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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  AWESOME!! - 2014 Ford Taurus
  By cdeavers - May 4 - 12:16 pm

  Traded in my 09 Buick Enclave for this. As everyone knows, nothing rides like a Buick. I can finally see everything at a 4 way stop. This car has everything for music lovers! My USB port is loaded with over 800 songs. Personalized pictures etc. the technology here is amazing!! Nice highway ride, not as nice as the Buick but I doubled my gas mileage!! Seats are comfortable, handles excellent. Red exterior, Sand interior. What a head turner! Navigation is a little weird but I just send directions to my car from Mapquest. You can somewhat even customize your dashboard and even ask for gas prices and it will come up on your screen!

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  Wont go past 100,000 miles - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By johcar - May 3 - 10:13 am

  Nice enough vehicle except access to the back seat in the 2 door model is close to zero since the drivers seat only moves forward/back 2". Ill never have a two door SUV again. With only 80,000 miles on it, the timing chain(s) are making noise. Apparently it was a recall issue that previous owners never took care of. It is expected to go out at 100K or so. Repair bill is $3200.00. Ford should honor this recall even though its ten years old. I feel like I got screwed here, and I was happy with two previous Rangers, -a 98 and 01.

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  Frustrated that certain things are hard to get to, but! - 2003 Ford F-150
  By smoo4asw - May 2 - 8:19 pm

  The but is when you fix all the issues that were piling up it sits there and is about to stand up and tap dance for you-and on regular gas if you can choose a standard, non-supercharged V8 (if you must have the most power, you have to spend more money.) Turns out after doing routine maintenance and tightening the suddenly very loose air intake mechanism together its back happy and as long as that is the case, the idiot light should go off once we reset it-could finally tell that we had a vacuum leak but couldnt tell where it was coming from, and the spark plugs had never been replaced. Its running like a top now, in every way. Were stuck with it now.

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  Fun to drive, comfortable and quiet - 2014 Ford Focus
  By mdspurbe - May 2 - 6:09 pm

  We have about 1300 miles on my new Focus Titanium Hatchback, black. We purchased the special handling package. I love how the car drives, suspension is solid but comfortable, steering is tight and responsive. Its not a race car or the ST for that matter, but it has a sporty, peppy performance and gets incredible gas mileage. We have a van and use this car to commute to work, run errands, etc.. did I mention - gas mileage is amazing! The car is quiet, comfortable and has all the bells and whistles. I would not hesitate to take it on a long trip. As a rule I am not a fan of compact cars but this one has me sold - Its a fun car and my wife and I both look forward to driving it!

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  Great SUV - 2013 Ford Edge
  By daniel456 - May 1 - 5:33 pm

  Ive had my 2013 Ford Edge since June 2013. Ive traveled from Ohio to South Carolina 4 times to see my granddaughter, daughter and son in law. I couldnt be happier with the comfortable ride. The My Touch does take a little bit of time to get use to, but I have not had any problems. I would recommend going to the Ford website and watch the tutorials, There are also nice YouTube videos. I highly recommend this vehicle.

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  Rolling disaster - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By grayling - May 1 - 1:24 am

  Everything on this car breaks or is a "software problem" that Ford admits there is a problem but they dont have the fix for. Transmissons lights are on, does not detect the key, the My Ford Touch system is a joke and a waste of money. They havent been able to repair it for 4 years and now they are going to another software provider. Bluetooth sound quality is horrible and I travel a lot for work and drive a lot of different cars. Drive a GM if you want a reliable car with a simple bluetooth system that is crystal clear. This is my 3rd Ford and my last, their quality has gone down hill and they have no interest in improving it.

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  What a disappointment - 2012 Ford Fusion
  By gimmeabrk - April 29 - 4:33 pm

  I recently purchased a CPO 2012 Ford Fusion SEL with the 3.0L V6 FWD and the piece of crap gets 14 to 14.5 mpg in the city. Ive taken it to two dealerships and theyve told me that I need to drive it like grandma in order to get better mileage. Believe me I am NOT driving aggressively - I wouldnt be able to afford it! Im taking off from a light so slowly that people behind me are getting angry with me. The EPA estimates for this car (FWD) are 20 City and 27 Hwy with 23 combined. One dealership ran a computerized mpg test and got 20.5 mpg combined Hwy and City driving. So by Fords own admission, even when you drive the car like grandma, you dont get the EPA estimated averages.

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  Great Truck - 2001 Ford Expedition
  By tom431 - April 29 - 2:51 pm

  The menu did not allow you to select 5.4 l. I purchased with 21k miles and have loved this for over the road trips. I pulled an 8500 lb boat from Wash DC to Key West no problem. At 110k I replaced plugs and three coils not sweat. I did have to have the ball joints and universal replaced at around 100k. She still runs great. Recently got 17 mpg on a trip from Pittsburg Pa to Panama City fl 70+ mph. It now has 153k miles and I have no intention of ever getting rid of it. Have run synthetic oil since purchase and have the transmission serviced on a 40k schedule. Lucas transmission additive makes it shift smooth. Lucas fuel additive keeps the injectors clean.

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  198K miles, still going - did I get lucky? - 2002 Ford Taurus
  By newvegasnerd - April 29 - 12:19 pm

  I inherited the family car as my first car, and I couldnt have asked for more out of it. It has gotten me from point A to point B 20 miles and back everyday for almost two years now, and it is showing no sign of slowing down. All the meat and potatoes of this car are original, engine, tranny, etc. Nothing big has ever been replaced. It is a heavy car it absorbs the road well. Not a very good snow car - it is a heavy sedan without anything stellar to help it out in the snow/ice. Excessive road salt has started to rot out underneath the doors and the wheel wells - no stopping that. All in all if you can find one of these used cheap with somewhat low mileage, it makes a perfect first car.

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  2L Titanium, but choice isnt listed - 2014 Ford Escape
  By rob204 - April 27 - 11:56 pm

  In August, 2013, I purchased my 2014 2L FWD Titanium model. Aside from the bad work from Brandon Ford, where I purchased it AND Ford refusing to honor my $1,200 warranty for a shattered panoramic glass which took 3wks to repair, and the air leak its been almost flawless. Ive waited for months for the dealer to return my calls and for Ford to do the right thing, so hey, Im going to talk about it. The good part is, I like the vehicle with little exception. It isnt as smooth as my Explorer AWD was, but steering feel from the D/S is excellent and driving exp. is great. Economy has gone UP! Started around 22mpg avg and has gone to nearly 25mpg avg. 8.1k on the odometer.