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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  one fantastic truck! - 1994 Ford F-150
  By hoodhunter - October 1 - 2:52 pm

  I have owned this truck 2 times! i have the 351W 5.8L motor, auto trans, xlt with buckets. love the color, the simplicity of the interior and exterior (easy to clean) and the overall comfort at 75MPH. the seats tend to show wear and tear easily however. for a 351W it should have more power than it does, and the fuel economy is horrible for around town driving. the push button 4WD is great in winter, and the legendary heater and A/C is second to none. i think the suspension on these are weak for the weight of the truck though, bu they fixed this with the 97 and up models. all in all it has been a great truck... never failed to start or so much as even a sputter from any cylinder. recommended!

• 

  kina pleased - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By michael - October 1 - 10:09 am

  i bought this car at the beginning of 2008 with 114k miles...i now have 130k...when i bought it it had hit a deer..car was clean..replaced the hood and head light...since then...i have replace the transmission seal and have done other replacement due to miles...dash is coming apart and radio has tape deck that goes in and out from one side of speakers...fixed the locking latch on rear door...all parts and labor have been cheap...headlights are dim...im about to replace all front end parts due to age and hitting the deer...but all in all i think this is a great car that will last me a long time...paid 1700 bucks for it and put a grand into it..2700 dollars for this car was worth it...........

• 

  Nice but a few problems - 2009 Ford Flex
  By Chuck - October 1 - 8:48 am

  At first we thought the vehicle was great but as time goes on I noticed that the ride was alot harder than my previous Jeeps. I know everybody raves about the smooth ride but I cant get used to the hard ride in this vehicle. Also there is a rattle coming from the steering wheel when going over bumps, I think it is the horn button. Overall it is a good car and except for the hard ride and the rattle.

• 

  Mustang!!! - 2002 Ford Mustang
  By anton09 - September 30 - 10:30 pm

  I bought a v6 mustnag last year (at my age thats the only one icould afford) the car is great, true exhoust sound, not like those cheezy honda roars. Of course i did a lot of modifications on it, but not its faster then a trans am. The car is great!!!

• 

  I Love/Hate my SHO - 1994 Ford Taurus
  By who - September 30 - 9:17 pm

  this cars performance is simply insane, especially when you punch it from a dead stop and let it rev to the 7k rpm redline, it sounds amazing and pushes you back in your seat, handling is good to, the yamaha engine looks beautiful as well, yet in many ways it has been crap, ive gone through 2 transmissions in 2 years, the AC compressor pulley bearing snapped one day on my way home from school, exhaust system is shot, rear springs are broken, the door locks are both broken, front alignment is off, its had an engine leak for a long time, for some reason its always low on coolant even though it has a new water pump in it, but this car has NEVER failed to start up, even in -25 degree weather

• 

  not bad - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By abbott - September 30 - 1:41 pm

  ive owned this truck for 4 and a half years and havent had many problems. i changed the whole rearend because of it screaming.that has been the only issue.my wife and two small children drive it and love it. this is my second cxplorer and will definetly have more in the future

• 

  I would buy an Explorer again - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Witmer - September 30 - 10:00 am

  My Explorer is an excellent family ride. Seats 7, 4wd for the snow and 21 MPG on my daily commutes on the freeway of 45 miles each way. The dealer has been exceptional (Blue Oval certified). I paid 34,000 for the vehicle and it has been trouble free. I opted for the v-6 and glad I did with gas now 2 bucks a gallon.

• 

  Great Little Car - 2000 Ford Focus
  By Ron - September 29 - 1:32 pm

  Car has 155,000 miles. Up to 100,000 miles no problems. In the last 50,000 things started wearing out. Replaced everthing in the brakes (about time) replaced A/C, power steering pump, alternator, engine mounts, ignition key switch, plugs, plug wires, coil, belt and one power window mech-anism. Thats about it These things dont last forever. Now at 155,000 the engine blew so I am going to install a used engine. This little car has always run great, good mileage and reliable transportation. Its still like new so it deserves a new engine which I plan to install. Like any car there are some lemons out there but mine is not one of them so Im keeping it for another 100,000.

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  CHEWING UP MY TIRES. - 2008 Ford Focus
  By Hawkeye597 - September 28 - 12:17 pm

  I love this car, but it is chewing up the tires. At 30,000 miles I put on a new set of tires. Now 12,000 miles later it appears I need to replace more tires. I have them rotated at every oil change. But I can now see obvious wear and it appears that the car is out of alignment, since it has a wicked shake at around 65 mph. Car is great but it is eating up the tires.

• 

  Soccer Dad - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By Joe Donoghue - September 28 - 11:33 am

  Ive driven the Ford Freestyle AWD SE model for 6 months now. I originally was looking for a small truck with a rear seat. I looked at the Ranger and with two young daughters that are still growing, I had an epiphany. I could only think of a few occasions that the truck would really be practical. Having come from driving a Jeep Cherokee and Toyota Tacoma4WD and Saab sedans I knew what all the different types of vehicles had to offer, first hand. Other than giving up the gas mileage of my Saab, Ive come to appreciate the roominess of the Freestyle even when, just last weekend I had me, my wife and two daughters, and three girlfriends, all were seated comfortably. Im happy with it.