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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  The Mustang GT needs new seats - 2002 Ford Mustang
  By Robert Atkins - August 8 - 2:00 am

  The cloth seats in the Mustang GT are horrid. I am 62 - 63 and for the first week or so when I bought the vehicle I had a hell of a time getting comfortable. I am okay with it now. I have not sat in the premium with the leather seats but if it is anything like the Mercury 2002 Couger the leather seats are probably a lot better. If not for the seating I would rate the interior and comfort higher. Other than the seat I love the car.

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  Decent car but nothing special - 2017 Ford Escape
  By Ron - August 7 - 10:34 pm

  This is my review of the SE edition with 4wd, only other options are heated seats and remote start. Have only owned this car for about a month so I cant comment on long term reliability, but so far, it rides decent enough and theres no squeaks or rattles. I like the styling inside and out, and I have the base engine, but for my purposes, it gets the job done. If you want zoom zoom, get a bigger engine in this car. Esacape, in my opinion, is not a family hauler, its more of a 1 or 2 person car as the rear seat legroom is anemic to say the least (e.g. you have to push a button to fold down the headrest on the rear seat so you can fold down the back seatback to put more stuff in it, or the headrest will hit the front seat. Really Ford? This is an SUV, not a Ford Focus. Another major issue (to me), is the really foolish eco mode which turns off the engine when you fully stop, say at a stop sign, then restarts the engine when you take your foot off the brake. You can turn this mode off by pushing a button, but the default mode is on, so you have to push the button every time you drive the car to turn it off. Apparently Ford likes to annoy its customers. Everyone I have talked to who owns a Ford with this mode, says they dont want it, and shut it off (even an employee at the Ford dealer where I bought my car :-). Also, this mode has to put xtra wear and tear on your starter and battery. The cruise control buttons should swap places with the display controls for gas mileage, etc. would be easier to see and use. And the heater/air conditioning controls, well, theres way too many buttons, this could have been simplified. The backup camera screen is rather small, and recessed into the dash too far, this doesnt affect me, because I really dont use the backup camera very much. My wifes Equinox is bigger than the Escape, has more back seat room and rides much better over bumps and has a bigger backup camera screen. As far as Sync is concerned (this car doesnt have sync 3), I dont use a cell phone with it so I cant comment on that part of it, but I did put around 2.5k mp3s on a USB stick and hook it up. The voice commands leave a lot to be desired with a USB stick. Mainly, the commands it recognizes are few and far between, and the parser/search engine is rather rudimentary. For instance, I told Sync to play the song Pretty Woman. After searching, it came up with the Van Halen song, but not the Roy Orbison song whos title is Oh Pretty Woman. I should have recognized that Pretty woman was part of the title and gave the option as to which I wanted. And also, Sync doesnt recognize folders, and all my songs are neatly organized In folders, so that doesnt work, so I simply have to resort to searching for the folder I want with the buttons. You have to pay $1400 to upgrade to SYNC 3 (with other options in a package), or buy the Titanium edition which costs 5k more. You can get a 9 inch touchscreen with wifi in almost all Chevys as standard equipment??? I still like the Escape, but it has its shortcomings. BTW, im 70years old, and have owned many new cars. They all have their good features, and their faults. I think they made the escape a little too small, and went overboard on Eco mode, which looks to me like a gimmick. Time to update this review after going through the winter months. The 4 wheel drive system works well in the snow and slush, much better than the front wheel drive vehicle it replaced. Dont believe what you may read on certain web sites that all that matters is having winter tires on a vehicle (that would make it better though), the 4 wheel drive or an all wheel drive does make a difference in starts,stops and handling in snow or slush. On ice, nothing will help that much except chains or studded tires which are not allowed on highways anymore. However, this Escape is abysmal when it comes to riding over rough, rutted urban roads. You feel every bump, and the car tends to rock from side to side when going over ruts, not very pleasant. My wifes Equinox has a much smoother ride over the same kind of conditions. Seems when buying a vehicle, you either get a smooth ride, or better handling/cornering so it depends on your priorities. Another winter thing: I have a factory installed remote start, and it starts fine with the remote, however, it doesnt default to the heater settings you had when you turned the car off. I leave the front window defroster on to de-ice the windshield and warm the car interior when using the remote start, and it does warm the car, but the front vents do not go to the windshield. When I get in the car and turn on the key, the heat does go to the windshield. Who buys a remote start for the winter months and doesnt want their windshield cleared of ice or fog? This is one of the 2 main reasons for having it in the first place! Poor implementation by Ford.

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  Ford swayed me from Imports - 2008 Ford Fusion
  By FindlayFusion - August 7 - 10:00 am

  I admit it. Im an Import car man. I have always liked the European and Japanese way of making cars. Tight, solid, good handling & performance, decent styling. However, Ford won my heart with this car. I looked at everything available from every manufacturer and in my opinion, nothing came close to the Fusion for value. I love my cars styling. Its striking whereas to my eye, the Japanese and European cars have all the same styling excitement of a toaster. The fit, finish, and build quality is excellent. The ride & handling, standard features, options and comfort of this car is really very very good. I am 42 and finally I am truly excited and proud of my new American car!

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  Great Car, Horrible Customer relations - 2008 Ford Taurus X
  By rbuse46 - August 6 - 10:26 am

  This car is everything I was looking for, I love it. Shortly after buying it I went on a trip and noticed a burning electrical smell, turned out the passenger side mirror mirror frame rippled and melted. Got it fixed under warranty when I got home. 2 months later, it happened again. This time, they took pics and sent them to Ford. While awaiting the outcome, the drivers side mirror started to do the same thing. Ford will not fix it.They say its vandalism! After hours on the phone and sleepless nights, Ive gotten nowhere. Ive taken it to an independent body shop and they are positive that something is overheating on the inside and causing the problem. Next step is Consumer Protection.

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  6th vehicle like this from Ford - 2000 Ford Crown Victoria
  By randy - August 6 - 1:33 am

  This car style and model was always my ideal car, and when I finally bought my first one I could only one another and continued to upgrade till I have the current one I now have. Although I liked my 1997 model better than this one, only because it had all of the options and it was everything you could dream for in a luxury car and the electronic dash, I just love with the exceptional features it provides. This car is a road car fit for a tall man at 65" and needing comfort for travel. It is a highly reliable car that cannot be matched by any other car I can see on the road today. Sure it is not perfect, but I enjoy this car and hope FORD does not drop this car; it is the car to have.

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  Best bang for the buck! - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By Thomas - August 5 - 8:06 pm

  This car is the most exciting fun vehicle I have ever owned. It turns heads with its styling and not only performs well off the line and accelerating at higher speeds as well as taking off ramps, but also with the fantastic sound system!

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  New Mustang - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By Sunniebunnie - August 5 - 5:00 pm

  The new 2005 Mustang is awesome. It is so much fun to drive and you wouldnt believe how many times I have been stopped by people telling me how beautiful the car is.

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  Classic American V8 road car - 2003 Ford Crown Victoria
  By crunkcar - August 5 - 3:13 pm

  This car is so comfortable for long trips that I prefer to drive 12 hours rather than take a 2 hour flight. When I turn the key, the satisfying V8 burble soothes my ears and I wonder how anyone can stand the sewing machine whine of a V4 Japanese engine in a cramped little Honda or Toyota. The dashboard is plain and functional- oil gauge, temp gauge, and a speedometer, with a compass above the rear view mirror; there are none of the electronic gimmicks that other cars are tricked out with.

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  If your serious about Sirius/xm radio, forget it - 2016 Ford Escape
  By Jeanette hurt - August 5 - 2:58 pm

  Ford will not fix the Sirius/xm radio problem. So, after 6 months we traded it in for a Jeep Chakee

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  Six weeks with 2007 Ford Focus - 2007 Ford Focus
  By RingtownJoe - August 5 - 6:43 am

  After several test drives of vehicles in this class of car (be realistic and dont expect a Toyota Avalon) it seemed to be the best choice. I was looking for a run here run there car. At 1500 miles average about 27 mpg rural/highway mileage. I dont live near large city so no actual city miles. Good road feel, handling and ride for compact car. Power sufficient (2.0L auto) even in hilly area of PA but does have to downshift often. Only problem was towed back to dealer when engine shut off and wouldnt restart.Took dealer 2 days to fix problem. Dont believe this to be a common problem. Matter of fact tow operator did state Focus is not high on his list of customers but lowered my reliability rating.