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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  Love the flexibility - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By Happy pappy - February 6 - 3:14 pm

  We bought in Dec 2007. It had only 17000 miles and we have put about 13000 miles on it since then. Have had no problems, other than tire wear. We really like the flexibility and usefulness of the vehicle. Most people dont know what it is, especially if we say Freestyle. But anyone who has ridden with us compliments it. MPG little less than what it states, 18/22. We could do without AWD if it gets us better mpg. Inside materials feel cheap, but havent broken. Love the "command seating" and heated seats. Great for families because of flexibility to haul people and gear. DVD player wonderful for toddler, but blocks rear view. Will keep for long time, but like the looks of the Flex.

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  A graduation present - 2008 Ford Mustang
  By Ryne Mitchell - February 6 - 1:09 am

  As far as comfortably priced and comfortably equip sports/muscle cars go this is the best I have ever driven. With leather and an appearance package tacked on to this little V6 you dont need much more. With 210 horsepower (Id argue there was more) this V6 will kick any little 4 banger out there to the curb while not quite being dangerously powerful. If your looking for power and style with a reliable name and company look no further.

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  Great after the first year - 2000 Ford Focus
  By HS in FL - February 5 - 8:02 pm

  Purchased this car new in 2000. In the first year, we suffered through a few recalls and had the fuel pump replaced a couple of times. However, it seems everything has been fixed, because there have been no problems with the car since the warranty expired. It has only been in the shop for oil changes and other regular maintenance. Its not new anymore, but I cant justify getting a newer car when the old one is still reliable and gets very good gas mileage for an 8-year old.

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  Transmission Shot - 2003 Ford Escape
  By JeffP - February 3 - 8:26 am

  This was a bank repo that appeared to be well taken care of. My wife drives this and likes the way it handles in snow and bad weather. We have never had this vehicle off road or done any towing and now at 123,000 miles the transmission is slipping when its cold. Our mechanic says its about to go out and replacement with rebuilt tranny is about $3,500. I replaced my Winstar tranny too at about 60,000 miles. See a trend here with Ford transmissions. I do and will think long and hard before buying another.

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  100,000 miles in 3 years - 2000 Ford Focus
  By Kurtdoubleday - February 2 - 10:00 am

  A great car with a few problems, most recalls fixed things that I had replaced already. Fantastic summer & rain handling but buy top grade snow tires for winter. Fuel pump needed to be replaced because of a design flaw that Ford fixed in replacement. Still have original brakes with no troubles. Be careful slamming back tailgate, you may dent the door like I did. Avg. 28 MPG with highspeed (79 MPH) driving and hauling more stuff than I should.

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  Another great Ford product - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Don - January 31 - 12:50 pm

  I have owned this vehicle for over 5 years now and have had no major problems. It is serviced by my dealer every 5000 miles and washed and cleaned regularly as it should be. I have had no paint(black) or fading problems, in fact my dealer just detailed it and it looked like it did when it was purchased 5 years ago. I did have the plastic panel on the rear tailgate freeze up and crack at 52800 miles, but Ford and my dealer took care of the problem since it is a Ford design flaw.The vehicle is fun to drive and is usually the vehicle that is taken on longer trips and up until recently, we owned a full size Mercury, but this vehicle is much more fun to drive. My wife has no objection to driving.

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  Love it - 2007 Ford Edge
  By Tim - January 31 - 2:30 am

  I was very skeptical about buying the edge with all the reviews so I checked for myself. The ride is great, the braking is better than my Explorer :). Weve had it for about a month now and couldnt be happier. Everywhere I go people ask we "what is that?" All of my friends want to ride in it.

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  Great New Fusion - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By taylor_DTW - January 29 - 1:30 pm

  I bought this car in SE/I4/manual trim, two weeks ago, and Im very happy I did. Its fun to drive for a family car; in a whole different league from Malibu or Camry. The suspension and brakes are especially well done. The I4 is not overpowering, but it revs high and the manual transmission works great...feels good and the gears are tightly spaced. I also think its a beautiful car (on the outside...average on the inside), and it was inexpensive to boot. I always said if a US manufacturer builds a car that was good-looking and fun to drive with a manual transmission, I would give it a chance. Well, this is that car! Im very happy and would recommend it to anyone.

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  Great SUV - 1995 Ford Explorer
  By na - January 28 - 11:01 pm

  We bought our Explorer used from a millionaire my grandfather works for. It was stored in a garage most of its life. I love it, we had it for over a year and have done no maintenance on it except change the tires and oil. Its been very reliable for a Ford and now has more then a hundred thousand miles on it. The Explorer is a great car to have and is very good in the snow and I would recommend buying one.

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  Pretty Good - 2001 Ford Escort
  By FordOwner - January 28 - 6:51 pm

  I bought this car in 2004 with 35,000 miles on it. I have put 65,000 miles on it over the last five years. Up until the 90,000 mile mark it was an extremely good car, with nothing other than regular maintanence. The last year it needed brakes (pads, rotors, and drums), tie-rods, and a solenoid, all between $400 and $500 each. I always get over 30 mpg, usually closer to 35. Ride and handling are acceptable for a small car. Not much interior room, but enough for my 52" body. It has had intermittant problems shifting from park to drive when first started. Likes to stay in park or neutral. Have to bump shifter into neurtal, than back into drive for it to get into gear.