Overview & Reviews

For more than 100 years now, Ford Motor Company has been selling mass-produced automobiles in the United States and around the globe. Known as one of the Big Three American manufacturers, Ford has attracted millions of loyal customers with a wide range of vehicles that offer considerable value. The automaker's trucks and SUVs have been especially popular. For decades, Ford's F-Series truck has been the best-selling vehicle in America.

The company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903. Ford dreamed of building a car for the masses, and that's precisely what he did, most notably with the immortal Model T of 1908-'27. The latter was bought by 16.5 million Americans during its 20-year lifespan and was affordable enough for Ford's own factory workers to purchase. Ford's early years were also distinguished by its introduction of the moving assembly line. It was the first to utilize this more cost-effective method of production, and its innovation became a mainstay of the manufacturing process.

Ford expanded into the luxury-car market with its purchase of Lincoln Motor Company in 1925. Over the next few years, the company broadened its focus even further by creating the Mercury division to produce mid-priced cars. By the late '30s, Ford had unveiled the stylish Lincoln Zephyr, introduced a low-priced V8 engine and built more than 25 million vehicles.

The 1950s saw the introduction of the legendary Thunderbird. Offering sleek styling and spirited performance wedded to available luxury features like power windows and a signal-seeking radio, the car was a huge hit. Another model of that decade, the Edsel, met with a somewhat less enthusiastic reception. In the wake of abysmal sales, the Edsel was discontinued just a few months into its third model year.

Ford regained its footing in the early 1960s with the introduction of the compact Falcon, a model that was warmly received by the public. By the middle of the decade the automaker had given enthusiasts something to cheer about with the launch of the sporty Mustang, a car that went on to become one of the biggest sellers of its day. Buyers adored the Mustang's low price, available powerful V8 engines and sporty styling. The Mustang even created a brand-new vehicle category: the pony car.

By the 1970s, Ford, like other domestic automakers, was starting to suffer the effects of changing consumer tastes and new government regulations. Many of its cars became shadows of their former selves. But the seeds of rebirth were planted in this decade. In 1979, the company acquired a stake in Mazda; this move would later aid Ford significantly in co-development projects. The company also emerged with a new mindset of global competitiveness.

By the mid-to-late '80s, Ford was showing new strength with its popular Escort and Taurus models while further expanding its empire with the purchase of the Aston Martin and Jaguar brands. Meanwhile, its full-size LTD sedan (later renamed the Crown Victoria) remained a staple of taxi companies and police forces throughout America.

Ford rode a wave of popularity in the 1990s, thanks in part to the huge success of its Explorer midsize SUV. The truck played a huge role in ushering in the era of the SUV. In 1999, Ford expanded its family yet again with the purchase of Volvo's car division, and, in 2000, it acquired Land Rover. For awhile, there was talk of Ford even taking General Motors' spot as the No. 1 automaker in the world.

But the new millennium initially saw a downturn for Ford. Increased competition, a continuing operating loss for Jaguar, legacy costs and a reliance on SUVs for profit took their toll. To compensate, the company sold Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo and introduced a wave of successful new products. Models like the F-150, Fusion, Fiesta, Focus, Flex and Mustang have allowed Ford to regain its health and standing as a very competitive manufacturer.

User Reviews:

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  Transmission leaves a lot to be desired - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By Ron - October 8 - 8:10 am

  Purchased new for my wife. Tired of GM and Dodge problems and bought our 1st Ford. Love the design. I am not tall (57") and my wife is shorter, but you can easily nail your head on the A-post when getting into the car. Two complaints: (1) the hard shifting transmission which is beginning to cause me concerns after reading all the complaints from owners online. Main concern is internal damage with the ongoing issue. (2) Recall after recall after recall !!! That said, I regret buying this car. It is paid for and I wanted a car I could count on for years, but feel that Ford is no better than the rest of our domestic brands. So much for Consumer Reports. Too many times they rate a new car well, then a few years later the same unit is NOT RECOMMENDED. I recently purchased a used 2012 Jeep GC Laredo with AWD and the V6. Gas mileage is as good as the Fusion 2.0 turbo + it tows 5000 lbs with REAL AWD. The Ford AWD on our top of the line Fusion is really a 70:30 AWD. That being only 30% (maximum) will be transferred to the rear wheels !!! Before buying go to the iihs.org web site to check on crash tests. The new (small overlap test) has caused many to redesign their vehicles. Also go online to check on owner complaints. This Fusion was in its first year when I bought it. No one to blame but myself. I wanted a reliable & safe car for my wife. It turns out that I would have been best served by buying a Volvo S60 AWD (now owned by CHINA !!).

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  Just purchased Focus - 2015 Ford Focus
  By GLIss - October 8 - 6:22 am

  Good value for price. Get the Titanium if you want a bunch of standard features.

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  All was great a month ago. - 2010 Ford Flex
  By Jjulian - October 7 - 3:21 pm

  A month ago, this review would have been all stars. We bought this car because of the room. Our 15 yr old son of 6ft. 5in could sit in the middle seat with ease and comfort. Considering the size of the vehicle, the gas milage is good. I have actually gotten up to 30 mpg a few times on the hwy. We also had a family member who owned the same model and began having the gas tank drop to completely empty at around 60 miles till empty, while our vehicle had no such problem...till a month ago. I was driving down the road, 65 miles till empty then "ding" goes the warning, zero miles till empty. I freaked. This has happened 3 more times since as I wanted to test if it would repeat. Now I dont let it get below 100 miles left before I refill the tank. This is scary and a safety issue.

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  wheel alignment - 2015 Ford Flex
  By A E Thompson - October 6 - 9:44 am

  good car... first tires lasted 47000 miles. New tires at that time, had a four wheel alignment @ $79.95. One year later w/54444 miles we are told we need another rear wheel alignment...Is there a problem with the car (wont hold an alignment) or is someone looking for a free lunch? Having been an auto tech ( Ford and independent) for a number of years my experience has shown me there may be some cars with parts problems that would require the alignment be checked more often. Without this problem an alignment should hold longer than 7500 miles. Has anyone else had this same problem?

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  The Blue Coach - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By Honest review guy - October 4 - 8:41 pm

  Bought the 02 in 04 with 17k on it. It is now 2015 and I have 110,000 miles on it. I have had a couple of recalls that were fixed, but didnt seem too serious. I have always changed the oil at about 5k intervals and it still runs smooth and great. In Oct. 2014< i had to have the transmission rebuilt. The problem occurred suddenly: Please do research about this because there is too much to say. Ford needs to works on this and hopefully they have for newer models. And it was 3,000 bucks to rebuild it at a Ford dealership. I still lack confidence in the fact that this problem will arrive in the future out of nowhere. I must mention that there was at least a 3 month waiting list for a new transmission if that gives the answer away for this vehicle. I just hope that I will get another 100,00 miles from the rebuilt transmission. The interior is just fine, comfortable, and fairly rugged. I must admit that I really love this vehicle because it drives so well and does excellent in the Colorado snow. If I go to 200,00 miles without any tranny problems I would say that this was the best bag for the buck. And I plan to do just that if I can. Overall, though, this is a great Four wheel drive vehicle thats been very reliable in every way except for the transmission issue.

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  Very Nice Truck " BUT " - 2015 Ford F-150
  By jim - October 3 - 11:35 pm

  Outside looks very nice,BUT rear bed sits way too high for my likes.i plan on lowering rear height a couple of inches,ride is a little bouncy with empty bed but was to be expected. one big complaint is for almost $50,000 you dont get the 2 speed 4wd Auto system in an XLT,to me it makes having a 4WD almost useless for any on road driving,or having to keep turning it on and off all the time as you run into dry pavement at times,come on Ford all 4WD systems should have the 4WD Auto setting,most of us dont take them off road,we need to just set it and forget about it in Auto setting. I have the fold down console which the headrest blocks the cup holders by the floor when down,my 2011 ford cup holders pulled out past the headrest,so no problem,new design sucks,along with that why were the headlight switches moved so low,hard to operate there,also the new AC vents are not as usefull as old ones,feel truck has moved backwards in design since owning a 2011 XLT to compare it with. I am getting 18MPG city driving with the 5.0 V8 and 21 on highway,i have no complaints with that,love the outside looks of truck and get lots of complements on the Ruby Red Metallic color,so heres hoping i will get used to its little flaws IMO,and that it dos not need any warranty service,as i did with my 2011 XLT ,thats another story

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  Im 33 and this is my 5th Mustang, Love LOVE it - 2015 Ford Mustang
  By Mandi Williams - September 29 - 8:53 am

  Coming from someone who has owned a 1964 1/2, 1995, 2000, 2005 and now 2015 the 2015 is by far my favorite to drive. Its important to note that this Mustang handles much better on slick roads (Im hoping snow too). I live in Ohio and deal with very harsh winters and driving a Mustang can put a damper on your parade when trying to get to work. Since I bought the car just this summer Im not sure how it will do in the snow, but Ive had zero problems in the rain. I dont slide around in it like I did in my other ones. This Mustang reminds me more of a sports car than a muscle car (which I happen to like). Even the base model offers many, many features. (my favs backup camera, bluetooth, push button start, keyless entry, steering mode, etc). The only complaints I have about my car is the lack of storage space in the cabin (where is my sunglasses holder??) and no XM on the base model.

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  A much improved year for the Fiesta! - 2014 Ford Fiesta
  By Mitchell - September 28 - 10:23 pm

  I have read so many bad reviews on the 2011 and 2012 fiestas and i think the 2014s are alot improved compared to those. My transmission used to be kind of unresponsive and sluggish but a trip to the dealer and a software upgrade made it more zippy and ride and drive like a dream. I kind of lost hope in the fiesta until i made the trip and now i am really satisfied with the car. What you pay is what you get with this car. You get bluetooth with hands free phone support which is my favorite feature to have in any car. Sound system sounds great, i jam in the car everyday and everytime i drive it. Car is pretty comfortable considering the price range. I would recommend this car as long is its 2014 or above as these are much more reliable, fun, and better looking then the older models!

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  LOOK AT THE DASHBOARD BEFORE YOU BUY. - 2014 Ford Edge
  By FRED LOCKARD - September 27 - 2:31 pm

  IF YOU WEAR GLASSES YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING ON THE DASHBOARD. i CANT. THE CONTROLS ARE NOT READABLE (FUZY).

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  great 2014 ford focus - 2014 Ford Focus
  By matt donham - September 25 - 12:04 am

  2014 Ford Focus SE I currently own a 2014 Focus Focus SE. I bought the car new in the fall of 2014. The color of my car is ruby red. The car is a hatchback, with the black appearance package. This package allows the car to have a black Focus ST spoiler, glossy black grill and mirror, along with black inserts in the headlights. The car has black leather interior, with ambient lighting. This is my daily driver, wouldn’t change it. I drive it anywhere, whether it’s to and from school, or drive 45 minutes to go see my family. I do plan on changing a few things to add my own touch. Looking to add a body kit next summer, also change out the stock headlight bulbs to give it a better appearance at night. Want it to look more like a rally car if ever possible. I do wish the paint was better because I have a chip that is noticeable when you are up close. I do get a lot of complements on how people like my car and wish they could get one. I do like to park in the back of a parking lot because I don’t want to take any chances of someone hitting it with their door or backing into me. I recommend buying this car if you are looking for great mpg, or something small to get around in a city. You are able to get this car in many colors and styles depending if you want the base model or on the higher end. Pros • Sport option for speed or auto for the fuel economy • Smooth to start up • Good acceleration • Great for the snowy streets, even going up hill • Inexpensive to fill the tank • Plenty of storage, even greater with the rear seats down. • A lot of head room and space, even for myself (6 feet tall) • Great ambient lighting colors to choose from with a twist of the dial • Back seats are comfortable • Very easy to customize to add your own touch • Being able to park anywhere Cons • Transmission does get stuck in low gear if you slow down quickly • Not a lot of leg room in the back seats • Have payments unless you pay cash • Taller people have trouble with little room