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:

• 

  Great Little Car - 1997 Ford Escort
  By Rachel - June 11 - 1:33 pm

  This little car has been great! It was my mothers car and now mine and weve pretty much run it until it could go no more. Ill be replacing it soon, but its been super reliable. The only problems Ive had have been recent...once it was over 110,000 miles!

• 

  Our Ford - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By Scotty - June 11 - 11:33 am

  Bought to replace a 97 Buick Regal GS. Not near the HP of the supercharged Buick, but enough for our needs. Interior is great, more than enough room. Seats are comfortable on long trips, tall seating position is great, better than the Buick. Car does not stand out on exterior styling, certainly not a Chrysler 300. Our daughter says it is a car we can grow old with. She says it is a geezer car (she drives a Mustang). CVT was a little odd at first, but we got used to it. AWD drive is great on nasty roads. When it is bad we can actually take the direct route home up a hill without going out of the way for a flatter path.

• 

  Great Car - 2007 Ford Fusion
  By Otaku - June 11 - 6:20 am

  This is my first new car, purchased for college and expecting 15k a year. So far Im impressed with the car - its comfy with a nice ride and its quiet. Its practical with lots of room for people and things but also fun to drive thanks to the great handling. I purchased the awd model due to where I live - we get snow; in fact the day I bought it I drove home in snow very confidently, car has lots of grip. Only things I can think of needing to be addressed are build quality (just a bit) fuel economy could be better I think and the engine could be better which I hear is on the way (but even that engine now used in the MKZ isnt so great). Mine was loaded except for navigation system. I paid $24,000.

• 

  awd Escape - 2006 Ford Escape
  By escape06 - June 10 - 9:56 pm

  Love this vehicle, it handles excellent in eight inches of snow. Provides plenty get up and go and with 15,000 miles it has had no mechanical problems.

• 

  Great little car - 2001 Ford Focus
  By amanda - June 10 - 9:18 pm

  Hasnt let me down yet. Fun to drive. Dependable car, comfortable and gets very good gas mileage. Mine has 98,000 miles on it and handles just as well as it did when I bought it 50,000 miles ago. The e-brake cable snapping is the worst that has happened with this car. Of course, it being a standard transmission I use the e-brake every time I park it. Having had 2 collisions with this car (1 my fault, 1 due to lots of slush and ice) I can attest that all the safety features in this car work excellent-as intended. In my opinion Ford Motor Co. built a very good vehicle.

• 

  My Festiva Caught H - 1990 Ford Festiva
  By FestivaFan4Life - June 10 - 8:32 pm

  Purchased at 120K, paid $1500. Drove 30,000 miles in the first year. Replaced tires and alternator and that was all it ever needed. Extremely dependable car. Didnt go in winter weather at all, but overall is a fun car to drive. Also not a powerhouse so is ideal for a young driver.

• 

  PURRR-FLEX - 2009 Ford Flex
  By LaRosa Turner - June 10 - 5:03 pm

  I shopped "til" I dropped looking for "THE" car on the internet. We already have a Explorer, i decieded to check out the Ford official site. I saw this 1950ish looking wagon and click on the interior and fell in love. Went to Chicago car show, saw one! Went to our Ford dearlship, sat behind the wheel, purrrr-fect. Drove it with the pedal to the metal,(and a prayer), purrr-fect. Went home told my husband, he said wait until fall. I didnt speak to him for 1 week. He took me back saw the Flex, didnt like it. Sat in it, purrr-fect! We now own a Flex!

• 

  Wow - 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By timmy - June 10 - 2:46 pm

  This vehicle is just amazing. Averaging 31.5 MPG and I drive 38 miles one way to work, about 25 miles of which is 60 MPH+ highways. I never dreamed I would see this kind of mileage in a 4wd SUV. The ride is very comfortable and smooth even on shoddy michigan roads, but it is not floaty, sloshy, or sluggish like a lot of other SUVs or larger cars can feel. Plenty of power when you step on it - like they advertise it feels like a v-6 when you need it to. I rarely push it though because Im always concious of mileage. Feel lucky to own it despite the cost - see favorite features below. 

• 

  Fusion I4 - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By BillS - June 10 - 12:30 pm

  This car replaced a Dodge Charger SXT 3.5. I read many of these reviews about the great I4 performance and see a few really have the V6. The performance is not good at all, with many up and down shifts during a typical Chicago rush hour commute trying to keep up. With just a choice of D or OD, you cant even help it along. The fronts seats are also pretty hard and even though multi-adjustable, I cant get a good position. The build quality is very good and wish I had the choice of getting the more powerful motor (company provided car). So far, I am not even getting great gas mileage at around 25 mpg for the 1st 2k miles. I have a 3.2 Audi that bests that by 4 mpg & S550 that matches it.

• 

  Taurus troubles - 2004 Ford Taurus
  By rcb - June 10 - 12:20 pm

  Sorry I tried to save a few thousand by buying an American car. After 20 months and 37,000 miles I am faced with replacing the a/c compressor which was used for 1 season only! The cost $750.00+. Very poor quality overall .