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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  Beautiful but unreliable - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By CPRCPR - October 17 - 10:00 am

  I bought my SL500 in Jul-03. But ownership is blighted by consistent unreliability and visits to Mercedes service. SL parts are often not available, so your car sits, un- drivable, in the repair shop waiting for parts. In 10 mths I spent a month in loan cars, whilst waiting for parts & repairs. Mercedes paid for everything, but that does not take away the irritation. This week’s fault is the seat-belt (unsafe to drive, 10 day for parts); previous failures were hydraulics (undrivable), exhaust (illegal to drive) and electric seat adjustment stuck in fully forward (couldn’t enter seat). So buy an SL500 as a third car, but not if you want something reliable.

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  The AMG... - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By BWC89 - October 16 - 9:00 pm

  great low-end power; good brakes; excellent luxury cruiser; plenty of space for 4-5 passengers; a bit heavy on turns (going 60+ mph :)); would purchase again!

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  Excellence! - 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By clk320 - October 14 - 10:36 pm

  After owning the car for a few months I have come to enjoy it greatly. When I first got it I was immediately impressed with everything, but a stage of uncertainty came with minor glitches that were cheap and easy fixes (surprising little for a car with 110k miles on it). You will notice the laggish pickup from 0-20 but from 20 on up the acceleration is incredible. Suspension is top notch creating a very smooth ride and aggressive performance. Taking it around the curves is joyful and you cant take it too fast. Very nice bose speaker system. Lots of built in extras are fun and entertaining. It will make it through the snow but not well. Built very well, its a heavy car and feels very safe.

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  First Mercedes after a BMW 3-series - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By stormybmw - October 14 - 9:26 pm

  The Mercedes E350 wasnt my first choice for a midsize car. After driving a BMW 3-series for 6 yrs, my obvious choice was a 5-series. The 5-series design is ugly and I-drive is terrible, car was more nimble and fun to drive than an E350. Definitely a beautiful car that turns peoples heads.

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  The #1 HONEST Turbo Diesel Review - 2010 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By #1 Diesel Review - October 14 - 8:33 pm

  We live in the hills and noticed right away the ride is more stiff this year, making it safer on curvy roads. This is a Diesel that gets up and goes, not sluggish like diesels of the past. My wife and I enjoy being in this SUV, to us the interior looks elegant. You want safety?--Get this SUV - you WILL feel safer. A/C and Heating works excellent - keeping steady temperatures. BE SURE TO GET BLACK FLOOR MATS - other colors will get dirty and look terrible very soon. We are averaging 24 Miles Per Gallon of Diesel (city and highway combined)- that is great for such a big SUV! It got more noisy after about 500 miles for some reason.

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  Love my E320 - 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By crangel - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Handles great turns on a dime. Plenty of pick up. Great ride

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  Nice Powerful Utility Merc - 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By guest - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Besides better economy of fuel what more could I ask for?

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  clk 500 - 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By hani shehadeh - October 14 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the best vehicles mercedes ever built, it has a huge power compared to its weight. Its so fun to drive on high and low speeds.

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  500e apraisal - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By RPADOWITZ - October 14 - 10:00 am

  phenominal vehicle, makes all my previous vehicles drive like a bus, This includes my variuos Porsches, Beemers etc

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  CPO: MB certification/extended warranty: a $ saver - 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By ezshift5 - October 13 - 2:47 am

  The CPO certification has over 150 elements: a buyer should review this visually and with the Service Director. I did (and am sin problemas to date (18 months). The CPO route got me a C250 1.8 liter turbo 4 coupe - Iridium/Ash - with the odometer showing 23,000 careful miles. Plus I paid 2/3 of the MSRP and the first two payments were on the house (as were the first two 10,000 miles service appointments. Beautiful well-maintained vehicle. Fuel efficient (450 mile trip from our state capital to Monterrey (CA) and return calcd just under 35 MPG in 85% Interstate driving