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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  cool dad - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By John Ronnebaum - March 30 - 4:03 pm

  My wife and I both love this vehicle. We first were looking at trucks and they had a Five Hundred in stock. We test drove it and fell in love with the comfort, the horsepower and the room it has. It has more leg room than our Windstar. Our three kids would rather ride in the car than the van. As far as power I wouldnt want to get on it on gravel. Luxury without the price. We have over 11,000 miles on ours; no complaints at all.

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  Review Ford ZX3 Hatchback - 2000 Ford Focus
  By Horstedt - March 30 - 10:00 am

  This is an excellent small car with good power (5 speed trans.),excellent manuver- ability,ample interior roominess,and very good styling. As a means of local and intermediate travel, it is an excellent choice. I have used it to travel from San Francisco to Oregon in comfort and safety (good breaks and air bags front and side).

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  Good car / Bad manufacturer - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By First Ford - March 30 - 10:00 am

  Brand new explorder-EB -> Good looking and smooth acceleration -> Having 3rd row seat is good but, when folded, it doesnt go flat -> When seats are folded, youll need cargo organizer. There are a lot of small holes. -> Expect a few trips to dealer to get the car manufacturing done. They dont seem to finish it at the factory.

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  Save your MONEY !! - 2001 Ford Taurus
  By mkvino - March 30 - 10:00 am

  I purchased a 2001 SES with the 3.0L 150HP V-6, that was mistake number one,no power to move around town or get on the Highway you have to downshift out of overdrive, transmission doesnt know what to do or how to do it. Plus the brakes suck, they should have came standard 4 wheel disc, I have to press sometimes so hard to stop normally that the ABS system kicks in and throws the family all over the place.Plus my power window is very noisy and the plastic bushings were shot already..Poor valu wait till you trade it in check the papers because there are tons for sale.

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  love it - 2002 Ford Ranger
  By AbyssmalPlain - March 30 - 10:00 am

  i bought my ranger in late august. i got it with about $2,100 in options (hard bed cover w/ bed liner, 4.10 rear diff., sport seats, running boards, power everything). its awesome. im always at the beach with it i love it. i would highly recommend it to someone

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  Taurus - 2003 Ford Taurus
  By Fazzes - March 30 - 10:00 am

  The car has a great comfortable interior and rides well on turns. Has a nice, sleek design.

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  94 Taurus GL Sedan - 1994 Ford Taurus
  By Philip - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car a while back because we needed a cheap second car for the daily commute. While it is cheaper than similar vehicles of other brands that are about this old, it is definitely not cheap to maintain. Repair bills in 6 months have been about equal to the purchase price, although I fear this may in part have to do with the previous owner not maintaining the car as he should have (still had original heater hoses on it - at 140,000 miles). Nevertheless, I think the car is still good value for the money, and gets me from A to B in a fairly comfortable manner.

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  1998 Contour SE - 1998 Ford Contour
  By Fixxer - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for a since Feb. 2002, and its been reliable and fun to drive. This contour has the 2.5 V6, which is a fast, high-performance engine. Handles well, brakes great and most of all, it passes cars on the freeway with ease.

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  108K and Still going strong - 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By jas74 - March 29 - 4:15 pm

  I purchased my 2009 escape hybrid from my company fleet department. It was driven by a colleague of mine for 99K. I took it to Ford for the 100k service, all it needed was spark plugs, cabin filters and Oil Change! Are you kidding me? She said the hybrids have less wear and tear than a normal ICE (Internal Combustion Engine). Yeah the handling and performance is not of a BMW X5, but how about that reliability! and 33-35MPG that I get consistently. Oh and the 100k service $400 bucks at the dealer. Not bad

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  Poor Gas Mileage - 2005 Ford Escape
  By Mike - March 29 - 10:46 am

  This vehicle has great comfort and exterior style. I find it hard to believe that FORD could not design this vehicle with better gas mileage. I am only getting 20 miles per gallon either in city or highway. This perhaps would lead me to a foreign vehicle for next purchase. FORD can do better. I come from a FORD family, and do enjoy this vehicle, but am utterly concerned with the gas mileage.