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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  19 yr & still trucking strong - 1997 Ford Expedition
  By glenda - November 2 - 9:42 am

  This has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned plus the most economical overall when you consider purchase price over 19 yr with no repairs other than maintenance. The only expense has been fuel, regular oil changes, tires, air filters, brake pads, battery, and replacement of one broken suspension arm. This SUV has gone in deep snow when my other truck ( GMC) wouldnt. I no longer need to transport heavy or bulky loads but I hate to sell this reliable friend so I plan to continue to see how many more years shell go. Ill trade only if I can get a 20 yr. guarantee on a new SUV.

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  2011 Ford Explorer Limited 4WD - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By Anthony Giordano - November 1 - 1:14 am

  Reliable, comfortable, great in snow and still looks like new after 5 years of daily use.

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  Fun Fusion - 2015 Ford Fusion
  By David Zier - October 31 - 9:02 pm

  First, I will start with the bad. The gas mileage is not great. I average 22 overall. I do drive aggressively. I get mid 30s on highway going 60-70 mph. City is mid to upper teens. Those are honest numbers. Consumer reports and motor trend and auto week experienced the same thing I do, probably all driving aggressively. Other than that, this is a great car. I have owned 3 Audis, and this car drives and rides like an Audi. The ceramic leather interior reminds of of my vanilla interior of my Audi A6. I took a very long test drive, and I could not believe it was a Ford midsize. This was as expensive car. With options, the MSRP was 38,775. I did not pay that, but this car has virtually every option. It competes well with cars costing more. I have driven 12,000 miles in the 7 months I have owned it, and it is phenomenal. I am just as happy, if not more so, than the day I purchased it. The SONY sound system is fantastic. Better than BOSE systems in others cars I have owned. My Ford Touch is so much easier to use than reviews have stated. I have never even looked at the manual. With all of the electronic gizmos we have these days, I suspect the reviewers I have read cant even use a cell phone. The 4 quadrants are straight forward, and the voice commands are not complicated. I have not had any issues with this car. With all the technology and everything that could go wrong, I am shocked. I am also impressed with how smooth the 2.0T is, and how well the automatic transmission works with it. I have seen mixed reviews on that, but my experience is that you dont have to floor the accelerator at all. it just goes when you press down on the gas. Great car ford. I love it so much, I bought a new Ford Flex a few months later with the 3.5 ecoboost engine. My experience with the Flex has been the same. That is a great SUV, but it really is an oversized tall wagon that rides nicely and feels like a rocket when you hit the gas.

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  Best vehicle Ive ever owned - 2001 Ford F-150
  By RDM - October 31 - 3:20 pm

  2001 4x4 5.4L purchased in 2001, traded in 2015 for new F-150. Never any problems. Normal repairs - brakes, battery...didnt need front axles until 2014. And that was with a 3" level kit. 14 years of perfection. I hope my 2015 F-150 does as well. That truck will problem give someone another 10 good years. A mechanic at the dealership where I traded it in actually purchased it.

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  Good Performance and Value - 2014 Ford Escape
  By James - October 31 - 11:27 am

  First the good news. It is a nice looking SUV. Especially with the Titanium Package. We got a good deal on the price of the vehicle from the Ford Dealer in addition to 0% interest. The 2.0 Turbo engine is smooth and powerful. This SUV has good acceleration with the optional 2.0 Ecoboost engine. Driving without being real conservative, we average a combined city/highway mileage of 27.3 miles per gallon. The ride is comfortable and the vehicle handles well. Brakes are good. Navigation screen is a good size and gives clear directions. Controls are good quality. The SUV has good room inside and the back seats laying flat is a great feature for more cargo space. They are also easy to operate. Heated front seats are nice and the rear camera/sensors work well. Minor negative observations. I wish there was just a little less road noise at highway speed. Seal at bottom of doors would probably help get rid of some of that. The front seats could use about another 1/2 inch of knee bolster. The Sony Audio System is acceptable but is not as good as the Harmon Kardon one we had in our last car. The Sync System has a hard time understanding voice commands. These are minor negative observations after owning vehicle for 18 months and 15K miles. Ford Escape is a great vehicle and a good value for the money.

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  Fantastic ford focus - 2012 Ford Focus
  By Lucas - October 31 - 12:49 am

  This car is great. I got it used (only 20k miles) from carmax about 6 months ago. Before it I had a hyundai which was a complete lemon. This car has given me no trouble, except for a few small issues. First, one time I unlocked the car and this loud thudding noise came out of the speakers. Started the car and it went away. Second. Sometimes sync freezes for a few seconds. Third. There is a small vibration when you back up and sometimes the car is sluggish when on a hill. If you can deal with some minor bugs, this car is great. I like the way it drives and looks. Its fantastic quality. I average probably around 30 mpg with a mix of highway and suburb driving. Its great for the price!

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  Hell of a truck! - 2014 Ford F-150
  By John - October 31 - 12:13 am

  I purchased this truck brand new in November of 2014. It was a little spontaneous, but my finances were in order and dealerships were running Black Friday ads featuring very aggressive deals. I assume this was because the all new 2015 aluminum bodies were on their way. Ended up purchasing a $38k for a little over $27k, a deal I could not pass up. I opted for the 3.7L V6 (the non-ecoboost engine.) Honestly, just driving it I would swear there was a V8 under the hood if I didnt know any better. In terms of speed and horsepower, it matches the old 5.4 and outperforms the old 4.6, 302, or 351w. It does lag behind all of these engines in terms of torque, but I dont ever tow anything. If I did, it would be well under its 6,700lb rating. The 5.0 or 3.5 Ecoboost is for towing loads up to 11,000lbs. I have loaded up the bed with some heavy cargo (moving furniture, lumber, etc.) and didnt notice any difference in engine performance. This truck is more than capable. So the tradeoff for a little less towing capacity should be fuel economy. I have to be honest I was a little disappointed at first here. Initially, I was only getting 14mpg in mostly city driving, well under the EPA estimated 16mpg for city. However, I learned that brand new engines are programmed to burn more fuel during break in. After I crossed about the 8,000 mile mark, my city mileage has improved to about 15.5mpg, but would likely be better if my commute to work werent so short. In actual trips across town Im getting about 16.5 to 17mpg. Ive taken a few trips with this truck as well, and my all highway trip from Omaha to Kansas City got me 21mpg. I think this is pretty good for such a large vehicle, but theres still much room for future improvement here. I absolutely love driving this truck! We got hit by a couple of snow storms this past winter and the 4x4 made that a non-issue. Acceleration is great for a V6 (I can usually keep the RPMs at or below 2,000 RPM for acceleration which should help with engine longevity) Transmission shifts great, doesnt jerk or do anything else annoying as sometimes happens with other cars. Again, this should help with reliability and longevity. Steering and braking are where they need to be. Really enjoy the SYNC system! Always have my iPod hooked up. Only frustration is that sometimes the voice command misunderstands what track I want played, but its 90% effective. I rarely talk on the phone, but when I do its really convenient having the system automatically stop the music and let me talk hands-free. The sound system could use some improvement. It is weak, but I plan on making some aftermarket adjustments to fix this. Unless you need a truck for some serious towing over 7,000lbs, this truck will do everything you need it to and should be reliable for years to come!

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  Great New Truck - 2015 Ford F-150
  By John - October 30 - 8:15 pm

  I enjoy my new Ford F150. My first road trip mileage was 19 driving 81mph for 300 miles. Unfortunately, they are too darned expensive!

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  Best car Ive ever owned - 2014 Ford Taurus
  By Brian - October 28 - 2:33 pm

  Been driving 41 years, owned quite a few cars. Prior to this I had a Grand Marquis and a Buick Lesabre, both very comfortable and nice riding cars. The Taurus is very beautiful inside and out. It is a pleasure just being in it. I find the Taurus to be fun to drive, comfortable, quiet, and powerful. Controls are logically positioned and easy to use. Handling and performance are impressive. Seats are comfortable. Personally I like this base models cloth seats, as theres no need for heating or cooling the seats. But at the dealership I did sit in the models that had leather and they were really nice too. Gas mileage is a little less than what I got in the Lesabre with its 3.6L V6. But really there is nothing I do not like about this car. I love it. I enjoy driving it. It is definitely the best car Ive ever owned.

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  Fantastic small vehicle - 2015 Ford Focus
  By tomkat - October 28 - 11:25 am

  I have owned a 2015 Focus Titanium sedan for about 2 months now and have about 5000 miles on it. I bought it new and it has been great. I average 38 mpg with mostly highway and country driving. This car is quiet and comfortable for a small car. The transmission works like it should with precise shifts and smooth operation. Every control and feature of the car has been engineered and thought through on a high level. I only wish there was the home link feature on the visor to program a garage door opener. I am a happy camper with this car.