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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  It always gets the job done and then some. - 1996 Ford F-250
  By lenan - October 2 - 12:30 pm

  Over the last 160k miles this truck has been excellent. The 7.3L Power Stroke really is an amazing engine. Its got an incredible amount of torque on tap weve never had a single issue with it. Im confident that I could tow or haul just about anything with this truck. Youve also got to love that classic styling. Id be lying if I said there havent been a few fairly expensive repairs, but almost all of the major components still run like the day it was driven off the lot. Its spent its entire life in Colorado so its seen plenty of (sometimes very deep) snow, which its handled excellently. They dont use salt on the roads in most of the state, so theres surprisingly little rust.

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  Ford Focus Titanium - 2012 Ford Focus
  By racerrich - October 1 - 9:14 am

  Had a 10 Focus and the engine noise was unreal so the salesperson lied through his teeth and said the new 12 fixed the problem. The engine noise is to the point on the I.S. you can not hear the radio without blasting it. The handling Pkg. 18" wheels has you riding as if you were on a Go-Cart! Jerky trans. dealer said thats normal! Gas mileage what a joke unless less you drive 55. Other than that great styling and fun to drive, but its my last Ford & Ive driven them since H.S. and im 72. Was going to get a Fuson but my buddy said it was JUNK and in the garage 13 times..[non-permissible content removed]

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  2013 Limited with 2.0L ecoboost - 2013 Ford Edge
  By tclaude - September 30 - 10:47 am

  I have now put my first 1000 miles on my new 2013 limited with ecoboost. Overall I am very happy with the nice ride and performance of the car. I do agree that the Ford entertainment system needs improvement. I did just upgrade the software and noticed a few improvements. The Sony Navigation system is just plain Pain full to use. The 2.0 liter turbo is amazingly quick when you have to punch it. I have a friend with the 2013 V6 in his edge and the turbo seems a lot quicker. Down sides I found were road noise from the trunk area. At 60 mph it is terrible. I had to line the truck under the tire with 1" marine sound proofing. Also the Michelin green tires are very noisy at highway speed.

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  skip this car - 2013 Ford Focus
  By regy65 - September 30 - 8:21 am

  company car and no one want to drive it. terrible in rain, transmission jumps, front end sounds like fall apart ect....

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  My 2010 Explorer - 2010 Ford Explorer
  By bobbyabby - September 29 - 10:52 am

  My 2010 Explorer XLT has been awesome! I do not put a lot of miles on a vehicle (have 36,000 after 3 years) but I have only had to replace the battery & tires. I will say the Goodyear tires that came on the Explorer was almost bald after 35,000 miles- I was disappointed in the tires but replaced them with Michelin Tour brand and it rides even better, smooth as silk now. Leather seats & great lumbar support-excellent! Other than these issues the vehicle has no rattles and looks like new. The paint, body quality, interior, brakes etc. are excellent quality and I am more than happy. I plan to keep this one for 10 to 12 years total and have no doubt it will make it.

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  So far pleasantly surprised! - 2013 Ford Focus
  By 2013ap3 - September 29 - 2:18 am

  2013 Focus Titanium Hatchback 5MT. MPG has been good with a high of 33.7 and a low of 31.3 after 1500 miles and 5 weeks of ownership. I have proformance suspension with 18 in wheels. Handles wonderfully on dry or wet roads here in FL. I enjoy all the tech extras, I traded in a 2003 Honda Pilot with 170K miles. Still learning to use MyFord Touch with SYNC efficiently.

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  Worst Car Ever - 2001 Ford Focus
  By marigoldsb - September 26 - 10:15 pm

  I bought this car in 2002. It had 10,000 miles on it. It now has 220,000. Ive had nothing but problems. It was recalled several times. I had many problems with the fuel pump when I first got the car. I replaced the EGR valve sensor 4 or 5 times. The turn signal will not turn off by itself. I had this fixed once, but it broke again. The passenger side window has broken twice. The passenger side seat will not recline. The radio randomly turns off. Ive replaced tires, rotors, brakes and shocks multiple times. The ignition recently just broke and had to be replaced. Sometimes the front doors will not open from the outside so I have to climb in through the back. Wheel bearing broke 4 times.

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  Very Happy With Purchase - 2013 Ford F-150
  By rjd707 - September 24 - 9:38 pm

  Love my truck! I just got a 2013 XLT 5.0 V8 and love driving it. I test drove all the other trucks in this class and to me, the F150 felt the most solid and drove the best. Even the RAM, which seems to be the reviewers car of the month that they are gushing over didnt come close to having that commanding feeling that I got in the 150. Silverado didnt come close. Toyota tundra would have been my second choice, as it was a couple grand cheaper. I wanted eco boost, but went with the V8. Have friend who bought eco boost and the turbo shut down in damp weather on the expressway..seems to be an issue that government is finally looking into....a lot of complaints about it. Still love the 8

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  Problems with snycmyride but its working now - 2011 Ford Edge
  By bowlingroach - September 24 - 4:21 pm

  Ive had the Edge for two years. I have yet to get 27 mpg on the highway BUT it seems the gas mileage gets better all the time. It started (using what the vehicles posting) at 18 mpg and it is up to 21.4 mpg with mostly city driving. I had an issue with the syncmyride - my dealership manager worked with me to make sure it was corrected - I had to get another phone before it worked correctly BUT then after the computer was updated that phone did not work! Then Ford said to look at the list of phones that were compatible with the car. And lo and behold after I bought the compatible phone it has been smooth sailing every since. My phones were all basic phones so the costs were minimal.

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  Worst focus ive owned out of the 4 - 2010 Ford Focus
  By yankees102110 - September 23 - 10:19 pm

  Bought the focus ses in June of 2011 with 18k on it, I traded it in in April 2013 with 45k on it. In the 22 months and 27,000 miles i owned it i went through 3 sets of tires, 2 axles, 2 wheel bearings, abs control module that cost me almost 2000, 2 sets of front rotors, the driver side door handle broke, the locks in the car stopped working, and the sync would not work half the time. This all happened around the time the warranty ran out and just to be clear Ive always been very easy on my cars. This was my fourth focus Ive owned, 2 01s, an 05, and this one. I traded this one in for a 2013 corolla, I test drove the new focus and could not stand the way the transmission felt.