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 Ive bought so far! - 2002 Ford Focus
  By Michelle Jones - March 1 - 9:12 am

  This is the best car Ive bought so far. Besides the fact that its very fun to drive, it handles the road very well and has tons of storage space. I have made many trips to Ikea and have fit very large boxes in my car, while other people next to me in pick-up trucks had a hard time fitting smaller boxes in their trucks. Its great on gas (about 30 miles average, more on the freeway) and has plenty of horsepower. I would recommend this car to anybody who likes the convenience of a wagon and the sportiness of the Focus.

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  Nice Pony! - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By Alex - March 1 - 8:06 am

  My first Mustang (Im 42 yrs, male) finally could afford it but more than that, I loved the new look. I love everything except the plastic look on the doors and the Shaker 500 Radio, which sometimes works crazy (doesnt respond to keys, doesnt read a brand new CD(?), or skips and goes back a couple of seconds without reason, or simply wont turn off and other crazy things. Everything else, is a great car!

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  end of warranty is "sell by" date - 2008 Ford Taurus X
  By conflicted1 - March 1 - 2:26 am

  Purchased used in 2011 with 32,000 miles, for road trips, which it excelled at. Noticed that the drivers side of the second row bench seat did not want to fold. Found that spraying silicone lube in the mechanisim and then exercising it weekly kept it working. The tach would go nuts from time to time, reading 500-1000rpm too high, or 500rpm too low. Ford seems to have expected this and built in a mechanism to rezero the tach and speedo. 25 seconds after the engine is shut off, both the tach and speedo needles swing counterclockwise for a moment, then return. When the tach went nuts, up to three start stop cycles, to provoke the rezero process, would correct it.

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  An Ok SUV - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Ken - February 28 - 8:09 pm

  I think the dealer wanted to move this Eddie Bauer as it had the V8 & most of the options including captains chairs in rear seat & canopy air bags. Got a great deal as it was on the lot for 4 months. Engine is flawless but highway MPG is 18 unless you get off the highway for a few miles & then average drops to 13-14. Lots of problems with transmission shifting but all was fixed in a timely manner by Ford. Ford should get with it on the leather seats with the inserts & make them solid leather. Heated seats failed & wrong parts kept on being ordered by the dealer. Dealer prep was less than desirable as lots of buffing compound was left on. Paid $31,000 for a MSRP $39,500. Not bad overall.

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  I love this car - 1999 Ford Contour
  By Lindsey - February 28 - 5:44 pm

  When I bought it there were only 33,000 miles on it and it was in perfect condition. It now has over 50,000 miles on it and still runs like new. It has been in a few minor "incidents," but has come out virtually unscathed (after being involved in 2 accidents, total repair costs amounted to only $200 ... COMBINED). Its a tough little car and has great pick-up and power for its size. The gas mileage is pretty good as well (about 17 - 20 mpg depending on how hard it is driven) the only bad part is that the tank is small (13 gallons I believe) so it needs to be filled up a bit more often than other cars. But it handles well in the snow (front wheel drive) and I wouldnt want to drive anything else.

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  Terrible Automobile - 1997 Ford Explorer
  By bad ford - February 28 - 11:15 am

  This is the worst vehicle Ive ever owned. I was a life long Ford man. Not now. This was the most expensive vehicle Ive ever bought and the worst. It was poorly designed, poorly engineered, and poorly constructed. Ive had nothing but problems and the dealer is no help. The list of problems, just to name a few: A "Plastic", yes you read it right, timing chain tensioner that cost me $1730.00 yes you read that right too. Blend door broke ($400.00), intake manifold seals ($600.00), O2 sensors (numerous). Fan clutch ($300.00). Numerous others. This thing had problems from front to back. It is a terrible vehicle and I wouldnt wish it on my worst enemy.

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  Should of got the Suburban - 2005 Ford Excursion
  By Dustin - February 28 - 7:53 am

  Bought a brand new Excursion diesel. Transmission went out before 8000 miles had to get a new transmission replaced (warranty covered) had power steering and brake problems. Radio and DVD player had to be replaced. it took them over 2 months to fix the radio, two weeks to fix the transmission. Spend 56k on this car, wouldnt expect these kinds of problem on a car of this price. Also, now having problems with the heater not working. Wife doesnt trust this car, so now it sits in my driveway collecting dust. Trade-in value not that great. Ford service is not great, always waiting.

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  ford explorer eb 2004 - 2005 Ford Explorer
  By ann hatton - February 28 - 1:06 am

  very good truck, rides like a car. priced a little high just because of eb package but the dealer was willing to deal.

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  6 plus years and still humming - 1999 Ford Explorer
  By Gasburner - February 27 - 11:28 pm

  I bought a V8 XLT with the sport package brand new. Tows my 17 boat like it is not even back there. No real problems to speak of, except maybe poor quality of Ford service departments. The engine and transmission have been rock solid. I had some problems early on with the windshield wipers having a mind of there own. I also had the front ball joints go out at 50K. Everything fixed under (extended) warranty. At the rate Im going, I dont think Ill get my money back (in repairs) for the extended warranty. All in all I have no regrets.

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  My Experience - 2000 Ford Mustang
  By SoS - February 27 - 8:29 pm

  I bought this car with 16,000 miles on it for $9,000 dollars from a friend. It has been nothing but amazing since that day. I have added a cold air intake, tinted the windows and put on an amazing exhaust. I get about 30 miles per gallon in the highway and about 14 in the city (without any air conditioning). I had to change the CCRM which ran for about 140 dollars , but this seems to be a really rare problem, I was just unlucky. I would recommend different rims and tires, because traction in the rain is horrible I have crashed 3 times. All of which kept my car in perfect condition, but ruined the other cars lol.