Do we like them?

Do we like Mercedes-Benz?

Luxury cars and vans (Mercedes-Benz, AMG, Maybach, smart), run from Stuttgart, Germany

Our score: 5 out of 10. Not quite. Its diesel-cheating history is serious and the climate goals carry caveats. It does offer EVs and a job-security deal, but it is cutting costs and jobs.

Mercedes is the old Daimler-Benz, now officially Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Ola Källenius, a Swede, has been CEO since 2019 and was the first non-German to lead it. Martin Brudermüller, ex-BASF boss, chairs the supervisory board. It's listed on the stock exchange, with no controlling owner.

The big stain is diesel. In 2020 Daimler and Mercedes-Benz USA agreed to a roughly $1.5bn US settlement over allegations of hidden software in 250,000+ diesels. In December 2025, 50 US attorneys general announced a further $149.7m deal over similar allegations. The company said it had set money aside for it.

On climate, Mercedes has a published goal of net-zero by 2049 at the latest, plus big cuts by 2039 against a 2019 baseline. The 80% cut in vehicle use is 'as market conditions allow', which is a big caveat. Källenius also leads Europe's carmakers' lobby group, ACEA, which is pushing for flexibility on decarbonisation.

Times are tougher now. On 28 October 2026 Mercedes warned on full-year profit, citing China, and said it would restart voluntary redundancies in Germany. Temporary staff are also being cut, though permanent German staff are reportedly covered by a job-security deal to 2034. A US bill over Chinese shareholders could also complicate its US sales.

Why the score? Mercedes makes cars people want, and it has paid for its diesel past. But the cheating allegations were large and long-running, and its climate pledges are hedged. We'd call it a middling pick, not one we'd back with enthusiasm.