the lights always have to be changed at least every 3 months, as of this time my SUV has 58000 miles and the vehicle is in and out of the dealer, cannot fix the check engine light, I already spend almost $5000 . the vehicle has been there for a good 1 month, waiting for parts, then bring it home, drive for 5 miles, check engine comes back, they change a lot of parts, the SUV also has problem with acceleration, and the engine now is so noisy when you drive it. I thought this was the best vehicle I bought, this was the worst of all the brands I have.

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  Can you believe - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Joey Martin - October 11 - 10:00 am

  I have owned this ML 500 for 6 yrs and it has a total of 174,000 mi. It has been bullet proof! Yes its hard on brakes, every 22k mi. Tires depending on brand 30-35K. Mechanically, the only major issue? I just had the dealer install a new power steering pump at 171,000 mi. Wow! Great SUV, the best MB I have ever owned. Why get a new one?

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  Great car but not cheap to own - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By RDV - October 11 - 10:00 am

  Bought her new in Oct 02. Still drives great, interior holding up well. Handling is a little mushy for my taste. Trans occasionally hunts for right gear but otherwise smooth. BEWARE-repairs are pricey. Just fixing a rattling heat shield was $250. I use an independent, Benz-only shop and its still expensive to maintain. Had to replace heater valve last winter - $500. All in all, love the E class (evidenced by my decision to buy a new 2011 E350) but she definitely aint cheap to own and operate. Id be very careful if buying a used one.

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  Numerous Problems! - 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
  By Mica - October 4 - 3:10 pm

  I have had my CLS500 w/ AMG sport package, keyless go, satellite radio etc. for going on 8 months and it has been in the shop numerous times already. On average, once every 2 weeks and one time for more than a week.

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  C240 is nice, not stellar - 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Mr. RDV - October 1 - 5:13 pm

  Got my C240 to use mostly for commuting on So Cal freeways to work. Love its quietness, build quality, ride quality. Performance is tepid with the 2.7L V6. Wish I had bought the 3.2L V6 but cost was $5k more. Mileage is not a good as I thought it would be - freeway is okay - 29MPG, but city is more like 20MPG and combined is usually 24-25MPG. My friends E320 gets same mileage and is bigger. Problems included lower front roll bar links replaced, crankshaft balancer replaced and transmission control module. STRONGLY urge you to buy extended warranty - cost of these three was over $2k in repairs (all covered by EXTENDED warranty that cost me $1k at time of purchase).

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  Pleased! Very! - 2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Storm - October 1 - 4:36 pm

  My first Benz but I would say I couldnt be happier with the car. Its been 10 years since I purchased it and I have been very blessed. No major issues ~ mainly minor wear and tear.