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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  Not Bad Entry Level Luxury Car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Rupert Butterworth - October 20 - 7:36 am

  This isnt a bad little car. Like others have mentioned it is NOT comfortable for the long haul. Seats are very firm up front and the kids complain about being cramped in the rear. The hesitation from stop is scary. Have almost been creamed a few times because of the hesitation. Those issues aside--fuel mileage is in the upper 20s on the highway, high teens in the city; Its much quieter than our old car- a 2002 Honda Accord. This isnt a bad car, just some quirks.

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  Horrible Mercedes - 2005 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By irving mangel - October 20 - 4:03 am

  My 2005 Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG is in the shop more than I drive it. Mercedes has been horrible at taking care of the problem. My next car will never be a Mercedes-Benz and I have owned a number of Mercedes. This will be my last one. Next time I will hire a lawyer to use the lemon law.

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  Still the King - 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By John Heard - October 19 - 3:16 pm

  What a feeling! My nephew said while driving my SL500, "Tts hard not to look smug when youre driving this." Wonderful car. Too many complicated electonic features. I have to wade through five instruction manuals to find what should be a simple procedure. Thank goodness the only option I got was the Keyless Go. The hardtop operation is superb. The rear windscreen takes all the unpleasant blowing out of driving with the top back. Very quiet operation with the top up. Much more trunk room than the Lexus SC430. Dealers will deal on price, even if they deny it publicly.

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  Solid choice - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By bwr1975 - October 18 - 6:08 am

  1999 E430 with 130000miles. Cars drives like a dream and performs very well especially for a car of this weight. I get 23-26mpg and enjoy using my right foot... Paid just under 8k for the car 1 year ago and have only spent $300 on repairs (crank shaft sensor). Fun to drive, reliable, safe as hell, inexpensive, classic and able to take this car anywhere make it a winner in my book. Hands down my favorite car out of the 5 Mercedes that I have owned.

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  Very Underrated - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By J Champagne - October 18 - 3:40 am

  We drove our new ML-350 from Florida to Oregon and back for 8,000 miles only a month after purchasing it. It handled beautifully in the desert, in the mountains at 9,000 feet and in snow in Nevada. Then we returned home to see a poor rating on the M-class published by Consumer Reports. Unbelievable! We have lost immense respect for CR for a long, long time. And we love our ML-350.

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  Valedictorian of its class! - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Will - October 17 - 4:33 pm

  Cant say enough positive things about the design of the interior/exterior, the comfort, performance, and all out driving pleasure of this car. Would not have considered buying an MB in this class 1 year ago, but now believe Audi and BMW have some serious ground to make up. To think that a VW Passat is easily more expensive, blows my mind. MB hit the bullseye on the price performance target, and when the market catches up I wont feel as special in by beautiful new ride. But who cares, I love going places just to drive it!

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  LOVE it! - 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By cch204 - October 17 - 3:51 pm

  Purchased in December of 2013. Since then, we now have 9,200 miles on her. Its great! Love the look of it. Aggressive for a smaller SUV. AND the comfort of it! Options are great. EXCEPT the stock GPS sucks. It cant find its way out of a paper bag. AND, for its cost, there should be more (Standard) options. AND the iPod station keeps forgetting that its plugged in. A back up monitor, better GPS ($3000 option) and tilting mirrors would be groovy standard. Not a lot of room for stuff and the dog.

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  Flips review - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By FlipV - October 17 - 10:00 am

  This is my second MB and the exceptional quality and workmanship is unsurpassed. Vehicle is perfect for everyday driving or short trips. I especially recommend the active ventilated seats, living in Florida these are a real plus with the top down and the sun shinning.

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  Love it! - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By TAB2005 - October 17 - 10:00 am

  Awesome! Its an SUV that rides like a mercedes. I bought the brand new 2005 because Mercedes is throwing in a lot of free options on the car in order to get you to buy it now instead of waiting for the new body on the 2006.

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  Black Beauty - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By D. Robison - October 17 - 10:00 am

  I thoroughly enjoy this vehicle, the ride is quiet and comfortable. The cabin is egonomically designed for easy access to every appointment. The vehicle without doubt is built to exacting specifications. The bose sound system is without equal, and makes the vehicle a pleasure to drive. The only question I is the transmission which seems a little quirky at times, perhaps its my first experience with a Mercedes that causes this concern.