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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  2016 Fusion, back again for second tour - 2016 Ford Fusion
  By Paul South NJ - February 16 - 11:53 am

  I own a 2012 Fusion SEL with 162,000 miles which was a CPO, as is this car. It has been excellent and virtually trouble-free and it was time for a newer vehicle. I drive 40,000 miles a year for my sales job and comfort and reliability is paramount to me, along with an American brand when visiting jobsites that are riddled with Ram, Ford, and Chevy/GMC pickups. The last Fusion was Mexican built (as most are) and my new acquisition was built in Flint Rock MI. My 2016 is an SE with FWD and the 1.5 4-cylinder Ecoboost (no option was available in Edmunds to pick that model). The car has the Luxury and Tech packages, plus a sunroof, so its practically a Titanium save for the 2.0 Ecoboost motor and no Sony radio - but this unit is upgraded to ten speakers and sounds very good. This kept the price thousands lower due to the SE tag. I was nervous about the concept of Ecoboost when it first came about, but now about 5 years later feel comfortable. The car will not win any drag races, but its certainly adequately powered. No turbo lag that I can discern. I intend to run K & N air and oil filters and full synthetic Valvoline oil to help with power and turbo longevity. The aftermarket Fram air filter is $23, the K & N $50 and can be washed to reuse, so I figured, why not? The Fusion has a personality, unlike the Accord and Camry, with a sporty feel, and the touchscreen interface (now upgraded in 2017 models onward) is not tough to master despite some rough reviews on the various car websites. I do miss the large knobs of the 2012 Fusion radio, but at least this unit still has them. Also, the touch buttons of the climate control and seat heaters were changed to real buttons in 2016, with redundancy in the touchscreen as well. I am a big fan of the turn signals within the side-view mirrors, and the auto-dimming drivers side view (and rear view) are godsends to me at night. But I miss my change drawer----yes, some of us still pay cash for tolls and parking meters! The sunroof shade is still flimsy, but at least there is no "bleed" of light through the leading edge anymore. LED interior lighting is a big upgrade. The basic leather seats are excellent so far. New headrests are a giant improvement. I think the electric steering is a bit overboosted and provides less road "feel" than before. Center console, door pockets and glovebox are all substantially increased in capacity. Trunk is deeper but a bit narrower due to the old-school hinges for the lid. The headlights are outstanding and a huge improvement, even without using the fog lights. First tank of gas MPG was just under 30 with mostly highway driving at 75-80 MPH. I had it as high as 31 when I was keeping to 55-60 on country roads.

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  Get up and go the cheap way - 1996 Ford Crown Victoria
  By Marsha Colucci - February 16 - 7:23 am

  I can drive from south Lawton, Oklahoma to Mobile, Alabama on $50.00 for gas. This car does not use any oil. I had to do little work to this car. I have bought 2 batteries, upper ball joints on front (both), shocks all around, belt, and gas cap. I bought this car in 2005. It had 23000 miles and looked new. It needs a paint job as the paint is fading but I have never had a car as good as this one. I have several people tell me if and when I want to get rid of it to let them know. They are amazed of the gas mileage. I have traveled with other people, they were in their car, I was in mine, they had to stop for gas and every third stop I would fill up only using half a tank. They were amazed. That was from south of Lawton, Oklahoma to Mobile, Alabama. Great Car!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  So far....love it - 2002 Ford Focus
  By TCT - February 16 - 2:00 am

  So far love the car.....liquid gray ZX5 Premium with automatic.

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  A very good vehicle - 2001 Ford Focus
  By FocusZTS - February 16 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I puchased this vehicle in May of 2001 and have been very pleased with every aspect of the vehicle. I would highly recommend the Focus to anyone purchasing a car in this class. The motor is a peppy, powerful 2.0 liter twincam. Combine this with a chasis that is tight and fun to drive and what more could you ask for! The interior is well laid out and the condition of all the materials has been remarkable. (this coming from two former import owners!)

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  Fixing it all the time - 2001 Ford Explorer
  By guy from NH - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Very comfortable, but has been in the shop over 10 times everything from the steering rack to sensors. Will never buy one again. Extended warranty has turned out to be worth it with this vehicle!!! Nobody should have to be paying a hefty car payment and hefty repair bills at the same time. Actually had smoke pouring from the steering column once. The multi- function switch apparently melted!!!

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  truck sucks - 1999 Ford Explorer
  By wolfie47 - February 16 - 2:00 am

  i bought this vehicle with 12000 miles, needed new engine after 19000 miles, have 37000 currently and it already needs a new engine, i use mobile one full sythetic oil with wix filter, and run fuel cleaner every 4000 miles, and the engine is already breaking down. The tranny is also slipping while driving.

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  taken for a ride - 2004 Ford Ranger
  By e dodson - February 16 - 2:00 am

  GO GET A TOYOTA, THEY ARE CHEAPER AND THERE TWICE THE TRUCK. AND BEST OF ALL YOU WONT HAVE TO DEAL WITH DISHONEST PEOPLE. IF YOU JUST HAVE TO BUY A FORD TRUCK STAY AWAY FROM HAYWARD FORD, OR YOU COULD BE VERY SORRY LIKE ME.

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  Even great crashed - 2003 Ford Taurus
  By schenkelini - February 16 - 2:00 am

  I just lost my SEL in a crash with a truck this week. All of the things they say about the safety of this vehicle are true, we had no serious injuries. I loved the car. I changed out the tires for V speed rated tires and that put the handeling at a much higher level. I haul kids a lot and the room inside is great. We have even squeezed 4 in the back a few times. I really miss my car. I have been pouring over the specs of new vehicles to see if I want to make a change. I dont see anything else that offers the combination of features, performance, of safety for anywhere near the price.

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  An underated Yank!!! - 2000 Ford Taurus
  By Ponsonby - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Being a Brit now living in Kansas City with my Kansan Wife. I have looked really carefully at buying a larger car to compliment our 2.4 Litre Grand-Am for longer journeys. I wanted something that had reasonable performance (200 bhp is enough with your strict speed code here), an overhead cam engine for less friction and better fuel consumption and reliability, plus ease of servce and parts availability. The overall impression of the car is that I am really pleased with it. Typically with a 4 valve engine, you have to rev it mid-range , but where a pushrod engine fades out at about 5000 r.p.m, this kiddy starts getting interesting.

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  The Best - 2003 Ford Mustang
  By Shad Moss - February 16 - 2:00 am

  The Greatest car ever Everyone one Cause I love it