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:

• 

  2013 Ford Taurus - 2013 Ford Taurus
  By Dan - July 27 - 7:50 am

  Purchased this 2013 limited used in 2014 and have owned it about one year. Nicest car Ive ever owned. It looks nice, drives well, is quiet and very comfortable. I havent had any problems with it. I average about about 24 to 25 MPG which I think is good for a car this size. Things that could be better are rear seat leg room, rear window visibility when backing up, speaker sound for the entertainment system. I changed the speakers to get the sound up to my standards. When backing up I do use the back up camera a lot so I think on this car its important to get this option. On balance I love the car and recommend highly.

• 

  161,000 MILES and still going - 2009 Ford Focus
  By cHaSech - July 26 - 10:14 pm

  I got this maybe two years ago, put a lot of good miles on it. Weve finally reached 161,000 miles and its still AWESOME!!! i get about 27.5 mpg I could be getting better mpg.. "bad driving habits" Mine personally doesnt have a lot of the features. I have cloth seats "normal staining".. Only real complaint is that the non-leather steering wheels is not in the best of condition.. The steering wheel is cheap rubberish crap, slowly coming apart. Everything else about the car is great! Been a huge blessing to be driving. Thanks!

• 

  My first car - 2005 Ford Focus
  By Taylor - July 25 - 10:20 pm

  This is my first car that I paid for myself. I bought it used for $7,000 at 120,000 miles. It was previously owned by the son of the car dealership owner so its basically still in brand new condition. Ive now had it for 3 years. Ive had to replace the alternator and battery and a part for the fan vents. It sticks and the cheap plastic piece broke so I couldnt use defrost because it was stuck on front vents. The interior is pretty much 100% cheap plastic and everything rattles and makes quite a bit of noise when driving, however, the car has never NOT gotten me where I need to go. On top of that, I love the fact that it has 5 cup holders. I also had the chance to test drive one of the newer Focus models back when I bought this car 3 years ago and noticed that the visibility in the 2005 was actually better in my opinion.

• 

  My "Gotta Have It Green" Dream - 2014 Ford Mustang
  By Magicsky@hotmail.com - July 23 - 9:26 pm

  I have always been a Mustang fan, and this 2014 model is as close to perfect for me as I could get. I purchased this convertible with 32,000 miles on it and have since put about 20,000 miles on it. It is very difficult for me to let it stand still in the garage. I love driving this car so much. I have driven a pick up, an economy car, luxury car and German sports car, and the Mustang is the best road handling of the bunch. The acceleration is incredible, the braking is strong, and the fuel economy averages about 23-24 in town. Driving with the top down brings you much closer to nature especially living in a place like Central Florida. It can get super hot outside, but it is difficult or me to not want to put the top down. This car definitely draws the looks of passers by and the admiration of others who have not realized their dream of Mustang ownership. So far, I have not had any mechanical issues to attend to. I purchased a Ford Factory Extended Warranty and so far it has gone unused.

• 

  2015 Ford Fusion SE 2.0 Echoboost FWD - 2015 Ford Fusion
  By Mark W. - July 23 - 5:14 pm

  I must preface this review with the fact this is my second Ford Fusion. My first one was a 2013 with the 1.6 Echoboost. I will not go into why I got rid of that car. I will refer back to the 2013 for differences I noticed. I have had the car for 8 months and 9K miles. First, the 2.0L Echoboost is a way better engine. It has real power over the 1.6L Echoboost. While the 1.6L got 37MPG on my drives from Raleigh to Philly, the 2.0L Echoboost gets 33MPG. Around town I usually got 28MPG with the 1.6L and 24MPG with the 2.0L. When all is said and done, I would take the 2.0L every time. Besides the fact the 2.0L jumps off a stop light like a rabbit, it is significantly quieter than the 1.6L. It is possible Ford improved the engine isolation from the 2013 model but all I know is my 2.0L 2015 engine is quieter than the 1.6L I had my the 2013 model. The reason I picked the Fusion is because it just drives better than everything else I tried, Accord, Camry, Sonata, and Optima. I did not try a Mazda 6 or the Malibu. The handling is superior. The steering is tighter. The interior is quieter. It also looks better. The power adjustable passenger seat is my wifes favorite feature. She is 5 foot nothing and needed a seat cushion when she sat in the passenger seat of my 2013. Without the power height adjustment, short passengers may feel like they are sitting near the asphalt. My car has leather, Nav, sunroof, Sync, backup sensors etc... So it is pretty loaded. It does not have AWD, blind spot detection, or the 110V plug in the back. Of all the options I have that I would not do with out is the back up sensors. We live on a cul de sac where every kid in the neighborhood plays. Even with the backup camera, the sensors have made the difference between a live kid and squashed kid. I could do without the navigation. It is not very fast and map updates are ~$140. My Garmin with lifetime updates was less than one map update for my Fusions Nav and it worked better. The voice commands only seem reliable if you are driving down a very smooth road or if you are stopped. My 2013, which was noisier but seemed to do a better job of recognizing voice commands. An earlier reviewer complained the Bluetooth was the issue. I think the issue is with the mics or the mic placement. My phone synced up fine over Bluetooth and I can stream music from my phone without any issues. I have an old i-pod connected over USB and the head unit works fine controlling it. One thing I dont like are floor mats. They are useless. Go to Autozoneor Wal-Mart and get some real floor mats. I work on my cars. Changing the oil is kind of a pain, because there is a huge aero-shield under the car that you have to remove to get to oil pan. If you dont change your oil yourself, then it may not be an issue for you. Also the 2.0L takes over 5qts of oil. If you go to Jiffy Lube with a coupon, expect to fork over a couple of extra bucks for an extra quart of oil. The 1.6L took ~4qts. Like most newer cars, changing your headlight bulbs is a major project. You have to remove the whole from fascia to replace the bulbs. Lately it seems most new cars have this design issue. I have not needed to do this but I did watch the u-tube video. Once I got the car, I added mud flaps I ordered off the internet for $15. You will need to remove the tires to put them on. I also ordered a carpeted mat for the trunk for $50. I got a black mat but I wish I ordered grey. The trunk is dark and it is easy to miss, until the next day, that pound of ground beef that slipped out of the shopping bag. The leather is OK. Not as soft as what you get in a Lexus but it is easy to clean. My guess it is really leatherette, a combination of ground leather and binding agents. Still better than vinyl. My 2015 has tan leather. It cleans fairly easily. I do it once every couple of weeks with a good leather cleaner. I did prefer the black leather I had on my 2013. I did have my windows tinted, hoping that blocking as much UV radiation as I can with the hope it will help preserve the interior. The NC summer sun can cook a car. In Summary - I really like the car. Would I buy it again. Yes...and I did.

• 

  Luv my Ex - 2002 Ford Excursion
  By Jack - July 18 - 11:08 am

  bumper paint and exterior plastic finishes are lacking

• 

  Why rated so negative? - 2015 Ford F-150
  By Lee - July 18 - 12:28 am

  I just got my truck and I am getting 17mpg in town and can hit 28mpg on flat freeway. It is doing everything I had hoped for. I cannot believe how strong the little V6 is. I think most people will opt for it after trying it out.

• 

  I couldnt be happier. - 2014 Ford F-150
  By Todd Christopher - July 14 - 9:03 am

  I am a repeat Ford F150 customer. My previous F150 I had for 11+ years. That truck was the replacement for an F150 that I drove for 9+ years. My trucks haul firewood, lumber, gravel, building materials, etc. My new purchase is the 14 STX Supercrew 5.0L with the Sport Package, and Tow Package. I have about 500 miles on the truck and my avg mpg is 19.5. My home is on the top of a mountain and I travel over a lot of country roads during my day. My biggest surprises are the amount of room in the crew cab and the mileage. The 5L V8 has plenty of get up and go. I chose the 5L V8 because of my concerns about the longevity of the turbo charged V6. Because I keep my trucks long past any extended warrenty I could buy, I decided that the proven 5L V8 was my best option. The interior appears to be well done. The bucket seats are comfortable as is the rear bench seat. The truck handles like a truck should. If you are looking for a car like ride then look somewhere else. That being said the handling on this truck is miles head of my previous F150. I actually had planned to purchase a different make but ended up back at the Ford dealership. So far, I couldnt be happier.

• 

  My first new car! - 2015 Ford Focus
  By Natalie - July 13 - 12:54 pm

  My parents bought me this car for my 18th birthday early 2015. As soon as I saw the car at the dealership, I knew it would be perfect. As a newer driver, I wanted to be driving a car that was not only easy to drive and gets good gas mileage, but is safe and comfortable as well. The Ford Focus Hatchback SE meets all those expectations. Originally we planned on getting a 2014 Ford Focus, but the 2015 was only about $1k more so we decided to get the newest model. The car itself is very sporty, with black and silver rims as well as paddle shifters on the steering wheel (for those who would like to drive the car in the optional sport/manual mode). The cloth interior is very durable and comfortable. The radio, bluetooth, and climate control are also user friendly for those who may not be used to having more technology in their car. Driving the hatchback is smooth, and especially quiet on the freeway or on bumpier roads. The one thing I found surprising in this car is the sensitivity of the accelerator you do not have to press down hard on it for the car to accelerate quickly. The only downside to the car is the leg room for the back seats. However, it wont matter as much if you are driving with one or two other people. There is a ton of trunk space, which can even fit a couple sets of golf clubs/bags. This car is great, and perfect for newer drivers and students.

• 

  Poormileage - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By Bill lever - July 12 - 1:27 pm

  I only got 21mpg a gallon.19950 miles on car gas mileage is terrible. It never went above 21mpg some trucks do better then this