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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  The Best Car on The Road - 2000 Ford Taurus
  By aw - April 13 - 2:03 pm

  I purchased this car from my father this last year and I love it. It has been taken care of and drives and looks just like it did when it was new. If you are looking for the most bang for your buck the Taurus is the right car for you.

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  Pretty good car but no more Fords 4 me - 2001 Ford Windstar
  By QBOY - April 13 - 10:59 am

  I have always driven American cars except for my 97 Toyota Land Cruiser. I bought my Windstar in 2001 when I had two car seats for the kids. Today, five years on, the car runs fine and has served us well but it simply is not wearing well. We have had no problems mechanically -- everything works but things are aging badly. All door hinges -- especially rear gate -- take too much effort. Transmission is okay but not great. The point of mentioning my 97 Toyota (with 100K on it) is that it feels way more solid and drives better than the van. Granted, the Toy is also worth twice the Ford at this point but Id rather drive a used Toy than a new Ford. So, I doubt that I will ever buy another.

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  Satisfied - 2008 Ford Focus
  By Alabamian - April 13 - 7:56 am

  I drive the 2008 SES, my parents got it for me for high school graduation and I love this car. Im coming from a 96 Cobra SVT and I miss the power but the Focus greatly makes up for it. I love the voice activated items like the phone, mp3, and sync. I also like the mood lighting and awesome sound system with the big bass in the trunk (yes it is stock!) The gas is also great. I drive 60 miles a day to and from work and this car is so comfortable and performs with ease and is surprisingly peppy. Overall I think Ford did an awesome job on this car.

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  Best Car Ever! - 2004 Ford Crown Victoria
  By Ottis Spunkmier - April 13 - 5:53 am

  I bought my LX in May 04 used with 19,000 miles on it for $13,500. It had EVERY option except a moon roof and leather (not a big fan of leather). I took a round trip of the U.S. in it going from Fl. to L.A. to WI. and back home to Fl. 9,000 miles total in 2 weeks only. Car ran perfect, was super comfy, and other cars got out of my way on the interstate. Get Mich Hydro Edege tires, they make this vehile perform flawlessly in any weather condition. Vehile was just totaled out due to a driver of an F-150 running a light. Other than air bag deployment, there was no interior damage. The crush zones work really well. I will most likely be geting another, I miss mine really bad.

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  Nice vehicle...but oh, those seats! - 2016 Ford Explorer
  By paul dekoekkoek - April 13 - 1:50 am

  Full disclosure--Im reviewing based on a week traveling with this as a rental vehicle as sort of an extended test drive before making an expensive purchase! Maybe this wont get published as a result and interpret accordingly. Ive read all the online reviews of the 2016 model, looked at all the specs, compared to several other competing models that Ive researched and test driven, and had some extended seat time before arriving at my conclusions. Disregard required ratings for things that can only be evaluated with months and years of ownership time like reliability, maintenance costs, etc. under the "Reliability" and "Value" categories. Overall, this is a great vehicle and I understand why many people ultimately decide to purchase one. It has the combination of luxury, styling, technology and performance thats hard to beat. The turbo v6 is a treat and I averaged 22-23mpg across over 500 miles of driving 70-75mph. City mileage in true urban/suburban traffic leaves a bit to be desired as I was more in the 12-14mpg range then, though perhaps not appreciably different from the normally aspirated standard v6. I also appreciate the lane-keeping assist (though not always reliable even when lanes clearly painted and favorable conditions for it to work). Most of the electronics and "Sync" were good, though I kept getting a "usb input error" message on screen from one of the charging ports used to charge phones that I dont get anywhere else. Will chalk that up to Microsoft and perhaps the next generation Sync3 on next years model will improve some of these little annoyances. The highway ride is quiet and smooth, with minimal steering adjustments required to keep it tracking straight. I enjoyed driving it and all the electronic parking aids are useful though I didnt try the parallel parking assist. In the interest of keeping this review fairly short, wont go into all the details of everything I checked, but overall found the technology and features in this model to be very good. Its not going in my garage, however, for one simple reason--seat comfort. I plan for this vehicle to be the family roadtrip hauler and this is the fatal flaw for me. I can nitpick a few other items that I wasnt thrilled about, but could learn to live with, but seat comfort is a major problem area for me at least. Even with the Platinums "Nirvana" leather and seemingly infinite amount of adjustment (including massaging seats), I eventually developed significant lower back pain over the course of many consecutive hours behind the wheel. Im not sure if the highly inboard dead pedal placement is part of the equation, but the seat cushions contours felt too narrow and the bottom cushion too short (at 6 1", Im not tall enough to expect that to be an issue) resulting in sciatica symptoms. I tried to wish them away as I really liked the vehicle enough to strongly consider buying one. Could just be the way it fits me, though Im apparently not alone given what Ive read here and elsewhere. For reference, both the Dodge Durango and Toyota Highlander (the latter with its inflatable front seat edge extender for more thigh support) feel much more comfortable to me. There may be other vehicles in this class with even better seat comfort, though I have ruled them out for other reasons. My recommendation--try to get some extended seat time to confirm long-haul comfort if traveling on long trips is part of the intended use. Such a nice vehicle, though it wont work for me.

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  this is my fantastic voyage - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By S.J. Carey - April 12 - 11:30 pm

  My wife went from Independence Missouri to Saint Louis Missouri and had a 1/4 tank left.That is a 8 hour drive. Because it does not come with side airbags we thought it would be unsafe and were looking at a 2007 Honda Accord.The 2007 Accord gets 4 stars crash test rating with side steel beams and airbags. My 2006 Ford 500 with NO airbags gets 5 stars. Consumers Reports has it as a recommended buy and me and my family agrees. If you want a sedan that is comfortable with an incredible amount of trunk space that gets good gas mileage this is the car for you.

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  Great Truck! - 2004 Ford Excursion
  By txaggie - April 12 - 10:56 pm

  I love this Excursion, but with gas prices so high, I dont love paying $100 to fill it up. It is great for hauling a lot of kids and cargo. The versatility of folding down the seats is really nice.

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  Nailed It - 2008 Ford Edge
  By Dave Hendershot - April 12 - 9:23 pm

  I travel on business and have driven just about everything domestic and import. But, theres something about this car that you cant quite put your finger on. Their engineers thought- through the details to make it fun, carry a lot of stuff, and get a lot of compliments at the gas station. You cant believe how much fun it is to drive. You honestly have to restrain yourself. It has 13000 miles now and except for the new car smell being gone, it feels/sounds and drives as perfect as the day I bought it - better than the Toyota I traded in. My Toyo was good - but, this is unbelievable. And, my wife is happy. She laughs that this is what is born when a Mustang marrys an Explorer

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  Wore Out at 26,000 Miles - 2001 Ford Ranger
  By nic - April 12 - 8:54 pm

  My 2001 Ford Ranger extended cab 4x4 was pretty nice until it reached the 26,000 mile mark. At that point things started to go bad. It would not start one day. I had it towed to a local dealer. It started for them but they hooked it up to see what the problem was and found nothing wrong, $160.00. A few weeks later when I turned on the four wheel drive, the switch was bad. $500.00. I had used it 3 or 4 times. A few weeks later, again it would not start, fuel pump, $730.00. The bed must come off to replace this. This is when I gave up, and for the first time, bought a new Chevy truck. I waited 30 years to use my Sisters GM discount.

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  My first car - 2005 Ford Focus
  By kraftikitty - April 12 - 2:00 am

  At twenty-one, buying your first car is a major decision ... especially when you can only afford a sixty month lease, so youll be driving that vehicle every day for six years before it is paid off. After much research, I settled on this car, based on its aesthetically pleasing design, the "cute" look, its sensitive handling, and fuel economy. I work one mile from home, so my mileage isnt intense, but using this car for pleasure as well, I only refuel about once every ten days, sometimes less often. This car is wonderful for a first-time buyer, or a family car. Insurance for any new car will be very high, though, so be warned ... especially if youre under 25.