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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  Overall Good SUV - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport
  By wbjeffers - January 12 - 6:30 am

  I have owned my explorer sport for almost a year now and have put 15,000 miles on it thus far. For a V6 with only 200 horsepower it moves when you punch it. The only complaint I have is that I kinda regret not getting the 4 doors for the added convenience but I am happy with it. Its been reliable and fun to drive. I average 20 mpg with combined city/highway driving. The 6-CD player works great and have had no mechanical problems at all. Ford does make a good SUV.

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  140K miles- one owner. read this one! - 2012 Ford Taurus
  By mike Gooding - January 12 - 3:48 am

  What a pleasant surprise! I have been a honda/toyota fan, but for work went with the Taurus for size and 6 cylinders. To date, other than maintenance items, only the oxygen sensor went this week! 268 dollars for the repair. I am still on the original brakes! It is a very comfortable cruiser at highway speeds with plenty of punch to enter highway traffic. Only real drawback is the rake is so steep you drag the front plastic apron on every driveway. Oil changes are every 7500, with a blend, so about 70 dollars a change. Great value, good style, you really cant go wrong with this one.

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  Impressive! - 2008 Ford Focus
  By Tim - January 12 - 1:40 am

  My family always bought Fords until the mid 1980s. Then as we noticed quality was falling we migrated to Hondas and we do still like them. That said we did much research on acquiring a new small comfortable fuel efficient car. We looked at Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc. The Ford Focus stood out and I have to admit I am really happy. I never understood how we Americans could not build a car as good as the Germans or Japanese. The Sync system is fantastic and promotes safety. Fuel economy is great and the car seems well built.

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  62 yrs old and 1st ford ever - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By vegas75044 - January 11 - 6:20 pm

  had this fusion hybrid a month now and a great decision. With the fed tax credit and dealer discount the hybrid extra cost is well worth it. I am getting better mileage than advertised- about 43 city and 42 hwy. The battery is warranteed for 100,000 miles. This car is super smooth and quiet on the road. Great handling. I have had new cadillacs and corvettes and super sports and I am liking this car more for far less money. So many things are standard on this car that i got the base model with more equipment than what came on my super sport. This fusion is everything ford bragged it to be and more. Very happy with it

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  Good Car - 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By BettyH - January 11 - 3:10 pm

  This car is very nice. I live in the hilly pacific northwest and the AWD is flawless, making the ride fill easy. Exelnt Fuel Economy and the Parrel park assist just add to the list. I have rear ended people 4 cars last year and have yet to do any now with this tool.

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  Nice truck - 2006 Ford F-150
  By Chris - January 11 - 6:50 am

  Truck is nice and fun to drive. 6 cylinder is a little sluggish. Suspension a little rough. Paint is thin and chips easily.

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  Just wait until you warranty is over - 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By Natalie - January 10 - 8:01 pm

  Car was great until 36000 miles! Since then its been a huge money pit- battery and electronics randomly stop working which caused it to be undrivable and dangerous (250), airbag sensor goes off which cost 600 to fix and now the abs is out so that will be another 1400- all in the last 2 months! I will never buy another ford.

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  "Rolls Royce" truck!! - 2014 Ford F-150
  By steve stacker - January 10 - 2:37 pm

  put a cap shell on the bed, with sprayed in bed liner, "slide a bed aftermarket options"

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  Must get the standard transmission. - 2013 Ford Focus
  By Sean - January 9 - 6:21 pm

  Matted to the 5 speed standard gearbox this car is an excellent "drivers car". The transmission is easy to shift and very smooth although not as refined as some European offerings. The car handles well and acceleration is excellent. This car was reading 165 WHP on a dyno- completely stock! Those are very impressive numbers for a car that is getting 30+ miles to the gallon and an excellent start if one was to consider tuning the vehicle. The interior feels like a much more expensive car than it really is. My only gripe is with the Ford My Touch System- it can be very frustrating and difficult to use at times- even three years after owning the car. Also, this car gets a lot of knocks because of the automatic transmission that most came with.. well if you cant row you own gears I dont feel bad for you. If your buying a 4 cylinder vehicle with an automatic transmission Im not really impressed with your decision making skills. A standard is always the better choice with a smaller engine.

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  Ford got it right - 2009 Ford Flex
  By Jim - January 9 - 6:16 am

  I first saw the flex online and was intrigued by the look. My wife and I do not have a family, however we do have a big dog and are going to get at least one more. We also go on drives to the wine country with our friends and need room. I have driven a lot of Fords including my last car (Explorer) which I hated--really bad MPG, sluggish, and cheap interior. The Flex is the opposite. They are finally putting some emphasis on quality and luxury feel in this car-especially the interior. The Sync system is great, the interior (ours is black leather) is sharp and very comfortable. Many people have made comments about the car and how impressed they are