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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  The Good, Bad and the Ugly - 2011 Ford Escape
  By student4life - January 17 - 7:34 am

  My wife and I purchased our Second Ford Excape after our first one (2010) was involved in an accident that wrote it off, but it saved my families life, hence the second one which is a 2011. We like the vehicle, and have the V6, which has more power than people expect. Its kind of rough around the edges, loud road noise and engine, and drives kind of like my jeep YJ used to in many ways. Its not as refined as I expected, but on the plus side, its small and easy enough to park and manouver in traffic, build quality is superb, had original transmission issues which were fixed under warranty, and the rear hatch doesnt open all the time (needs to see dealer). Overall quite happy though.

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  LAST FORD...EVER. - 2013 Ford Escape
  By sea_warrior - January 16 - 9:11 pm

  The car is just...BAD. Sync feels like a really rough Beta program and is unrefined and just not useful. Lockups, pauses, stutters, hesitations. I had a 2008 BMW X3 and thought the "infotainment" system in it was bad, but as amateurish as it was, it was at least functional. The car died with 300 miles on it and is still in a coma while Ford "decides what they are going to do." The dealer has had it for a week, and they havent even STARTED to repair the problem. The last word from them was it could be "another 3 or 4 weeks." Between the Sync, the hinky Navigation, the mechanical unreliability and the lack of support from Ford, I rate the car a clunker. Run away from it.

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  my 2012 FORD FOCUS "SFE EDITION" - 2012 Ford Focus
  By badfocus - January 14 - 3:57 pm

  I purchased my 2012 Ford Focus feburary 27,2012, at 5600 miles I get a RECALL letter on the "programing of the transmission" from then it was down hill for my little car. I took it back around 10,000 miles and i was adv nothing was wrong with the trans that this is the way it is to shift, the car was shifting like someone just learned how to drive a stick shift!!!!!, this went on for a month, i was so upset oneday i almost got hit by another car because of the way the car was shifting out, i put my big boy pants on and demanded they look at the car. well, what do you supose they found???? they found there was a problem!!!! it was the clutches, they replaced them, i drove the car 2 weeks and

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  good car good mpg - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By cde5151 - January 14 - 11:28 am

  Nice car for last 3+ years, never been in shop, except for tires I change my own oil, fan is loud but normal for fusion. good ride .. tires all wore out by 36k, now have Nexen tires, they seem ok at 55k. I did just put in battery also. MPG average 28 with 70% hwy and 30% city

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  Poor Navigation System - 2013 Ford Focus
  By barridale - January 13 - 7:45 pm

  I purchased a 2013 FORD FOCUS Nov 2012 and took the optional navigation system because I needed it. Since the firsr time I used the system it did not fuction properly. It is inaccurate placing the vehicle location on either a different street or driving through backyards. When the destination is right ahead at 50 yards the system tells to turn left then right at the next street to reach the destination. Needless to say that this could be dangerous as well as getting the driver lost. The vehicle has been to the dealership twice for two hours each time. The whole software was updated as well as the new version SD card installed. The second time the service dept liasoned with FORD but never

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  2013 Fusion 1.6L Ecoboost MPG - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By ozarkfusion - January 13 - 6:31 pm

  I just purchased a 2013 fusion 1.6L ecoboost that is rated at 36mpg on hwy. At best I can get 32. Took a trip to SC and back to MO and averaged 32. Ive had 5 new vehicles (none of them ford) in the past 10 years and all of them got what they said they would. How are others out there doing with their MPG-specifically the 1.6L ecoboost engine?

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  Good reliable car - 2008 Ford Focus
  By wharpig - January 12 - 1:35 pm

  We bought this car used with 34k miles a few years ago and it hasnt let us down yet. Its a great reliable car that has roughly 80k miles on it to date. I drive 100 miles to work and back mostly highway and get 36-42MPG. I did add a K&N air filter which boosted the MPG about 4-5MPG. Its a nice peppy car for a small car and doesnt feel under powered like alot of smaller cars I have drove. I havent had one problem with the car and would reccomend it for anyone looking for a good gas saver.

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  It Wont Die! - 1996 Ford Taurus
  By xc6793 - January 11 - 11:05 am

  This car was originally purchased by my dad in teh fall of 1996 (I was only in middle school, but I remember going with him to buy it). Since then, the car has been driven by my mom, my sister (took a lot of abuse, as she learned to drive in it), and finally me. I use it primarily as my second car, particularly to transport my big dogs back and forth to the park (hard to lift them into my suv). It has 217,000 miles and is still going on the original engine and transmission. Sure, its definitely showing its age, but it amazes me how well this thing still drives. Also, Im amazed at how many of these things (96-97 model years) I still see driving around.

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  Hated to Get Rid of It, but... - 1998 Ford Explorer
  By car314 - January 10 - 8:58 am

  I bought my 1998 Ford Explorer XLT brand new from the dealer, and it gave me many good years. About 3 years ago, though, it began giving me issues. I ended up consistently putting money into it nearly every month. Honestly, the body began to go before the engine did... but once the little things started going wrong, it added up very quickly. The last thing to happen was a cracked thermostat housing, once I fixed that, I sold the truck. I really loved my Explorer, would recommend one, and bought a new one after selling my 1998. It did have awful gas mileage, my 2009 gets better mileage than my 1998 ever did.

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  Fusion Crusin..Mobile Heaven - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By ivleague98 - January 9 - 8:36 pm

  Hands down the best car I have ever owned or driven. I have worked in automotive advertising for over ten years, walking into showrooms of every make and always "window shopping". Never before have I purchased a vehicle for my mobile career in which I enjoy every mile. From the interface to the handling, sitting in the drivers seat, this Ford Fusion delivers. What drew me in was its sleek design and luxury muscle grill. The room in the backseat, and the extra options I did not realize I would really use or enjoy make it hard to believe Ford could price this car so affordable. Only cons are the Pings and clangs after motor shuts off (dealer said normal with 2.0 Ecoboost), no sunroof.