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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  Finally, A Winner - 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By singsong - November 8 - 7:47 pm

  Ive stayed away from American branded cars for many years for obvious reasons. Owned a few Hondas between dear wife and me - never been impressed with those either. My latest ride is a Hyundai Santa Fe. Liked it just fine. Now I can boldly say that I love my 2011 Fusion Hybrid! Have had it for a month now and just loving it. The ride is comfortable, quiet with plenty of gadgets and great A/C and no lack of passing power when needed. Test-drove the Sonata Hybrid and was disappointed with all but the looks. Glad I picked the Fusion.

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  Ford Focus 2003 - 2003 Ford Focus
  By zane lommock - November 8 - 3:43 pm

  I have performed only standard maintenance on this auto since purchase. I placed tires on car at 33,000 miles. Car gets excellent mileage on highway and city driving. Only complaint is lack of power from 110 hp engine, adequate but only just.

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  Great Little Truck - 2007 Ford Ranger
  By Joe Pelonio - November 8 - 1:24 pm

  Its been close to a year now and 10,000 miles, with no problems at all. With the 4.0 and automatic I just got 22mpg on a recent trip, regularly getting 16 around town. Thats not bad for as much power as it has. Handles like a truck, not a car, and thats how a truck should handle.

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  One fun truck - 2007 Ford Ranger
  By Ben - November 8 - 7:46 am

  I bought the FX4 because of the rugged look. Its a fun truck to drive but gets horrible gas mileage. Then again what do you expect with 31 tires and 4.10 gears.

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  A really good small sum with excellent awd,mileage - 2016 Ford Escape
  By Frank Carr - November 8 - 5:02 am

  Great suv with superior mileage,and handling. Good acceleration with my 1.6 turbo. The only complaint is that the road noise is not well suppressed and the engine noise under acceleration is not well damped. Obviously not enough sound deadening materials were,used on this car. That is too bad as the vehicle is excellent in all other aspects ! One complaint. When operating in hot dry weather , the breaks have a high pitched squeal when vehicle is slowing to a stop. Dealer found nothing amiss and I am living with it. Interested if any others have this problem.

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  01 Lightning - 2004 Ford F-150
  By jtk - November 8 - 2:00 am

  Great truck except brakes. I drive hard and have been through many brake components. Rotor warpage has been a problem. The engine and entire drive train is great. I just replaced my 01 with an 03.

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  Very Fun Vehicle - 2009 Ford Flex
  By Jon Grant - November 8 - 1:03 am

  Wow! I am so pleased with my new Flex. My family needs a lot of room and seating capacity. Our last vehicle was a 1994 Ford conversion van. We were looking for vehicle with better gas milage. Our van gets 12 mpg around town. We drove a lot of other SUVs and crossovers. They were all the same. I drove the Flex and was immediately impressed with the excellent layout and comfort of the interior. Ford has alot of really cool stuff like SYNC and free Sirius service for 6 months. I was suprised how much seating room the Flex has even in the third row. But the styling of the exterior makes me grin every time I look at it. I cant express how happy I am with my Flex, I highly recomend this vehicle

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  What I needed, but drives like a tank - 2007 Ford Econoline Wagon
  By glennd8601 - November 8 - 12:06 am

  We have 6 kids so this is what my family needed. I have owned this van for 2 full years. It drives like a tank, guzzles gas at an astronomical rate, and is hard to park...it has the turning radius of a Boeing 747. We call it "the ark". That said, it does exactly what I purchased it for---it carries lots of passengers and cargo. It has lots of power and you are sitting up very high, so the view of the road is excellent. THe 2 problems we have had is all 4 headlights and tailights all fogged up with moisture and had to be replaced and also the blinker would not turn off-happened after warranty and blinker assmbly had to be replaced- cost me $320.

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  taurus - 1992 Ford Taurus
  By taurus - November 7 - 8:31 pm

  got the car from my grandmother and had it for a year and took it to a auto shop, they told me i needed inner and outer tie-rod ends cv boots a wheel bearing and struts...the struts were the only thing that shouldve been replaced at that time they said. the tranny felt like it would drop every time i shifted too. also had horrible gas mileage but no reasonable explanation

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  The truck of all trucks! - 2005 Ford F-150
  By Big Nail - November 7 - 7:13 pm

  I traded in my 1999 F250 gasser for this truck and never looked back. This truck is perfect for me inside and out. I love the red exterior with the black interior (Im a Georgia fan, GO DAWGS!).