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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  2013 Ford SHO Owned 9 Months 20K Miles - 2013 Ford Taurus
  By nogluten - March 27 - 11:54 am

  The car is great, it has great power its fun to drive for such a large car. The power it has is just amazing pulling away from a dead stop and watching traffic disappear behind you is just fun. The stability is just wonderful on the road. Great sales car. The My Ford Touch is a nightmare, navigation, Phone connection works sometimes (iPhone 4) the phone is not the problem I have heard every excuse from the dealer, software always, bluetooth audio sometimes works, screen blacking out. It goes to the dealer one more time tomorrow, this distraction is going to cause an accident, next step is the state attorney general. I have had it.

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  Fusion SE 2.0T Ecoboost - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By g0west - March 26 - 10:11 pm

  The Fusion has a smooth ride and a supremely quiet cabin. I am getting 29 mpg highway and 24 mpg mixed driving with the 2.0L Ecoboost. The leather seats in SE trim are styled differently than those in the Titanium but they are every bit as comfortable. I dont get the complaints about My Ford Touch -- it is logical enough and the Bluetooth works flawlessly. Overall, the 2.0 litre Fusion SE has been a very satisfying, fun car to drive. My last three cars were a Volvo S80, Volvo 960 and Porsche 911SC.

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  Clear sailing - 2003 Ford Focus
  By matthewew - March 26 - 5:59 pm

  I love this car. The only issue is that it is rough on tires. I normally get about 40K out of a 60K tire. I average 26-27mpg in the winter and 29-32mpg the rest of the year. I have 149900 miles on my car. I have not experienced many of the issues that others have, but then I bought mine new and know what it has gone through. If you do the maintenance when the owners manual says to do it then you will have very few problems. Word to drivers the rotors are not the best, but the pads are really good so if you have worn out your brake pads, that is on you. I went 89K before having to change rotors and it was a mountain pass that did in the rear brake pads.

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  ok - 2008 Ford Fusion
  By cpletan - March 26 - 3:23 pm

  i average 27 both city/highway and its ok to drive. but the temp sensor is screwy throws engine lite.

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  I will never buy another Ford product. - 2013 Ford Focus
  By johnmiller1 - March 25 - 7:09 pm

  2013 Ford Focus SE automatic Hatchback I wish that I had never bought this car. For starters, the average fuel economy is not what Ford advertises. My average MPG is 32 hwy at 69mph. The best was 36mpg with a tail wind. I can live with the poor fuel economy...but the deciding factor for me to get rid of this car is the Torturous seats !! The seats are rock hard ! They feel like youre sitting on a park bench ! The padding in the seats is very minimal. Push down 1/2 inch and you can actually feel the metal framework of the seat. The very design of the seats are not ergonomic. The front of the seats are tilted in a way that if you stretch out, the back of your legs will begin to hurt

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  Purchased the Focus Hatchback 2013 in Jan. and was very pleased with everything for the first week but the second week it began making noises upon acceleration and continued to get worse. Brought it into the Dealership and they said I needed to drive it - 2013 Ford Focus
  By slainte2 - March 24 - 6:50 pm

  Have had the Focus Hatchback for 2 months and was very pleased with everything for the first week but by the second week it was making noise when accelerating and cont. to get worse. I brought the car to the Dealership and they said they could not do anything till 1000 miles. I brought it back at 1000 miles but Ford says this problem is occuring on the 2013 Focus but the engineers do not know what the problem is so they can not fix it yet. They returned the car to me and told me to keep driving until the problem is fiqured out. This makes me very nervous, what could happen to it next. I would think about another car until they have fiqured these quirks out.

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  Not sold yet - 2013 Ford Edge
  By gsuroviec - March 24 - 5:28 pm

  I have been wanting to buy an Edge for some time now. I love the looks and the ride. 2010 and older, very bland interior and dashboard not even easy to see. No back up camera available. 2011 many impovements on interior and dash. However, I cant get used to new turn signals, turning on and cancelling. That is not natural. Especially if you still opwn a vehicle which works the way mosy of us are ude to. Also, I have no faith in MyFordTouch. Too many bad reviews and no positive fixes. Plus, playing with this screen is just as bad as texting and driving. Give us back our dials and buttons.

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  Terrible Mileage and Range - 2013 Ford Escape
  By wi_escape54843 - March 24 - 12:02 pm

  Bought this as commuter car knowing Id give up some mileage to AWD, but hills of Duluth and tough winter made it good choice. With 1200 mi in just 2 wks, mpg < 21 on 160 mi daily commute w/ 90% hwy. Ford claim of 24 avg w 28 hwy is unacceptably inaccurate. By comparison - the 07 Sebring I traded avg 29 - 31 (seasonal), even my 03 dura max avg 20.6 for same journey as it is the ride I used for tough winter days. Escape worsens this with a small tank compared to Sebring with barely 300 mi, compared to 420 I had. So far - Im incredibly disappointed.

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  mpg 24 - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By mquero - March 24 - 7:26 am

  one thimg i did notice the gas gauge drops quickly and the milage meter to empty drops quickly lost sync came back on next day my car has the 1.6 ecoboost

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  Long Term Review (8 Yrs) - 2005 Ford Ranger
  By jfleenor - March 22 - 6:20 pm

  I have had the Ranger for 8 years, and it has NEVER been in the shop. 1 set of brakes and 1 set of tires. Regular maintenance. Driven from CA to TN 4 times. CA to AZ countless times, towing 2 waverunners. Last week, the heater controll valve broke, but thats the only problem ever. Interior/exterior still looks new, except for someone backing into it 2 weeks ago. New complete rear bumper/Taillights ($260). In body shop next week (minor damage). Still gets 26 mpg on the hwy. Not a luxury car, but its one of the best vehicles Ive owned. Thought about selling it, but love it too much. Going to add custom upgrades and drive it for another 8 yrs. See the rest of post for more info.