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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  Great for the money - 2003 Ford Escape
  By Mike - March 1 - 7:01 pm

  What a great little SUV for the money. Plenty of room, plenty of power (V6). Build quality could be a bit better (rattles and squeaks at 40K miles) All in all I would buy another.

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  American-made reliability! - 1997 Ford Escort
  By Eric - March 1 - 11:29 am

  Absolutely reliable. Not the most quiet or refined automobile in its class, but VERY cheap to fix and maintain. The perfect utility-type vehicle for work/students/grocery chasing. Excellent mileage. The standard for dependability! This is my third Escort. I wouldnt hesitate to buy another one.

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  I LOVE my Excursion! - 2003 Ford Excursion
  By Carrie Mullen - March 1 - 10:11 am

  The Excursion is so comfortable! The 7 people in my family, including 2 teenagers, fit wonderfully in this vehicle. Road trips are a breeze! It takes a little time to get used to parking this beast, but its well worth the effort. I am saddened that this vehicle will not be made after 2005.

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  Great deal ... inexpensive and economical - 2006 Ford Focus
  By C. Jones - March 1 - 4:46 am

  What a surprise to drive the replacement for the Escort, and find it to be such a fun car. Nothing like the Escort. I bought the 5 speed, and it has every imaginable option ... some which I havent figured out what to do with as yet. Incredible gas mileage, plenty of looks, an unbelievable warranty, shifts as smooth as anything I have every driven, and for its size, very quiet. No, I am not a Ford salesman, I am a cop who rides the big Crown Vic, and was absolutely astonished at how nice this car is. The Japanese have nothing close to this car, when you factor price, gas mileage, comfort and basic warranty. Enjoy this neat car!

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  Love my Car! - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By NinjaMom - March 1 - 4:13 am

  There is not much that I can about this car that is not positive. I only have one complaint. The mp3 player jack being inside the console. I have to slip the cord out of the console to put my player in the cup holder and the cord gets cut sometimes. Other than that, this car is everything I ever dreamed about as a kid when my Dad promised to get me my first Mustang only to come home with a new truck for himself. The drive and handling is amazing. The interior is roomy and comfortable. Shifting is smooth. Pick up is amazing for a 6. Nice throaty sound. A real eye catcher. Everyone compliments my car, even the cop who gave me my last ticket.

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  Too bad they dont make these any more! - 2004 Ford Ranger
  By Riverguy99 - March 1 - 4:07 am

  I bought this Ranger (my 4th or 5th, cant remember) 5+ years ago (2011) with 82K miles on it. I paid $7000 for it at that time. It had been owned by a maintenance fanatic and was absolutely as-new. Every service had been performed on schedule. It now has 113K miles on it and the maintenance has been kept up in the same manner. Ive had no problems with it at all. The 4.0 engine has had full-synthetic oil since the first change. Other than regular maintenance, my only expense so far has been for a new battery and a set of spark plugs. My only non-routine-maintenance costs so far have a set of spark plugs and coils (an engine miss triggered a code telling me an ignition coil had misfired), and a new battery soon after I bought the truck. Its five years old now so will probably not last much longer. I installed a 2" Flowmaster exhaust system soon after I bought the truck. For fun; not expecting any great performance gains here. This truck has all the toys: power windows, locks, automatic transmission, A/C, cruise-control, the Pioneer sound system etc., and everything has always worked as it should. The Ruby Red metallic finish still looks new even though the truck has been parked outside for the last 5 years. Driving impressions: I love driving this little hauler! It has a heavy duty lumber rack, the first thing I do to any truck. I regularly haul 500 pounds of beams and other long items on the rack and another 500 pounds in the bed, and the truck never complains. It gets 20 mpg all around driving (very little city) and 22-3 on long trips. My only complaint, and thats a small one, is that compared to my last Ranger, a 91 with the 3.0 engine, I can feel no better performance from this 4.0 engine, the 3.0 engine was physically smaller and far less complicated so easier to service, and the 91 got a consistent 24 mpg. Nice and quiet, handles well, the ride is great considering the hauling capability. I have a heavy-duty lumber rack on the truck and it often gets some amazing loads on it, which it handles fine. When I bought the truck, it had gone about 5000 miles on a set of new tires. Now, 30,000 miles later, they still look good, like at about 50%, with no uneven wear. This speaks well for the trucks suspension design. Low-speed acceleration is impressive. Highway acceleration, not so much. It surprised me that on a regular trip I do which includes many miles of 50-65 mph mildly curving highway up and down mountain ranges, the truck has a hard time keeping up with traffic. Then I finally figured out to lock it out of overdrive! That way the performance is fine, although certainly not impressive. Other than that, I have absolutely no complaints about this truck. Oh yeah, one little one. The seat cushions are really hard, but I fixed that with a foam chair pad. The backrests are great for me. That 4.0 SOC engine gets 18-19 mpg in mixed highway/town driving and 20-22 highway. For a truck, Im happy with that. I do use premium gas, however, and the mileage is enough better to offset the cost of the gas, plus it performs noticeably better all around. The transmission is terrific. Shifts solidly but smoothly and always right when it should. On a Ranger Forum I subscribe to, there are complaints about timing chain issues on high-mile engines, and getting to the rear timing chain (yes, the right one is at the back of the engine) means removing the engine, as in expensive. Im hoping that my oil-change diligence and that I keep the RPMs to a reasonable level will make this a non-issue. I really like the convenience of the rear doors, although as other have mentioned, theyre cumbersome in a parking lot with skinny spaces. Bottom line: I cant think of a truck I could buy for this money that Id rather have.

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  Best car I have ever owned! - 1999 Ford Mustang
  By appleimacdude - March 1 - 3:39 am

  This has been the highest quality car I have ever owned - it has a nice, solid one-piece feel to it, handles well, and is fun and comfortable to drive. As I currently drive about 32 miles each way to work, I appreciate the comfort and performance from the 3.8 liter six cylinder engine, which puts out 190 hp for this year.

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  Best SUV Around - 2003 Ford Excursion
  By Ed Riley - February 28 - 10:04 pm

  This is my second Excursion. We have traveled nationwide with a family of six and all were comfortable. It handles great in mountains or deserts. I get about 20 mpg on the highway and 15 mpg in town.

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  No Regrets - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By FuntoDrive - February 28 - 12:43 pm

  I love to drive it and look for excuses to go places. I bought an 06 GT 5-speed, Tungsten Grey w/ 18" polished wheels (and all other options) on 1 Jan 06. I got a great deal by buying a car on the lot and got it below invoice. Mine came with the Shaker 1000 radio. It wasnt a feature I really wanted and was the first thing I negotiated off the price. I was concerned the extra sub woofers wouldnt allow the golf clubs to fit in the trunk. I shouldnt have worried. The clubs still fit! I get compliments on the car all the time. I love it when the Camaros come up next to me at a light. The sound of the exhaust is awesome! Great car for the price! It handles and looks great.

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  FORD refuses to stand by their own vehicle - 2016 Ford Explorer
  By Nicole - February 28 - 12:20 pm

  My husband and I bought a brand new 2016 Ford Explorer (which was in the showroom). This cost upwards towards $50,000. Less then two months later my roof started leaking and my center console had a puddle of water in it, electeonics were soaked, seats soaked and floor wet. Took it to the dealership and they claimed it was a pinched drain in the roof and the problem was fixed. Less then one week later I went to get in my car and it was soaking wet again. Took it back to the dealership and they stated they poured water from a hose on the car for "two hours". They took the headliner off and found the other drain pipe was NEVER installed from the factory. So now they poured water on the car for two hours while there was no drain pipe installed. Called the Ford manager of Ford (not the dealership) - his name is James - and he claims there is nothing they can do other then pay ONE lousy car payment and extend our warranty for 5 years ... this is funny because the warranty does not cover mold and mildew. I am highly allergic to mold and my 2.5 year old son is too. This allergy triggers my asthma. James did not seem to care and reall didnt seem to want to help in any way. We are now in contact with our lawyer. I will NEVER but a Ford product again and cannot believe the vehicle passed the factory inspection - how many more of these are out there? Now since it was a FACTORY defect, it somehow is now OUR headache. I will tell everyone I know to never buy a Ford.