10 Mercedes-Benz Models That Missed the Mark (And 10 That Defined Automotive Excellence)
Last summer, I spotted a vintage Mercedes SL cruising down the highway, and it made me wonder about the brand’s incredible journey through automotive history.
Mercedes-Benz has produced some of the most iconic vehicles ever to grace our roads, setting standards for luxury, performance, and innovation.
Yet even the three-pointed star has had its share of missteps along the way, creating models that left enthusiasts and critics scratching their heads.
1. Mercedes-Benz 190E Elektro (1990-1991)
Decades before Tesla made electric cars cool, Mercedes quietly experimented with battery power in their 190E sedan. The result? A glorified golf cart that managed up to 68 miles of range and took hours to charge.
Engineers stuffed the trunk with heavy sodium-nickel-chloride batteries, sacrificing cargo space while adding nearly 800 pounds of weight.
The ambitious experiment proved Mercedes was forward-thinking, but the technology simply wasn’t ready for prime time.
2. Mercedes-Benz A-Class W168 (1997-2004)
Flipping like a pancake during the infamous ‘elk test,’ the first-generation A-Class created a PR disaster of epic proportions. Swedish journalists swerved to avoid an imaginary elk, and the tall, narrow car dramatically rolled over.
Mercedes halted sales, redesigned the suspension, and added electronic stability control as standard. While innovative for its sandwich-floor construction that protected passengers in crashes, this early A-Class became the poster child for compromised design chasing market trends.
3. Mercedes-Benz R-Class (2006-2013)
Neither fish nor fowl, the R-Class confused everyone with its minivan-SUV-wagon identity crisis. Mercedes called it a ‘Grand Sports Tourer,’ but consumers called it confusing and largely ignored it at dealerships.
Cursed with bloated proportions and a hefty price tag, this six-seater luxury people-mover found few takers. Despite offering genuine comfort and decent driving dynamics, the R-Class remained the awkward middle child in Mercedes’ lineup.
4. Mercedes-Benz X-Class (2017-2020)
Slapping a three-pointed star on a Nissan Navara pickup truck fooled absolutely nobody. Mercedes’ half-hearted attempt to enter the premium pickup market crashed and burned spectacularly after just three years.
Underneath the fancy grille lurked the heart and soul of a Nissan, with barely disguised switchgear and architecture. European truck buyers weren’t impressed by the fancy badge, while Americans never even got the chance to reject it—Mercedes wisely kept it away from the pickup-savvy US market.
5. Mercedes-Benz 190SL (1955-1963)
Living forever in the shadow of its legendary sibling, the 190SL was essentially the 300SL’s underpowered, less talented little brother. While gorgeous to behold with nearly identical styling to the Gullwing, it packed a wheezy four-cylinder instead of the race-derived straight-six.
Performance proved thoroughly underwhelming, with 0-60 times north of 13 seconds. More boulevard cruiser than sports car, the 190SL embodied style over substance—though today’s collectors have forgiven its performance sins, driving prices into six-figure territory.
6. Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sportcoupe/CLC-Class (2001-2011)
Budget-friendly rarely works for luxury brands, and Mercedes learned this lesson the hard way with their compact coupe experiment. Essentially a chopped C-Class with less practicality, the Sportcoupe (later renamed CLC) aimed to lure younger buyers into the brand.
Cheap interior materials and compromised rear visibility plagued this entry-level Mercedes. The second generation was particularly egregious—despite looking new, it rode on the previous C-Class platform while wearing a hastily redesigned body, fooling nobody and pleasing few.
7. Mercedes-Benz ML320 W163 (1997-2005)
Rushed to market to capitalize on the SUV boom, the first M-Class became a symbol of Mercedes’ quality control crisis.
Assembled in a brand-new Alabama factory, these pioneering luxury SUVs quickly developed a reputation for troublesome electronics, interior parts that broke off in owners’ hands, and mysterious creaks. Consumer Reports regularly criticized it for reliability concerns.
Despite starring in Jurassic Park and selling in impressive numbers, the original ML remains a cautionary tale of what happens when Mercedes prioritizes market share over its traditional engineering excellence.
8. Mercedes-Benz B-Class (2005-Present)
This tall compact hatchback—or ‘Sports Tourer’ in Mercedes-speak—offers all the excitement of a kitchen appliance with none of the practicality of a true minivan.
Neither particularly luxurious nor sporty, the B-Class exists in an automotive no-man’s-land. While popular in Europe for its elevated seating position and premium badge, it was only sold in Canada from 2013 to 2019 and never in the emotion-driven U.S. market.
9. Mercedes-Benz Citan (2012-Present)
Nothing says luxury quite like a rebadged Renault Kangoo delivery van, right? Mercedes’ bizarre decision to enter the compact commercial van segment resulted in the Citan—essentially a French workhorse with a German accent.
Initial models performed so poorly in Euro NCAP safety tests that Mercedes had to scramble to make improvements. The interior barely disguises its budget Renault origins, with hard plastics and commercial-grade durability.
All in all, the Citan remains an odd footnote in the storied history of the brand.
10. Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser (1963-1981)
Dictators, pop stars, and oil sheiks all agreed on one thing: nothing projected power like a Grosser. This hand-built leviathan featured a complex hydraulic system operating everything from windows to the trunk lid with silent precision.
Each 600 took roughly six months to build. The 6.3-liter V8 delivered effortless acceleration despite the car’s three-ton weight. Owners included everyone from Saddam Hussein to John Lennon and Elvis Presley.
Tremendously expensive when new, maintaining one today requires both deep pockets and mechanical sympathy, which is not cool.
11. Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (1954-1957)
Jaw-dropping from every angle, the 300SL wasn’t just a pretty face—it was a technological tour de force. Those iconic doors weren’t a styling gimmick but a necessary solution to accommodate the revolutionary tubular space frame chassis underneath.
Powered by the world’s first production fuel-injected engine, the 300SL could hit 160 mph when most cars struggled to reach 100. Its racing pedigree showed in every curve and mechanical detail.
Nowadays, pristine examples command $1-2 million at auction, cementing its status as perhaps the most iconic Mercedes ever created.
12. Mercedes-Benz 500E/E500 (1990-1994)
Stealth wealth never looked better than the 500E—a collaboration between Mercedes and Porsche that created a pioneering super sedan. Each car began life as a standard W124 E-Class before being shipped to Porsche’s factory for hand-assembly with the 5.0-liter V8 from the SL.
Subtle fender flares and a slightly lowered stance were the only giveaways to the monster lurking within. The 500E could hit 60 mph in under 6 seconds while carrying five adults in supreme comfort.
Today’s AMG models owe their existence to this pioneering wolf in sheep’s clothing.
13. Mercedes-Benz W123 (1975-1986)
Bulletproof reliability made the W123 the automotive cockroach—impossible to wipe out and likely to outlive human civilization. These angular sedans, coupes, and wagons routinely accumulate million-kilometer odometers while still running perfectly.
Engineers tested each component to absurd extremes, creating cars that serve as taxis in the harshest environments on earth. The legendary diesel variants became particularly prized for their longevity.
While not particularly fast or flashy, the W123 represents Mercedes at its over-engineered best—vehicles built not to a price point but to an uncompromising standard.
14. Mercedes-Benz S-Class W140 (1991-1998)
Overengineered to the point of absurdity, the W140 S-Class was reportedly developed with an unlimited budget.
The results speak for themselves—doors that closed themselves, double-paned windows with over 100 components each, and windshield wipers designed to avoid spraying pedestrians at crosswalks.
This technological behemoth introduced innovations we now take for granted: electronic stability control, parking sensors, and voice control. Its bank-vault solidity and imperious presence on the road remain unmatched.
15. Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR (1997-1998)
Rules exploitation at its finest, the CLK-GTR emerged from a loophole in FIA GT1 regulations. Mercedes built just 25 road cars solely to homologate their dominant race car, creating perhaps the most extreme road-legal vehicle of the 1990s.
With a mid-mounted 6.9-liter V12 producing 604 horsepower, this street-legal race car could hit 214 mph. The interior made minimal concessions to comfort, offering leather seats but race car ergonomics.
At $1.5 million when new, it remains among the rarest and most exotic Mercedes ever created.
16. Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 (1975-1981)
Automotive journalist David E. Davis famously quipped that the 6.9 was ‘the greatest sedan in the world.’ This flagship S-Class packed the largest engine in any post-war European production car—a massive 6.9-liter V8 developing 286 horsepower and locomotive torque.
Its hydropneumatic suspension could be raised for rough terrain with a dashboard switch. Despite weighing nearly 4,000 pounds, the 6.9 could hit 60 mph in 7.4 seconds—supercar territory for the 1970s. Famous owners included James Hunt, Frank Sinatra, and the Shah of Iran.
17. Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16/2.5-16 Cosworth (1983-1993)
Before AMG became Mercedes’ in-house tuner, the company partnered with Cosworth to create this touring car homologation special. The British engine wizards transformed the humble 190E’s four-cylinder into a high-revving masterpiece with a specially designed 16-valve head.
A functional rear spoiler, side skirts, and wider fenders gave it purposeful stance. The dogleg manual gearbox (first gear down and left) signaled its racing intentions.
Though outgunned by the BMW M3 in period, the ‘Cossie’ has developed a dedicated following for its sublime handling and understated aggression.
18. Mercedes-Benz 300D Adenauer (1951-1962)
Named after Germany’s first post-war Chancellor (who owned six of them), the Adenauer represented Mercedes’ return to luxury car manufacturing after WWII. Its stately, upright design featured pontoon fenders and enough chrome to be visible from space.
Ambassadors, heads of state, and business tycoons chose the hand-built 300D as their chariot of choice. The rear passenger compartment included a power divider window and jump seats.
Konrad Adenauer specified bulletproof versions with special communications equipment, creating the presidential limousine template Mercedes continues today.
19. Mercedes-Benz G-Class (1979-Present)
Originally developed as a military vehicle at the Shah of Iran’s request, the G-Wagen evolved from utilitarian workhorse to six-figure status symbol without changing its boxy essence. The door-closing sound—like a bank vault sealing—has been specifically engineered to maintain its satisfying thunk.
Modern versions pair Range Rover luxury with Jeep Wrangler off-road capability, creating an incongruous yet irresistible package.
Despite minimal aerodynamics and a design dating back to the 1970s, the G-Class has become Mercedes’ ultimate style statement—proving some icons never need fundamental redesigns.
20. Mercedes-Benz 300SLR (1955)
Racing royalty doesn’t get more exclusive than the 300SLR—Stirling Moss piloted chassis #722 to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia, averaging 98 mph over 1,000 miles of public Italian roads. This feat remains one of motorsport’s greatest achievements.
Essentially a Formula 1 car with fenders, the 300SLR featured a straight-8 engine angled to lower the hood line and a body made from elektron magnesium alloy.
Tragically, a 300SLR was involved in racing’s worst disaster at Le Mans that same year, murdering 83 spectators and the driver.