Mercedes-Benz scores on safety.
If you’ve ever walked away from a harrowing car wreck, chances are good that Mercedes-Benz had a hand in your survival — even if you weren’t driving a Mercedes at the time. The German automaker has been a safety innovator since the 1950s, developing features that have found their way into cars from every manufacturer on earth. Mercedes invented the “safety cage” passenger cell, for instance, and front- and rear-crumple zones, too. And during the 1970s, the company’s vigorous Experimental Safety Vehicle program (ESF in German) produced more than 30 concept cars designed to showcase its cutting-edge safety technology, including antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, and automotive air bags. – From Robb Report