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:

• 

  This is a LEMON VEHICLE - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By c_duran - March 2 - 10:42 am

  I purchased my vehicle 9 mo ago and have had it in the shop 4 times since! 2 of these were extremely dangerous experiences. Once the accelerator stuck during shifting gears and the other at highway speed it dropped to 10 mph max. All my issues have surrounded the accelerator. What makes it more frustrating is once the car turns off all error codes are reset...how convenient for Ford! They tell me I have to bring it in while error codes are active which seems to always happen after hours!!!

• 

  Solid, Fun-to-drive Small SUV - 2013 Ford Escape
  By craign1 - March 2 - 7:44 am

  After 2 months and 2,000 miles, I am happy with this vehicle (SE 2.0 -- wasnt an option above). I purchased for compact, AWD, and 3,500 lb. towing capacity. Handles great in snow and muck. Gas mileage is as expected -- about 20 around town, upwards of 28 on highway, so around 23/24 on average. No issues thus far. Sync works fine with phone, bluetooth streaming from iPad, USB stick. I think this is as heavy and solid a small SUV as exists on the market today. A bit pricey but with the 2.0 turbo its not entirely comparable to other small SUVs. Engine is a bit buzzy at slow speeds (high pressure injectors, Im told) but easily gotten used to.

• 

  Dont buy this car! - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By maxmandd2 - March 2 - 2:29 am

  The first 10000 miles were fine ...it gets good gas mileage on the road, however it was downhill from there...Brakes grinded and front end bumped while turning the steering wheel ...every month it had increasingly poor accelleration and worst of all this car was unsafe. Often the manual transmission would not go into reverse and then it quickly got to where it would not shift from second gear to third while getting on freeways. I almost got rear-ended several times. Rather than have this junk pile worked on I traded it off after one year while it was still under warranty. Buy a Toyota instead!

• 

  DO NOT BUY - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By monikag2012 - March 1 - 10:52 am

  This is the worst car I have ever had. We bought a 2010 used and it had no apparent problems. A month later the throttle body needed replaced. Then we fixed that and the o2 sensors are out so we get 18 mpg. and now the power steering is out, and it has already cost 114 to reset the code because its hydraulic and It broke the day after fixing it with the same power steering problem, and now ford is charging 1070 to fix it. This car is junk. The throttle body and power steering are problems that are a big problem for this vehicle, yet no recall has been made. wish i had known that its such a common problem!! Do not buy if you want a safe and reliable car. i will not put my 3 month old in this

• 

  Love my Car - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By bluebaby07 - February 28 - 9:37 pm

  Ive had this car for 6 years. I bought it with 2314 miles, now it has 66k and all ive had to do outside of normal preventative maintenece is change a battery. Its fun, its fast and it has the option to create whatever your heart desires, the perfect project car. Ive got Ford racing CAI, Bama tuned, 18"rims and tires, louvers, side scoops, rear spoiler, custom racing stripes,flowmaster 40 series exhaust, chrome details all over

• 

  The best car under $18,000 - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By brandonh3 - February 28 - 6:49 pm

  This is the most fun on 4 wheels Ive ever had. I let people drive my car and they compare it to a high performance mini-sports sedan. The thing corners like its on rails, gets over 40mpg regularly, has one of the BEST sounding stereo systems from the factory and has safety features out the wazoo. The up and coming 2014 Fiesta ST will be incredible. My car, with 120hp, accelerates fine. I cant imagine it with almost 200hp!!

• 

  Update - more comments - 2012 Ford Focus
  By bencheerios - February 28 - 6:37 pm

  Update from previous review. Still like it after driving a 2012 Mazda 3 SkyActiv for the last 2 weeks as a rental. The Mazda 3 SkyActiv seems to get slightly better gas mileage, but its not as easy to live with as the Focus.

• 

  Love my escape, hate the gas mileage - 2013 Ford Escape
  By cachten - February 28 - 5:42 pm

  I have 800 miles on my escape. Drive local, 5 miles to work, not much highway driving at all. Im getting 15.5 miles per gallon. Im quite upset over it since I gave up my Camry that I didnt have to fill up for 23 days At a time. Someone please tell me I will get better mileage after the break in period!

• 

  2007 Ford Fusion S 4 Cyl. 2.3 L w/auto 5 Sp. - 2007 Ford Fusion
  By automojo - February 27 - 12:27 pm

  Bought my 07 Ford Fusion new (30 miles) at Sunnyvale, CA Ford in late June 07, at way below MSRP and they also included a 24 month maint. service at no charge. Now nearing 57k without a bit of problems other than replacing the battery. It still has the original brakes and Continental tires, and continues to get a combined 30 mpg. Great car, much better than the 3 Series Beemer I owned and cheaper to maintain! The new 2013 Fusion looks great and considering buying one but my 07 still runs and looks new.

• 

  Explorer XLT - I love it - 2012 Ford Explorer
  By htown35 - February 26 - 12:08 pm

  I brought my 2012 Explorer XLT with leather interior, 20 in rims and power liftgate in Dec 2011. The only issues I had was replacing the brakes (covered under warr) at 8,000 miles and a recall for engine cooling. Currently I have 10,000 miles. I like driving my Explorer. It gets a lot of attention with its 20 in rims and dark exterior color. I have gotten 25 MPG on the highway and about 18 in the city. It always has enough power and all features work correctly... Its quiet and I feel very safe in it.