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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  Wish I had known..... - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By Freddy Ford - August 5 - 1:13 pm

  I have to say I really like this car, it drives great. Recently it was in for a service and some recall items to be taken care of, nothing major, the dealer gave me a 2014 Fusion with the 2.0L ecoboost engine, oh man let me tell you this engine runs strong compared to the 2.5L I have. If I had known it was available in the SE model I would have defiantly bought it. If you are going to get one of these good looking cars, get it with the 2.0L it is so smooth and powerful, you will regret it if you dont. Go drive both and youll see what I am talking about.

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  Great car but for your butt - 2015 Ford Edge
  By Al - August 1 - 7:01 pm

  My new Edge has the ecoboost 4cyl with trailer package. My experience is that it does everything well EXCEPT FOR...... (see below). It provides a comfortable confidence inspiring ride. The interior is well done. Road noise, rattles etc. are negligible. Fit and finish is good. It tows very well. Gas milage is very good 14mpg towing 3,000 lbs and 23mpg otherwise. EXCEPT FOR ...... The front seats are not comfortable. They appear to be designed for children and Twiggy. I am an average person, 59" 170 lbs, the seat is too narrow for me. Someone got carried away trying to put a racing type car seat in this model. The seat bolsters on the side of the seat are too pronounced without adequate room in-between. The result is that there is not adequate room for you butt. The side bolsters squeezes your bum together just like a pair of too small shoes squeezes your toes together. My front seat passengers have also complained of this condition. As I like this car, I will take it to an automotive upholstery shop and have the seats redesigned. I wish the dealt steering wheel would be more adjustable - - my wifes Dodge Caravan adjusts wonderfully. Butt I dont think I can swap that out :-)

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  Great SUV with a few issues so far. - 2009 Ford Explorer
  By Ed - July 25 - 3:17 pm

  Got the got Explorer brand new, Only issue i had was that rear axles lock up around 69K, had to replaced cost around $5k. Road noise is also bad, getting wind noise from the driver side window.

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  I <3 my ford expl. but too many problems now :( - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By Norma - July 23 - 8:20 pm

  i bought my ford explorer 2003... 9 years ago.... now had 170.000 miles on it!!! never never have any problems until now!!! i rebuilt my transmission on march 2015 and was fine ..i tough that was the end of the problem ..but not.... now in July my car would not accelerate it will turn on beautiful no noise or nothing!! i took it to the mechanic and he told me is not worth fixing my truck!!!!!! i need to change the motor and it will cost a lot of money and probably will break again.. i definitely will recommend Ford explorer!! i almost forgot i did had a accident in 2007 the whole right front was damage but likely the fixed just fine because not problems at all. And in 2012 i almost have another accident in the expressway but thanks to my fast reaction and how good my truck answer to my driving and the brakes responded was absolutely incredible... very reliable car!!!!

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  Fantastic Car - Until the Front Gets Hit - 2014 Ford Fiesta
  By SpeedyCarLover - July 22 - 7:38 pm

  Moral of the story - It only takes a bit of force in the front end of this car to total it, but it is a fantastic car before that! Just look at the crash test scores for the 2015 compared to the 2014 (didnt require the more in depth tests) on cars.com: "Front, Restraints and dummy kinematics - Poor," "Front, Structure and safety cage - Marginal," "Front, Overall evaluation - Marginal." If that doesnt scare you, then best of luck to you and may you never get in an accident because once you do your car is as good as totaled! Ford should focus on durability because the rest of what they did with this car was great. What I loved about my fiesta: Great handling, Smooth acceleration, Little road noise, Fantastic suspension, Nice entertainment system, Good vehicle feedback (tire sensors etc.), Amazing fuel economy (33-37 year round), and I am very sad to see the car go over such a minor incident! If you love yours be super careful with it!

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  New Pony is a real treat - 2015 Ford Mustang
  By Robert - July 22 - 3:01 pm

  So I loved it from the beginning, but then I’m from Europe and would prefer a slim, elegant vehicle over a box on wheels, especially one that looks this great and has a powerful engine with manual transmission at a price that only gets me a third of an equally powered Mercedes-Benz AMG of BMW M series. Some people may decry the morphing of the new Mustang look from retro Americana to sleek James Bond, but I think it remains the icon, only with a style and driving dynamics that finally caught up to discerning global tastes at a value proposition that’s simply unbeatable. How the folks at Ford can give us this much power at $40k, I don’t know. While its appeal should be global, the car still attracts traditional muscle car enthusiasts. Random guys on motorbikes and other sporty vehicles have shadowed me lately and some drove alongside the Mustang to check it out, to then accelerate and pass with a thumbs-up. By far the most impressive part is the handling, my Recaro seats hold me tightly when cornering, and the Pirellis push the dangers beyond my own driver limits. Acceleration is smooth and seems to redline way too early, a beautiful transmission is a pleasure to shift, the responsive steering has three settings from comfort to normal to sports mode, and the sound of the 8cyl is aggressive enough to make me smile every time I push the start button. Only thing I regret is getting the performance package. It requires a much smoother surface than Michigan roads can provide.

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  Im Still Happy - 2012 Ford Focus
  By Jim - July 20 - 7:10 am

  First off, let me say that this car has a dual-clutch PowerShift Transmission. Its not an automatic transmission where you have a torque convertor and you simply step on the gas and go. You have to learn to drive this car with your right foot. Its not rocket science, and keeping the car in the right RPM range for the task at hand is pretty simple. I cant help but think that a lot of the folks who have problems with the way it drives have 2 skills: Stomp on the gas or stomp on the brakes. After 42,000 miles the car drives just fine, and with a little right foot control can be a lot of fun to drive. Im getting 30 MPG in mixed driving, and other than oil changes and keeping the tires inflated to the proper pressure ( the original tires are still in good shape at this juncture) have had zero problems with the car. I like the interior, I like the way the car looks, and I like the way it drives. Guess Im just lucky.

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  love my Edge but - 2015 Ford Edge
  By Ken Dara - July 18 - 5:02 pm

  I have owed 3 Edges so I guess I like them, but Ford never gets these 4 things right. 1. The front door handles are to far to the front and hard to pull close. 2. No protection on the rear bumper top so the paint gets chipped taking things in and out. 3. The area under the console to store things is waste, you can not see what is under there, you have to feel around, dumb. 4. Gear shift is to close to the dash board and in park hard to get to the bottom controls. These things may be small but I find them annoying.

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  Why I Switched from Audi to the New F-150 - 2015 Ford F-150
  By William Biggs - July 18 - 9:38 am

  This truck is great. I recently left my 2013 Audi A6 because I was tired of the endless issues with their German technology. I loved that car, but if one thing had an issue . . . the entire car seemed to have an issue. The new F-150 accelerates like a best, has great comfort and convenience items, and feels safer driving in Southern California. The gas mileage is a little misleading. I have to make a concerted effort to stay above 15mpg in the city, but I didnt buy this truck for fuel economy. My engine is the 3.5 ecoboost and I am pretty sure the 2.7 with auto off/on lives up to the mpg hype. I think my favorite thing so far is the ease of the touchscreen SYNC system. I am a big fan of it. I dont like the on-line features though, because it often times requires calling an operator as opposed to just asking for and receiving results. Overall, if you want a new truck that has the comfort of a car, the mpg of a medium to light suv, and the power of a truck . . . I suggest the new F-150. Be aware that there may be some sticker shock, though.

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  Overall great truck, some not-so-great points.. - 2015 Ford F-150
  By Donovan Moser - July 16 - 5:30 pm

  Just to be clear - I think it is a great truck - XLT supercrew with 5.0 2wd, 6.5 bed. Maybe i would not notice some things but I am coming out of a 2013 that is pretty much exactly the same truck configuration. Ride is rougher, air conditioning seems a little less efficient - The vent arrangement seems a little less controllable as to direction and circulation. Fuel economy - contrary to reports, seems to be averaging right on 15 MPG calculated and on the trip computer, where as the previous truck was averaging 16.7 in the same driving conditions. Side mirrors seem to be a little smaller horizontally.