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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  What you see is not what you get. - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By jstrand - March 24 - 12:35 pm

  The tranny in this thing sounds like it is going to give out. My car grinds in reverse and in drive. It is especially bad in the morning. I have brought it into the dealership multiple times and each time they tell me this is normal.

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  Ford Fan - 2012 Ford Focus
  By mike1957 - March 23 - 3:24 pm

  I am a Ford fan and will continue to be so, only a little wiser.We leased a 2012 Ford Focus SE with the automatic transmission.The engine is very peppy and accelerates well, as long as the transmission is in synch.The transmission sometimes faulters with the engine RPM going above 7000, not good for the engine.Dealership at first said the car would adjust to our driving, then had it checked/adjusted by their trans "pro",then have said there is nothing wrong.The gas mileage is 3-6 mpg under what I expected. The rear deck foam disintegrated.The trunk leaks during rain.There are rattles in the front suspension area.Car has just passed 40000 miles and we will be turning in car at end of lease

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  2014 Ford Escape 2.0 L turbo - 2014 Ford Escape
  By mt521 - March 23 - 9:27 am

  I have been disappointed with my Escape since I bought it. I currently have 3000 miles on it and have had it for 5 months. I did extensive research and test drives before picking this car over the Rav 4, CRV and Rogue. One of the main reasons I wanted this car was for the 2.0 L Turbo engine. I have had numerous quality issues. The sync system is over complicated and doesnt work properly with my phone. There is wind noise in the door, the locks freeze on the driver side and I cant get in except through the passenger door. The remote stater works only intermittently. The gas mileage is horrible-17 to 19 mpg. It is winter and the engine is barely broken in so it should get better.

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  Great bang for the buck! - 2011 Ford Mustang
  By jimmbbo - March 22 - 11:39 pm

  I drove the Challenger, Camaro and Mustang. The Dodge was a slug, and the Camaro drove well, but felt excessively claustrophobic, and its lines never "sang" to me as did the stang. I was hooked. After 25000 miles in my Sterling Gray 5.0 GT with 6 speed manual I still REALLY enjoy driving it. Every time I get in it after a couple of days away, its like an eager puppy that wants to go out and romp - with 412 HP. Great bang for the buck!

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  Worst Mustang I ever owned - 2013 Ford Mustang
  By jake440 - March 21 - 10:57 pm

  13 Mustang very cheaply made have bad noise in dash bad mileage like 16 -17 highway has only 1800 miles rear back up sening unit bad power is just fair one of the worst cars I ever purchased .the does even sound good this is m,y 4th stang no more

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  good work truck - 2012 Ford F-150
  By ltg48864 - March 19 - 3:29 pm

  bought a 5.0 L V8 (no EcoBoost), basic work truck no extras, drove a chevy for 10 years and it took time to get used to Ford (drives like a truck), have had no problems and used 4x4 many times this winter with no problems, good towing capacity MySync is terrible (i have the base version) i would not buy the extras because it would quickly add cost with little extra enjoyment of the truck

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  A report at 2.5 years and 70K miles - 2012 Ford Focus
  By chris_in_nh - March 19 - 9:38 am

  I am also a bit aggravated by the very negative comments here about Focus reliability and thought Id chime in. I have driven my Focus S 5 speed manual for almost 3 years and more than 70K miles. After dealing early on with two glitchy things (a bad window motor and a bad engine sensor) that were fixed under warranty the car has been absolutely bulletproof. The 2012 was the first year of the new Focus and I put down the two early fixes as teething problems. Again, zero troubles since. The car is truly a joy to drive on twisty roads. If you buy one keep it simple. Get it with the 5-speed stick and without the Synch bells and whistles. You will find you have a poor-mans BMW.

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  Happy so Far - 2014 Ford Escape
  By happy_texas - March 18 - 9:00 pm

  We bought a 2014 Ford Escape SE with leather interior and the 1.6L ecoboost. We have about 1000 miles on it and so far and are happy with our purchase at this point. So far we are averaging about 23.5 MPG in town and 26.5 MPG on the highway. Ford states the break in period is 1000-2000 miles and then you should start noticing your actual gas mileage. I am hoping the HWY MPG does increase to at least 30 MPG as advertised. We have taken a couple of 90 mile trips in the vehicle and was very comfortable to drive

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  2005 FORD EXPLORER XLT - 2005 Ford Explorer
  By jeff279 - March 17 - 7:13 am

  This is one of the best suvs we have ever owned! We have owned it for 4 yrs and no problems at all Only thing we have done is a battery and alt. Starts no matter how cold. Great on snow Alot of room for a xlt. Great value Love the all wheel drive

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  Good commuter/family car - 2008 Ford Focus
  By sirhawkeye - March 16 - 3:53 pm

  I had a 2008, and 2010 and a 2012 Focus thus far (as of this writing), and I think the 2008 and 2010 are the best of them all. Its not the sportiest car out there, and the dash in the 2008-2011 models looks a little dated) but they are reliable, get good gas mileage, and are safe cars (found out in my 2010 unfortunately). Sync is easier to use in this area (2008-11) than in newer version of the Focus. The 2008-2011 is a good move in the right direction for Ford, especially with the previous generations (2000-04 especially) having issues. I had no problems with either the 2008 or 2010, and I put about 40k on both.