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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  Six years, 76000 miles - 2005 Ford Crown Victoria
  By sk8teacher - September 23 - 3:15 am

  Bought new in Sept 2005. Had every option available for the LX, and was over $30k. Got a really great deal and have loved the car. We live 45 miles outside of DC and average 22-23mpg mixed driving, and 26-28mpg highway. You can ride all day and never get tired. Very smooth ride. Use the cruise control on the highway or you will find yourself going well over the speed limit it is so smooth and effortless. It still amazes me how much you can get into the trunk. At 21 cubic feet, it is huge! If you can find someone willing to part with theirs, buy it. You wont be disappointed.

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  Zippy - 1995 Ford Contour
  By bquiner - September 23 - 2:00 am

  This car has almost always performed superbly. It still has all of its zip after 85,000+ miles. The leather interior is very nice. No major mechanical repairs have been required.

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  Fun Lovin Truck - 2000 Ford Ranger
  By kjhinds - September 23 - 2:00 am

  I am glad a purchased my Ford Ranger over a Toyota Tacoma because of the comfort factor. The Toyota was not comfortable at all. The only dissappointing thing about Ranger is the trucks 3.0 engine. It does OK but it is no powerehouse. Fuel economy is nice. It is fun to just drive the truck around. I have to keep the keys hid or my wife will take it instead of her Jeep Grand Cherokee.

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  Had enough - 1997 Ford Escort
  By hopping mad - September 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in brand new in June of 1997. I have had nothing but problems with it. At 18000 miles the drive shaft belt went and crank shaft. Luckily it was still under warrenty. At about 20,000 miles the check coolant lite went on and stay on. So far I have had a new radiator installed, new rear rotators put on and new cv joints which still are not working right. Plus new brakes. As far as I am concern I am ready to trade this car in.

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  Fun to drive - 2000 Ford Escort
  By 4-wheeler - September 23 - 2:00 am

  Ford Escort/ZX2 is fun to drive. Thats the general idea my review is based on. Performance is pretty good for 2.0L with 130 "horsies" inside. Mine is equiped with 5-speed manual transmission which allows me to keep the engine at high RPM whenever I want. The most valuable feature for me is that ZX2 is perfectly designed for heel- and-toe downshifting. Gas and brake pedals are positioned so close to each other that it is possible to use only an outside edge of a foot to blip the throttle while braking hard. Power steerig also greatly improves passing the turn at high speed.

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  inexpensive? i think not - 1994 Ford Probe
  By Lysabet - September 23 - 2:00 am

  the transmission in my 94 probe se failed at 80k, and cost 3k to fix it, which is more than the value of the car. other than normal maintanence ive replaced the O2 sensors twice, the entire exhaust system, and too many engine parts to write the air conditioning is the only thing in my car that has been reliable. plus, i have a clean driving record and the insurance is expensive. its an inexpensive "sports car", however the repairs and parts are super expensive. unless you can do the work yourself, or have an awesome mechanic, youll be spending lots of cash to keep the car on the road.

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  Escape - Not a Ford - 2001 Ford Escape
  By TWC - September 22 - 10:00 am

  Things to consider berfore buying: 1.Re-sale - Carmax offered me $18,000 for a 2002 XLT 10,000 miles with every available option (list new was $26,000). Resale is affected by recent poor crash test results in which Hyundai Santa Fe fared better. 2.Mini-spare tire on an SUV is stupid. 3.Drum brakes on rear (its not 4 wheel disc brakes) so braking is not one of its strengths. CR-V and Santa Fe have 4 wheel disc brakes and real spare tires. 4.Overall cheapness of the Escape. 5.Uncomfortable seats. 6.Thin paint Ford has become noted for. Obviously cost-engineered to the max by Ford. Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!

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  High Priced Junk - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Mike_A - September 22 - 10:00 am

  I have had it less than a year and its been in the shop 3 times. First the dealer sold me the bad Firestone tires which needed a recall. Next was the power stearing pump when out and the third was my oil pressure guage went haywire and come to find out almost all of the oil sensors had to be replaced. I have the 4x4 loaded model and baby it, dealer oil changes, garaged parked at work and home, never in snow/mud/rain completely taken care of. And the wind noise is unbearable at times, everyone that rides in it makes the same commit "what is that noise". The first chance to unload it for the loan amount its sold....any buyers???

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  Low score on reliability - 2000 Ford Taurus
  By formerCamryowner - September 22 - 10:00 am

  Shortly after purchase, I found the A/C barely functioned on a trip from CA to AZ. Spent part of my vacation taking care of this problem. On another trip, eng coolant light kept coming on. Turned out to be a sensor, but I lost travel time checking it out and it took the dealership 1 1/2 days to fix. On a recent trip to Las Vegas, a/c was making a terrible noise. L.V. dealership said it was O.K. to drive back to CA, but local dealership said this was bad advice because a/c was "coming apart" and parts could have gotten in my engine. Took them 4 days to pretty much rebuild the a/c.

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  Tempo is good - 1993 Ford Tempo
  By Rygel7 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  The ford tempo is a good quality reliable car that will always be what you need. Its sporty outside makes it for a good get around town car,e xpecially at high milages