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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  Loving my car - 2003 Ford Thunderbird
  By computerlen - January 25 - 3:38 pm

  I own a red 03. I absolutely love it! I bought it back in March and only drove it until September when I placed it into storage. I have wanted one since I first saw a used 2002 yellow t-bird at a Ford dealership. I fell in love with it. No other car in my life has excited me-period. I am 66 years old but feel like a teenager when I am driving it. I get looks from many people including children. I did not expect any of this. I just liked the style of the car. One driver on the road called out to me with his thumb up. Another was stopped by the police for speeding but called out to me and said "nice car". I honestly would not sell this car for $10,000 more than what I paid for it.

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  2013 Ford Edge SEL - 2013 Ford Edge
  By beloff - January 23 - 2:00 pm

  A loaded SEL was the best bang for the buck and allowed for easy customizing. Not a fan of Fords attempt at Chrome and Blacked out elements as upgrades, The SEL had all the safety features I needed.

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  2014 Ford Taurus SEL rocks! - 2014 Ford Taurus
  By shalabylaw - January 22 - 11:51 pm

  Simply the best, quietest, most comfortable car ever!

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  Best car I ever owned! - 2003 Ford Mustang
  By leadfoot62 - January 21 - 6:32 am

  I have a modified 2003 Mustang GT w/ a 5 speed. She handles great, has plenty of power, looks great, has plenty of interior space and headroom. She is a blast to drive. Love this car!

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  Reliable and sensible - 2007 Ford Focus
  By northbay525 - January 20 - 7:04 pm

  The 2007 Ford Focus zx4 s pzev is a great buy. I had been driving around rental cars for 3 months prior to purchasing this car and id take it over any of those brand new rentals. Clutch feels awesome on this vehicle. Plus its manual everything!locks, windows, everything and none of those stupid touch buttons. Anything automatic on a car brakes eventually. I commute 2 hours a day and last leg of commute is up a mountain, it runs up it like nothing. brand new chevy cruze and sonic dont run up the mountain like the focus. Also tall head space, a 6 foot man wont smack his head on the ceiling coming in and out unlike Japanese imports. Only Con is the seats, not comfortable at all

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  Favorite Car Ive Owned - 2004 Ford Mustang
  By automaniac9 - January 19 - 3:16 pm

  Bought this car with 104,000 miles on it, and wow, good car for the money. It might seem like thats high mileage, but I bought it with an extended warrenty. I bought it with many performance upgrades, and I have to say it helps this car with its performance and personality. I drove a stock 01 GT, and it felt a bit boring. The interior leaves something to be desired, but its simple and has no extra fluff you dont need. All in all, it is a good all rounder that now a days is a good used alternantive to a brand new one.

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  Very Reliable, Very Forgiving, and Very Good MPG - 2000 Ford Focus
  By fusioncell - January 19 - 6:44 am

  159k miles now. 37Mpg hwy . Replaced coil pack, brakes, and thermostat housing were the only normal maintenance items. The sporty look and functionality of the ZX3 Hatchback still makes me happy. After 10 years of owning the 1st year made Focus, our daughter ran off the road through a ditch and cut down a few small trees with this car. She was unhurt, the Focus was bent but not broken beyond repair. A motor mount, a tie rod, a tire, and some exhaust rebending put her back in good balance. Yes, and some body work on the rear quarter... but that was the only real big expense. Everything was repairable by the weekend warrior skills of good neighbors. Great car !

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  First Pick-up, cant go wrong - 2001 Ford F-150
  By adamriddle79 - January 18 - 2:59 pm

  I have a 2001 F-150 4.2L 6-cyl. My dad bought it in 2002 with about 15,000 miles on it. He ran it for 12 years loaded with all of his work equipment, which was a pretty heavy load. When I got it about 2 months ago it had 285,000 miles on it. As of now it has almost 289,000 miles on it and Im confident I can get it to 350,000 miles easy. Original engine and tranny. The only things that have been replaced is the rotors, oil pump, drive shaft, and basic maintenance. Last month I ran it into a guide rail and other than a broken headlight and a bent bumper it was fine. I rely on this truck to get me to work and college on a daily basis. Very sturdy and reliable.

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  Terrible MPG, Bad Interior Design - 2013 Ford Escape
  By roadkingmi - January 18 - 9:53 am

  We have owned our Escape for 1 year and 13,000 miles, and it has been very disappointing. We bought the car because it was great looking with great "advertised" gas mileage... and have been disappointed ever since! The gas Mileage is not even close to advertised, more like 18-20 city, 24-26 hwy (on 2400 mile trip with cruise control) and 21=22 avg. The interior design is at first comfortable, until you realize that other than a coffee mug there is no place to put any thing except the very narrow and deep center console storage (once down there forget about finding it again) also all the electronic plug ins are in there under the arm rest very inconvenient

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  After 25,000 miles - 2013 Ford Focus
  By cbrandi - January 17 - 3:15 pm

  We still love this car. It gives us 40mpg on the highway when wife drives it. I get a little less. Weve had no problems with the car, though we dont like the AM transmission, its rubbery and always wants to be in top gear to save gas. As a result it tends to slow accretion. We also note that the air coming out of the vents in summer is warm unless we have AC on. No other complaints. Solid and reliable, fun to drive and comfortable on trips. The hatch back holds an amazing amount of stuff for such a small car. Weve toyed with getting the ST.