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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  Owned 5 years only one issue - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By Dick - September 2 - 12:48 pm

  Owned this 2010 since new. 66,000 miles. Only one issue-throttle body senser recall. Warranty covered it. Its excelleled in every area. Mileage unreal-34 miles to gallon highway at 70mph, 23mpg around town. Acceleration excellent. 6 speed automatic works well. Handles very well. Large trunck with fold down seats. Nice job Ford.

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  great escape! - 2014 Ford Escape
  By bob - August 31 - 12:57 pm

  2014 Escape Titanium, what a great car. have had no problems in a year and 25000 miles. mpg consistently high 20s. transmission shifts oddly but that is explained in owners manual. not bad, just different. Only weak point is design of console storage, very deep and narrow. Handles like a sports car. Looked at CRV and RAV 4 when we purchased it. They remind me of kitchen appliances. Got great deal, $5000 off and 0% for 72 mo

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  CANT GO WRONG - 1995 Ford Ranger
  By Royal Bargo - August 31 - 12:57 pm

  I have had my ranger since i was 15 in 2005, it had roughly 120,000 mls on it and the motor look rough. At first i thought i made a 2,000 dollar mistake. I still have that truck now 2015, with over 500,000 mls on it. There aint a price on my old truck.

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  I call it the Lincoln Light - 2008 Ford Taurus
  By Charles J. Cates - August 31 - 2:08 am

  This is a large heavy sedan, more like a Crown Victoria than the previous generation Taurus. It has surprisingly good acceleration "out of the hole" and merging onto the interstate is no problem for the naturally aspirated 3.5 Liter V-6. When you park the car or pull it into the garage is when you realize this is a full size car. OK it IS shorter than my 63 BelAir. It is quiet with little NVH. The stereo system in the limited sounds better than the system in my "man cave". The transmission shifts smoothly and seamlessly. I did notice a lack of power pulling some steep grades on U.S. 22 where we live in west central PA. The car was frequently downshifting for more power. The climate control system is easy to set and works well. The leather upholstery is attractive and wears well. The vinyl dash and trim is soft and does not have a hard plastic feel. The size of the display in the dash for miles, mpg, miles to empty, oil life etc. are a little too small for my liking or perhaps Im showing my age. Ill be interested to see how this car performs in the winter time with front wheel drive and new Falken brand all season Touring radials. Though we have only owned this car for a few months we have been impressed with it. The only real gripe I have with the car is that there seems to be a corrosion problem on the alloy wheels that I cant seem to get off with anything that I have tried.

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  Saved from the crusher !!! - 1993 Ford F-150
  By tom topor - August 30 - 11:02 pm

  If you want reliable, and smooth ride the f150 has it.

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  234,000 miles and still going strong! - 2001 Ford Escape
  By Sarah - August 30 - 7:57 am

  My Escape has run like a dream since day one. I live on 3 miles of dirt road and use the 4 wheel drive several times per year. Ive never gotten stuck. The engine runs smoothly and it really is fun to drive. Road noise is a little much, and seats are hard as well. Im gonna keep it til it dies, so far so good.

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  Traded a 2014 for a 2015 - 2015 Ford Focus
  By SJ - August 29 - 10:55 pm

  This is our third Focus. First was a 2005 which was very economical to drive. Bought a 2014 SE automatic last year and liked it but there were a couple of options I wished Id gotten with it. A couple of things I didnt like about the 14 were no 12V plug on the dash and no lock buttons on the doors. Traded it in for the 2015 SE this year and glad I did. Everything I didnt like on the 2014 was corrected on the 2015, 12V plug on the dash, lock buttons on the doors, etc. I had no problems with the shifting on the 2014. Not as smooth as a full size car but it it shifted fine for the 12,000 miles I had on it. You have to realize even though its an automatic you feel it shift like a standard. If you dont like power shifting get a Fusion. The 2015 does seem to shift smoother than the 2014 and has the manual shift paddles which I tried and they work but for me the Focus shift points are fine in automatic so I wont use the paddles much if ever. I got the 2.0L engine for the power with larger wheels and get a steady 34 mpg around town. Longer trips on the highway I get a little better (mid to high 30s) but dont hold back on the speed. This car handles great. I drove others in this class Toyota/Honda/VW and this one is the most fun to drive. Electronics work fine and blue tooth and USB work as they should. Sync voice commands are still a challenge if you dont speak clearly. I like having both the analog and digital gauges on the 2015 (the 2014 only had an analog spedo). The heat/AC controls are great on the 2015 as there is a individual on/off button for everything including each vent/defrost. No more trying to figure out which position on a dial to use to heat your feet and the windshield at the same time. All in all the 2015 hatch is fun to drive, handles and looks great, and has enough room for our two large dogs in the back.

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  Amazing Car Packs A Punch - 2011 Ford Focus
  By Kyle Cook - August 28 - 4:50 am

  This car goes way beyond expectations we have used this car as a get way car (toilet papering) and the stability and traction control are amazing it hugs the road great and the car goes the way you point the well unlike leading competitors such as the corOlla my focus has 87k+ miles and still running like a champ well built and economical design lacks some comodines like power seats but the handling is spurb compared to other cars in its segment

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  Better then I ever expected - 2013 Ford Fiesta
  By Andre - August 27 - 2:45 pm

  I have had this car for around a month. I live in southern California and it has already been to South Dakota and back. The car was amazing during the 3000 mile round trip. Comfortable for as small as it is. Im a big guy and I fit nicely. The interior is very much better then I could.have hopped for. The soft touch feels better then cheap hard plastic. Im not a huge fan of the red lights I like the blue of the newer models. The accent lighting is a useless touch but makes the car stylish. The 6 speaker sound system Id amazing. Great bass, and clear highs. A big plus was no rattling from the speakers. The sound system is a little confusing and hard to use but works very well. Interior road noise is heard but not over the top. Engine noise is very present but in a way that makes you want to work it. The engine revs to redline very smoothly. It feels at home at higher rpm. The Powershift transmission is different. It is weird and parking lot speeds but under hard acceleration it wakes up. There is almost no torque loss between shifts and is very eager to get moving. Its a great concept but needs some refinement. I swore Id never drive a small car again. But I am very happy with this little ford Fiesta. Ford did their homework with this car. Nothing better then a warm so Cal night by the beach moonroof open windows down music up. My advise, take a serious look at this car. Its heart is bigger then its size. I was able to get it to 105 mph and the car drove straight, and on corse. Breaking is on the weak side. Rear disk word have been a better option. Very happy with this little car.

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  Great car - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By Chris Grisdale - August 27 - 8:22 am

  Bought this car after having a 2007 Fusion that I never had to fix anything on besides normal things like tires and brakes. I have 22k on the new car with only one problem the seatbelt in the back was made wrong. The dealer replaced it and every thing works great. My 2007 Fusion got about 26 MPG (2.3l 4-cyl manual transmision) on my run to work and had about a 160Hp my new Fusion is getting about 27-28 MPG with 240Hp (2.0l turbo)...Id say that is a win for EcoBoost. My Ford Touch can be slow at times but I love it. Heated and Cooled seats are the best. The heated steering wheel needs work the outer rim heats up but nothing else. This is the first automatic trasmission that I have not hated. I usually drive manuals but my wife talked me into an automatic because she cant/wont drive one.