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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  CLK 500 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Voila - March 13 - 9:33 am

  This car has been excellent from day one. The 500 has excellent horse power and the fuel economy is good for me, The design is excellent! You can tell they really thought this model through. Very comfortable. The car handles well and especially with the sport package. My car has the black with cream interior. Other colors I would consider is the silver, and the navy. Stay away from red and white colors for this car.

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  Mercedes 2014 Gl 450 -- sweet! - 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By ghergenroeder - March 12 - 10:39 pm

  This is truly Mercedes at its best. I never thought I would own such a wonderful vehicle. It is a little pricey, but it is worth every penny. I am really satisfied with everything about it. On the highway I can even average 21 mpg.

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  My 11th mercedes - 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By tim everett - March 11 - 7:53 pm

  i have owned my 05 E320 for six months and 13k miles. It is visually delightful-much more so than my 01 E 320-both inside and out. The car can best be described as seamless and unobtrusive. I own a ferrari and a zippy 911 which dont get much use because this car is so pleasant to drive. The power is very adequate, climate control is perfect, ride feels like an easy chair and the handling is nimble. I am on a three year lease and cant wait to get the E 350.

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  Love the car!! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By scorpio angel - March 11 - 10:00 am

  This car is a fun car to drive with everything I was looking for with an unbelievable low price. Interior of the car is sporty with aluminum trims and comfortable leather seats, race pedals. Not to mention the navigation system, cd changer etc. Car has the speed not expected from a 4 cylinder (faster than c240 V6). Performance is good but excellent for the price. Exterior look is great with a sporty kit, exhaust tip, 17 inch wheels that really stand out and gets a lot of attention, staggered wheels, sunroof, and bi xenon headlamps. For the price of in the low 30s it is an excellent deal!

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  05 C230 Sedan - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Sforza - March 11 - 10:00 am

  This car is amazing. It handles great and there a ton of features. Can also be easily customized to fit the look you need.

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  A great all around vehicle - 2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By R Waterhouse - March 10 - 10:50 pm

  I had heard a lot of negative things about the reliability of these cars before I bought one, but my desire overcame caution. I have not regretted that decision for one moment. Recently my lease was up (4 years) so I did the usual and test drove all the competing vehicles. Each time I got back into my ML I thought, well this is a nicer car. This went on for months and in the end I bought the ML out of the lease and I still love it. It is a well mannered, well built, nicely designed vehicle that will fit into a small parking space, yet hold a large amount of goods. I recently remodelled my home and used it as a truck, hauling lumber etc. then went to the car wash and came out with a luxury car.

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  gdyt - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By ghdftrsdgahy - March 9 - 10:00 am

  i love this car. i wanna kiss it

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  Great Car - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By robliski - March 9 - 7:43 am

  Ive had this car for 5.5 years now. Its been great to us and has never left us stranded. This is a car that needs an owner that timely addresses all preventive maintenance items before they become repair items, because then it gets expensive. The all wheel drive system is great and it is like a tank in rain and snow. Solid! Good power. Very comfy ride. Plenty of room.

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  Like the Car - 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Edward - March 9 - 4:50 am

  I bought this vehicle last week and have driven 500 miles to date. Saturday I drove some rugged mountain roads and found the car ro handle great. Mileage was good but not enough experience to judge accurately. The seats are not as comfortable as the Lexus I traded and the cabin is smaller. Leg support could be improved. Like lthe ride and handling.

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  Favorite car Ive ever owned - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By david - March 7 - 3:40 am

  I bought this car at 58K miles a few years ago. Yes Ive had to put some $ into it, (belt pulley, spring housing, alternator, fuel pump, O2 sensor, and it went through a major light bulb replacement phase) but I have to say that I love the car. Neighbor owns a repair shop that specializes in high- line foreign cars, so any time I notice anything out of sorts I send it to work for the day with him. It is now at 121K and still runs like a top. Im fairly certain that I can get another 120K out of it (unless my neighbor retires). I hope they are still building the 2010 E-Class like they did in 99... Hoping I can pick one of those up in a few years.