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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  Why am I driving a Ford? - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By T in Miami - October 5 - 10:27 pm

  Honeymoon period was over too quickly. Although I love driving it--great pick- up at start up and highway--the problems soon began. Electrical malfunctions: Windows, power seats get stuck when adjusting, a/c sometimes dose not turn on, etc. But the worst-- the transmission. The transmission rises to 2 revolutions and revs there all by itself. It gets stuck in 2nd, and I often (more often lately)have to pull over. Car also turned off (at 25 mph) while driving and all functions were stuck--very scarey when steering and brakes dont work! Technicians finally reparied after three weeks-- say it can happen with any car. I dont buy that.

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  Great car - 1992 Ford Explorer
  By Matthew Smrzlick - October 5 - 11:03 am

  We purchased this car with 150,000 miles. It now has 364,000 miles and if still going fine except for the transmission and transfer case. It is so shot that it actually causes it to overheat while trying to shift. You have to drive it like a manual. You start off in first and work your way to drive. It actually makes this humming noise like it is an electric car. Other than that it runs fine.(We can only go to school and back though or else it over heats). The only other complaint is that the windows fall off the tracks too much and we have given up trying to keep the on track. Also the locking mechanism in the door handle fell out and had to be replaced and the hinge is messed up.

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  Had Better - 2000 Ford Focus
  By Mavwreck1975 - October 5 - 10:00 am

  I have had four Fords before this car and I can easily say this is the only one Im not satisfied with. I bouth it used with 20k on it. At 25k, a bad vibration started coming from the rear wheels. Now at 34k, the headlights turn on and off randomly and the automatic transmission slips out of gear when the lights shut off. Oddly this problem has no effect on the engine. My two Crown Victorias and my Escort were much better cars.

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  Just Purchased - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By sparty98_gw - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Put this car on your list of cars to test drive. Several reviews complain about the CVT "feel" and power. Being from the automotive industy and an enthusiast I can tell the difference, but the execution is much better than other manufacurures CVTs I drove 3 years ago. My wife did not know it was a CVT until I told her. The average driver will not know unless they really push the car to accelerate hard and then they might notice the engine noise a bit. The interior space and layout are top notch. The handling dynamics are excellent for a car like this and the break feel is especially good. Goodby SUVs, hello MPG.

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  Wear your Mouthguard - 2010 Ford Transit Connect
  By BMW - October 3 - 11:23 pm

  I love the design of these, although the ride quality could use some major improvement. The engine is capable, although takes quite a while to get it to Freeway speed. With the air conditioning on it really saps the power too. I have been dropping it out of overdrive to gain more power with the A/C on. The transmission seems quite capable and makes up for some of the little engines deficiency. After driving the TC for 5 months I have come to really dislike the suspension qualities. Every tar strip and bump is felt. It smooths out a little at freeway speeds, but at slower speeds, there are noticeable rattles and squeals. Ford needs to get with Bilstein shocks for some suspension refinement.

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  Needs a few minor changes - 2008 Ford Escape
  By Oz Raper - October 3 - 7:03 pm

  Overall a nice little SUV. Tends to be a little more top heavy than on other SUVs I have driven. I do like the fact that it feels bigger on the road than it really is. Visibility is good in it. Feels solid when you driving. My mileage is around 23 on the highway and goes from 17 to 20 in town. Not great but for an SUV, its adequate.

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  A real looker! - 2003 Ford Mustang
  By tersian - October 3 - 2:00 am

  This Mustang body style is my favorite of the last 30 years. I cant stop just staring at the car. I was going to buy a truck, then a VW, but I decided to test drive the GT, and I was hooked. For the price, you cant get any better pony car anymore. With lots of aftermarket goodies, you can easily make one of these 300hp+, which is good enough for me for a daily driver.

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  King of the pullers and hawlers - 1998 Ford Expedition
  By Ken - October 2 - 5:00 pm

  We bought this vehicle (new) to replace a 91 Chevy Suburban (which started falling apart after 65K miles). Its primary mission was to pull a 4000# boat and haul kids and hockey gear. It has been a great vehicle. It has been an everyday driver for my wife and she likes the automatic all wheel and four wheel drive features in the winter. I love it when I have 2 adults, 5 big teenage boys on board, full fuel, bags and pulling a boat easily at 70mph. Of course I dont look at the fuel computer because it is really depressing. But it gets the job done easly.

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  Very reliable - 2008 Ford Fusion
  By Chris - October 2 - 7:53 am

  Overall the car has been very reliable. Its been 4 years now that Ive had the car and i only have a few complaints but none that are major. My few complaints are the cheap quality paint and the cheap interior. I take good care of my car and since the time Ive had it the paint has started to form rust bubbles and is chipping on the trunk. My windshield sprayer stopped working, passenger side dash is popping up along with the plastic piece on the windshield vent. However im very pleased with the powertrain. Its been very reliable and still runs like ot did the day i bought it. I got it with 65k miles on it and it now has 138k miles and is still running strong. I havent even had to have a tune up on it yet. The 3.0 V6 is a great engine with some good pep to it. The transmission has been very reliable too.

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  Money Pit - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By Daniel - October 1 - 11:53 pm

  Well I bought the car and loved it untill the gas prices really started going up. The car acurally gets decent gas mileage if you baby it and drive it slow. However once we found out we had a child on the way I opted to trade it in on a 4 door until I realized how bad the trade in value was. For a car that cost $29,000 with only 16K miles and less than 2 years old I was offered 18K by the dealership. So Im stuck with a nice car that didnt hold up its value at all.