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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  5.4L in my truck - 2007 Ford F-150
  By Parker - February 23 - 5:23 pm

  Great truck, excellent ride, comfortable, good looking. Love those who complain about acceleration and gas mileage. Its a truck - a big truck!!! If you want acceleration get a Porsche. If you want gas mileage get a Honda Civic. You have an 1,800 lb payload, 10,000 lb towing capacity vehicle. Yep, youre right, not going to win the drag race

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  Quality and worth the money - 2007 Ford Escape
  By Phil - February 23 - 2:17 pm

  I talked my wife into buying the Escape XLS 4x4. We felt it the car would be nice as a future family car. My parents own 2002 Ford Escape XLS and have been quite pleased. So far, its been a dream driving, performing well in snow, wind and sleet. Great purchase below $20K, we even able to talk the saleswoman into installing fog lights at no additional charge. This vehicle will perform great anywhere in the country.

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  Not bad for the price. - 2007 Ford Ranger
  By Ben - February 23 - 12:27 pm

  I got the 2 door SuperCab XL about three months ago. The Ranger is really not that bad a truck for the price. My biggest complaint would be that something has come loose between the headliner and the trim on the right side of the truck, and it makes a buzzing sound right in my left ear. Im gonna have the dealership take a look at this. I think the interior could use some more attention to detail, too. This truck has SEVEN different intermittent settings for the windshield wipers, but has exposed bolts holding the radio/fan control console onto the dash. Do we really need seven different wiper speeds? That aside, the truck really runs well and the gas mileage is great.

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  Watch for Defects - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By Not Satisfied - February 23 - 10:37 am

  Ford came up with an awesome design but they dont have the reliability to support it. I loved my Freestyle initially but after struggling with a number of issues including the door locks (finally fixed under recall), my heated seat going out (no longer under warranty - they wanted $500 to fix it), transmission problems (surging that would not go away and Ford service could never find on the computer) and leaking front seals I finally traded it off for a Buick. I took a beating financially but the transmission was a real concern so I wanted to get rid of it before I had to do major repair work. Bottom line? Great car but I think I got one of the lemons. Not worth $30K!

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  My toy - 1990 Ford Mustang
  By Gene - February 22 - 8:27 pm

  Bought new and kept that way with less than 35,000 miles on Jan 1 2007. Expect to maintain new status at least 15 more years. Driven by a now age- challenged man, never wrecked nor even scratched. Style lines very much reminiscent of 66 / 67 Mustang. Elegant and functional. Next outing Easter, then the July 4 parade (as usual). I fight off the offers for the car. After all its not broken in good - yet. All its original parts still produce the Mustang sound. They hear me coming!

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  Mechanical design flaws - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By Norma - February 22 - 7:52 pm

  There are design flaws in the oil pump that cause engine failure and the transmission is weak. Both had to be replaced BEFORE 100K miles.

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  Nice Crossover - 2007 Ford Freestyle
  By whitesnow - February 22 - 4:58 pm

  My wife and I planned to buy a SUV since our small Corolla did not work. We went to the nearby Ford dealer. Tested Escape first, then Explorer, at last Freestyle. Escape is kind of noisy, Explorer is perfect at that aspect, however, it is kind of big for my wife. Freestyle is just perfect. It is also quiet, although it is not as good as Explorer. It is easy to drive this Crossover.

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  Hurts my Butt - 2016 Ford Explorer
  By Ole Chief - February 22 - 1:29 pm

  Love the vehicle overall. Traded in a 2008 Toyota Highlander Limited. Wanted a new Toyota but could not get one configured the way I wanted it. Wanted Limited without moon roof, AWD or the extras they automatically put on all vehicles like mats and paint protection, etc.. I was able to configure the Explorer the way i wanted it and place an order. Owners manual can be frustrating trying to determine what features actually relate to the vehicle you have. It will list a feature with a note saying "if equipped" but the documentation you have on the vehicle you bought as well as the description on what features you have as listed in the Explorer brochure still dont give you a clue. You are forced to go to the vehicle and try to do or operate the feature and if it happens or not gives you the answer. Touch screen gets finger prints all over it very quickly and trying to look at screen and various controls while driving to change or select something can be very distracting and dangerous. If we think texting and driving can be dangerous just wait for more drivers using features like this vehicle has. The situation is exacerbated when drivers have not read the manual and have a reasonable understanding of the controls and try to do something while driving by just trying different things until they get the results they want, give up or run off the road or worse. Wish that the tailgate window would open separately from the lift gate itself. Many times I want to put things in the back like when Im grocery shopping and want to lean them back against the tailgate. Cant do it on this vehicle. Have to place things carefully so they dont fall out when you open the lift gate to unload things. The absolute MOST DISAPPOINTING FEATURE for me is the front seat seats. The Explorer Limited has contoured seats with raised side bolsters that appear to be sized for someone quite smaller than me. Im not at all large. After driving for about 15-20 minutes the seat pressure on my right hip causes my sciatic nerve to hurt and Im very uncomfortable. My wife has also commented over how extra firm her seat feels. Not real comfortable for driving any distance. My Highlander Limited seats did not have this problem. I noticed that Ford Edge owners have complained about the seat configuration in those vehicles as well. Had I driven the Explorer for 30 minutes before buying it I would not have purchased it and probably bought a Toyota even though it had things I didnt want on it. Ill be web surfing for solutions to the problem and might even consider going to an automotive upholstery business to reconfigure my seat. Will also try to contact Ford for possible solutions. Might be just me, but that is why different people purchase different vehicles. Have not had a real chance to form an opinion on all of the vehicles features and thus the neutral rating given on many of them. Im still optimistic about my future with this vehicle and hope for the best.

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  Great little SUV - 2005 Ford Escape
  By me - February 22 - 11:37 am

  I have owned my Escape AWD for a year and a half now, and I have been impressed with the vehicle. It is fun to drive, and the interior is roomy enough for my family of four. I have a little over 50,000 miles on it, and I havent had to replace or repair anything. It handles great on the icy Idaho roads in the winter, and my wife feels safe driving it. That being said, gas mileage leaves something to be desired. I only average 17mpg with the Escape, while I average 14mpg with my much larger Duramax truck. The fuel tank is also too small.

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  Not bad - 1999 Ford Crown Victoria
  By gman1 - February 22 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my crown vic for about 6 years now and it is a nice comfortable car to drive. I have never gotten the mileage some are boasting about here, I do about 50/50 city highway never any traffic at 4 am when I go to work. During the summer months I get about 250 miles to a full tank of gas. If I do all highway it might get 300 miles/tank. If I were to do it again I would opt for a newer model with the rack and pinion steering because the antiquated system on these cars wear out parts quickly (ball joints, tie rods, etc.) Ive gone through 2 sets of brakes since Ive bought it so no complaints there. It has decent power but is no mustang. Had to change the manifold and the coils, big $