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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  No competition for the price - 2013 Ford Mustang
  By mustangdavey - July 15 - 7:05 pm

  Ill start off saying I might be biased, Im a second generation Mustang owner, and I hope this is my first of many. This car feels powerful, especially for the price. 325hp - and you can feel every pony (pun intended). Fuel economy is good, I get about 21-26 mpg highway, city can go down to 17 if its bad. It really does not feel under powered like the V6 Challenger does. Sequential turn signals are spiffy too. The one thing to be warned about, is if you are a lead foot like me, you can get some pretty scary axle hop as the suspension isnt independent like cars twice the price. And it is cruel and unusual to put adults in the back seat.

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  Decent - 2001 Ford Mustang
  By mikes201487 - July 14 - 1:41 am

  I got a 2001 Ford Mustang from a private owner. The previous owner didnt take care of it. Radio was broken so I had to replace it, she didnt do oil change for 4,000 miles left it. I bought the car at 156,577 miles. now has 159,000 everything is working fine. I love this one cuz of leather seats and its good fun to drive with windows down!

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  Good overall but not great - 2014 Ford Explorer
  By mark3840 - July 13 - 3:04 pm

  We like our Limited Explorer quite a bit. Good daily driver and good on trips. I would prefer the larger Expedition but the Explorer is all we need. Engine has to struggle to perform but it suffices. I imagine the larger ecoboost performs better but it only comes in Sport model. We paid just over $43k for MSRP of $50k - so good value for what it is. It rides well and has lots of features - but there are downsides as well.

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  Great Little Car - 2014 Ford Fiesta
  By thatguy91 - July 12 - 8:00 pm

  This is a commuter car for my girlfriend, we leased it for her to take to school and for us to use for road trips.The best thing about this car that we can agree on is the gas mileage which right now is at 31.2 and the sporty-ness of the car itself. Its very fun to drive even though I dont tend to drive it as much as she does. The biggest downfall to this car is the "quirky" transmission or so its called in reviews. I had one of the scariest moments when I was driving it through an intersection pressing down on the gas ,maybe a little hard but nothing my own car couldnt handle , and the car just would not accelerate pass 10mph. My car has never done that and I find it quite dangerous.

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  Drove my truck for 12 years, now it needs a clutch - 2002 Ford Ranger
  By 4wdona2wd - July 10 - 6:09 am

  My truck had not been in a shop for mechanical repairs till this year, it is 12 years old, it has over 150,000 miles. Took it to the shop, to get a clutch, and the mechanic said it didnt give him any trouble, however, it is starting to jam when I am shifting gears, so I will have to take it back. It has been on dirt mountain roads where only 4wd jeeps were spotted, and it has seen a lot of beautiful country all along the Blue Ridge, Smokies, and other great mountain terrain. This is one of the best vehicles I have ever owned.. If not the best.

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  Great to drive and comfortable, with some small issues - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By fusionownernj - July 9 - 5:33 pm

  I own a 2013 red Ford Fusion SE Automatic with the 1.6 Ecoboost engine. The car does a lot well, and drives way better than our 2012 Fusion. The engine averages well over 30 mpg on the highway, yet feels way gutsier than a 1.6 when accelerating, and it also sounds nice. The transmission works well, albeit the sport feature doesnt do much. Its nice that it comes standard with Sync, but the system doesnt always work as expected. So far, our only problem with ownership has been a fuel gauge that depletes way quicker than it should (will say it used 1/4 a tank after 10 miles). Its been to the dealer twice, and they cant figure out why it does this.

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  Our last Ford - 2013 Ford Escape
  By southtx - July 7 - 2:51 pm

  Just traded off our 13 1.6L Ecoboost with 28k miles after finally losing confidence in the vehicle. The stylish interior and Ford loyalty sold us to begin with, but the several recalls and follow-up notifications that the recall work might not have been done correctly took a toll (nine documented service events, and a handful of quick fix visits). While we had no problems at all with the navigation, the rest of the MyFordTouch system was even buggier than whats prominently mentioned in reviews. It never worked properly (or with any pattern of consistency) from the day the vehicle was new. Fuel economy was never anything near whats advertised. Wind noise was very bad.

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  Good Vehicle - 2013 Ford Escape
  By lee169 - July 6 - 7:06 am

  I did a lot of research on the 2013 Escape before buying and found lots of negative comments. I was seriously considering buying something else until I found a forum and found 300% more positive comments. I bought mine recently and heres some positive reviews. - MPG: go easy on the gas petal and you will get or exceed the EPA MPG. I drove mine around Houston then to Ft Worth and avg 30.3 and that was using turbo 2-3 times. - Recalls: Ford is trying to fix problems...recalls are good. Yes, they are annoying, but better fixed than nothing. - Everything else: Interior/Exterior trim is great. Seats CAN be comfortable, take the time to set them up properly. Overall great car!

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  Great Car - 2012 Ford Focus
  By cjames15 - July 3 - 2:37 pm

  I bought a 2012 ford focus SEL with 18,xxx miles on it and I only have problems with shifting every once in awhile. The MPG is wonderful. In city ill drive for power and acceleration and I still get 25 mpg. on Highway here in Alaska ill put on cruise at 74 mph and I got 43 mpg. LOVED THAT. Handles amazing on corners too. plus its all stock

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  2004 Ford Explorer XLT 4.6 @124,000 - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By flyhigh1988 - July 2 - 11:22 am

  Bought the truck in June of 2008 with 40K. Things I have absolutely had to replace:Rear axle bearing seal ($40), thermostate for radiator with seal (20), both front wheel bearings (250 a piece). Things that were wants not needs:Throttle body (700), cruise control cutoff switch (50), 4 motorcraft shocks and 8 ball joints total, front upper and lower and rear lower, front sway arm bushings (bushings wore out around 50K, buy moog bushings, Ford material is for the bushings is poor) ($600-700 for suspension parts) AC vent door components (300). AC was blowing cold air but the doors were stripped and the air was being blocked because they were not opening properly. This happened around 50K.