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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  A True Truck - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Asd - December 14 - 2:00 am

  My Mom got a Lxus GX470 and my grandparents got a Lexus RX330 after driving them my car was very rough driving. They had SUV Capibilities without the bad ride like mine did

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  I love my Ford Focus - 2002 Ford Focus
  By loretta stein - December 14 - 2:00 am

  The first thing I noticed about my Ford Focus was how solid it feels. I owned an Oldsmobile Achieva previously and loved it. The Focus feels as solid as the Olds. The steering base is small and it takes corners easily. The design inside and out is outstanding! I love this car!

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  Our Last Ford - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By vcp - December 13 - 5:22 pm

  This is without a doubt our last Ford. Thank goodness we have an out to turn this thing in after 36 months. It has been a headache. The electric sliding doors dont close properly. Its been at various dealers 3 times and has to go back again. The traction control light came on for no reason and the dealer had to fix it twice. This car also is built terribly. The materials are at best 2nd rate. The service is another issue, Three dealers cannot get this car right. Ive had it. Our Last Ford!

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  It has served me well! - 1997 Ford Escort
  By kaisharif - December 13 - 3:11 pm

  This was my first car in college and it has served me well. Very reliable, very good on gas. Minimal upkeep, just standard maintenance. Just made my last payment and plan on keeping it until it falls apart.

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  Great value this ZX3 - 2002 Ford Focus
  By Prof100 - December 13 - 3:05 pm

  I love this car. Its roomier than my Taurus. It has every option. The car is nimble for driving around the town and on the freeway. Ford could lose the middle console. Its useless. Seatbelts are designed for child safety & you have to dig for the latch end thats sandwiched between the seat & the console. Tires were replaced with with Pirelli tires at 40,000 miles & should have been 10,000 miles earlier. New front brakes @ 32K. Rotors are disposable. Rear hatch key gasket keeps falling out in car washes. Rust is starting form on the bottom of the hatch. Thats not FOMOCOs fault. Thats from a dealer who repaired the car when my wife tried to move a concrete pole with rear bumper.

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  good overall truck - 2000 Ford Ranger
  By heath - December 13 - 12:14 pm

  This is a great truck that I know is reliable. I have put this truck through hell and it still runs like it is brand new. i have 78,000 miles on it now and it still runs the same. Good power for the engine size, but terrible gas mileage. There are only two things I dislike about the truck. One is it gets terrible gas mileage and the other is that the truck has holes underneath the fender flares. Whoever made this design of holes underneath the flares is not very smart. Some people might want to take those off and now they have 40 or 50 holes in the side of their truck. I am one of these Ford customers who has this problem.

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  I love my F-150 - 1997 Ford F-150
  By zach bereiter - December 13 - 2:19 am

  Ive owned my F-150 for about nine months now and havent been happier! Sure its not the most flashy, but it is a solid truck. It has 107,000 miles on it and it hasnt had any problems so far well except for the time a drunk person hit me. There are a few things I would change, like the overall fit and finish is poor, and who doesnt like more power? The highs are the handling and the "truck feel" it has, you know youre in a truck. Overall though I love this truck!

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  Family of Five - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By wlehr - December 13 - 2:00 am

  Plenty of Power. Ample cargo space even w/o folding rear seat into floor. Plenty of leg room for all sizes of passengers. Smooth transmission, Great in the snow. Console not cluttered, can reach all controls w/o taking eyes off of the road. Handy convex mirror for easy passenger viewing. Great family vehicle

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  Crash Record - 2005 Ford Escape
  By Sarah Carlson - December 13 - 12:59 am

  I was in a head on crash with this vehicle and it performed beautifully. It was raining and I was going 40 miles an hour when someone went in front of me. I have been in sales for 35 years and I bought this vehicle because of the crash record. My air bags came out and disk brakes did their job and seat belts worked well too. I am alive because of this vehicle and I am getting a 2006 XLT Sport just like I had. I love the engine and we are a Ford family of 3 new vehicles. Thanks Ford for my life.

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  2005 Mustang - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By Anthony - December 13 - 12:32 am

  I love the way this car performs and the gas mileage is decent but I hate how cheaply put together it is. I have already had 5 things go wrong with it and one of them still is not fixed and I have taken it in for the same problem 4 times with it still being unresolved. I wish it was made more solid.