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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  Needs more pizazz - 2006 Ford Freestyle
  By Rick Perry - June 26 - 3:56 am

  My wife and I were looking at the Pacifica, when we stumbled across a Ford Freestyle. Until that time Ive never seen or heard of this vehicle. My wife took if for a test drive, fell in love with the handling and roominess of the interior. Admittedly I wasnt sold on the SUV until I started driving it. Now I have no regrets. The Freestyle is roomy and handles great. Impressed with the quite ride and comfortable. Im sold!

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  The Worst Vehicle I owned In 24 Yrs. - 2009 Ford Flex
  By vs - June 25 - 2:06 pm

  Bought 09 Flex on 1/21/09. From day one the truck was a nightmare. The truck spent more time in service than any car I driven in 24 years. The truck has a problem with its trans seals which leak. Brought it in to have it fixed only to have a worse leak. My husband had to bring it back because he said it could catch on fire. It has a problem with the brakes which make a noise and feel like something is wrong when braking. At first I was told that this is normal for a Ford but after insisting that it be rechecked. I was told to use my emergency brakes if I couldnt stop

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  Not a happy first time Ford owner - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By T Jessen - June 25 - 11:33 am

  Bought a Ford for the first time (Fusion SE) The car seemed to struggle as it automatically shifted through the gears. Dealer couldnt find a problem & the husband insisted there was. My husbands thought was to have them drive it for at least a 60 mile period as he noticed more on his work days. Manager took the car home, put a monitor on the car and suddenly the found a problem. They told us it was a defect in the transmission and they would replace it. Only 6500 miles? Warranty on the trans doesnt start over and some owners had 2 or 3 transmissions replaced. Defect on the fuel filler (new part installed.Took for granted my automatic lights on my buick. This 2010 Ford doesnt have them???

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  Its not a Lexus, but... - 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid
  By norcalgirl - June 24 - 9:04 pm

  The lease on my Lexus RX 350 was up, and I wanted to lower my lease payment and increase my miles per gallon. I looked at all of the hybrid alternatives out there, and chose the C-Max. Have had it for 2 weeks now, and Im happy with my decision. Im currently averaging 40 mpg with a combination of city and highway driving. Its fun to drive, handles well, corners better than the Lexus, and has just about all the bells and whistles one could want. My tall friends appreciate the headroom and legroom in the back seat. The interior is not as plush as the Lexus, but Im saving so much money that I dont care. Voice command is great, very easy to use.

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  Very Satisfied - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By Larry - June 24 - 2:43 am

  Ive only had my Mustang (Premimum V6) for two weeks and have totaly enjoyed it. I took a 500 mile trip, secondary roads and interstates, the second day I owned it, got 25 miles per gallon. I am very satisfied with the performace. The seating position is comfortable (Im 510"). The ride is very good at highway speeds. Very little wind noise. Transmission shifts very smoothly. The only real gripe I have is that the engine is little buzzy at low speeds (25 to 35 mph) before car warms up. I am very satisfied with the car.

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  My Escape - 2003 Ford Escape
  By SandraD - June 23 - 10:00 am

  People who are planning on buying an SUV that drives like a car should check out the Escape. It handles well and looks great!

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  Love this beast! - 2006 Ford Expedition
  By GrungeGirl314 - June 22 - 9:06 pm

  Ive owned my 06 Expedition for 9 of its 10 living years. I purchased with 32K mi. now at 167k mi. (she runs smooth). Had the typical wear and tear repairs. I also am a very rough driver, and "Big Bertha" has kept up. The only major issue is the back lift gate paint that bubbles (doesnt rust due to it being aluminum). Ive had it repainted, and will have to do it again, as I plan on keeping Bertha for at least another 4 years. This is a design flaw, and something any Expedition lover, like myself, needs to deal with to keep it looking fresh. There is plenty of room for the entire family and then some. I will definitely buy another Expedition when Berthas time is up!

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  Left Toyota for Ford - 2014 Ford F-150
  By Clayguy - June 22 - 4:00 pm

  We have owned several Toyota trucks/cars for over 25 years and it was time to buy a new truck. On a whim I stopped by a Ford dealership and drove a new F150 Supercrew cab. Impressive! I then went to a Toyota dealer and drove a new Tundra. I wanted the 6.5 foot bed which the Toyota dealer said they could order for me, but the salesman lacked any enthusiasm for going thru that process. The Tundra is a very nice truck, but I liked the interior layout of the F150 better, plus the gas mileage on the Toyota was not as good as the Ford. Yes, gas mileage is important even though gas prices have been comparatively low for well over a year. That will likely change. So, I went back to the Ford dealer, picked out the truck I wanted and drove out of their dealership a happy camper! The V6 twin turbo engine has PLENTY of power and is very quiet. The ride is extremely comfortable and I love the rear camera for backing as I sometimes pull trailers. My wife has a Toyota Highlander and wants to sell it and get an F150! I have had excellent service with Toyota trucks, so Ill have to wait and see if Ford is their equal in build quality, but so far, I love my F150! Have now had my F150 for almost 10 months and have almost 23,000 miles on it and have had absolutely no problems. I periodically tow a 2 axle flatbed trailer loaded with a tractor or a single axle trailer for my Harley and the V6 engine does a great job with no evidence of engine labor, and the backup camera is terrific! Ford advertises this engine (3.5L V6) at 24 MPG highway, and I suppose you could get that, but youd have to drive 50 MPH on flat ground at sea level to achieve achieve 24 MPG. I think all of the manufacturers have a very mysterious way of calculating mileage, so judging mileage by the window sticker is, as they say, "for comparison, as your actual mileage may vary". My only negative comment would be with the air conditioner; I wish it were a bit colder. Vehicle air conditioners were much better when they used Freon R-12, but under the governments false premise that R-12 depletes the ozone layer, were stuck with the vastly inferior R-134. The Ford A/C is probably no worse than any other, however. All that said, I still love my F150! Update: I now have almost 40,000 miles on my F150 and have had no real issues. Now that the engine is broken in, the gas mileage has improved. Every so often I have trouble pairing with my cell phone and it takes over an hour before it finally pairs. Strange. Because I bought the long bed version of my Super Crew cab, it is a bit more difficult to park in marked parking lots, but thats a decision I made based on stuff that I haul, so I accept that. My wife, not so much. Do I still love my F150? Yep!

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  Overall, a great car with tire problems - 2005 Ford Escape
  By EscapeinNY - June 21 - 8:20 pm

  I have had my 2005 Escape for a few months now and am very happy with it. I have had to bring it back to the dealer twice for tire problems. One of the front General Tires was defective (very wobbly ride) and the dealer replaced it with ANOTHER BAD TIRE! While this does not take away from the build qulality of the car, it is annoying to have to keep going back to the dealer. Aside from the tire problem, I have enjoyed driving the Escape. The newly designed front is a big improvement over the older models. The automatic 4X4 is a nice feature. I am tall (62") and sometimes feel a little cramped while driving.

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  Second Explorer-same problem - 2016 Ford Explorer
  By K Beaver - June 21 - 11:29 am

  This is our second Explorer. Bought the first one in July of 2014. Anytime you accelerated to pass a car or just sped up, there was a smell of exhaust fumes in the cabin. After many trips to the dealer and finally filing a complaint with Ford, they reacquired the vehicle in October of 2015 and we purchased a 2016 model. We were told that problem had been repaired on the 2016 model. That was not the truth. We are now going through the same process with a complaint. Not sure how this will turn out but will not have another Explorer. And that is really sad because we love everything about it with the exception of not being able to breathe when the cabin fills with exhaust fumes.