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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  2005 Ford Freestyle - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By oakley1 - April 11 - 3:23 am

  Great gas mileage. Comfortable to drive. Not too pleased with the interior. Had a 2002 Explorer XLT, interior was first class; the Freestyle has a lot of low-grade plastic and the seat controls are weak. Would also like the tailgate window to open. Very comfortable on trips, stable in wind and rain.

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  Fun to Drive - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By Doug Taylor - April 10 - 3:03 pm

  I have not been disappointed. This Mustang is Fun to Drive. It has get up and go, corners beautifully, and isnt bad at the pumps. The sound system is superb and easy to use. If you desire a head turner this is your car. For comfort I have enjoyed every mile Ive put on. It rides like a sports car and you will feel the bumps in the road but to me that is ok! This vehicle has my highest recommendation. Buy one and you will enjoy every minute in it

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  Flex almost perfect - 2009 Ford Flex
  By clanger8525 - April 10 - 9:53 am

  Just got our Flex. Took some time as we must have been one of only a few people that wanted the Limited AWD with middle row bench. Came out of an LR3, so we are getting way better mileage. 17-24 is great for a 7 passenger vehicle. Way quieter and a better drive than an 09 Pilot (our only other serious contender) Super comfortable, and the Sync Nav system is awesome. My only complaint - The door clearance is only 9.5 inches, so its highly likely well be scraping the curb on a regular basis. To put this in perspective, my Porsche 911 has 11.5" of clearance - so I consider that a real problem that people should know about when making their buying decisions

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  Not too bad for Fords first attempt - 2005 Ford Escape
  By Camper - April 10 - 9:53 am

  Living in Michigan, you get dirty looks and raised eyebrows if you dont buy American. Michigan is also very spread out, with my daily commute being 35 miles each way, mostly freeway. This SUV is just a regular 4 cylinder car at freeway speeds (70 mph), with no benefit of fuel economy. Engine sounds terrible at 70 mph. But it is great for city driving (particularly stop and go traffic). Ford says the towing capacity is only 750 lbs., which is very non-SUV like. We would not buy this again. Toyota Highlander hybrid is coming, and we are trading in the Ford for Toyota. The Toyota is much more comfortable and can tow our 1500 lb. pop up camper. So much for the eyebrows.

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  205,000 miles still ticking - 2002 Ford Taurus
  By John - April 10 - 2:27 am

  IV owed this car for 15 years now with 205,000 miles its still going. Had to put a junkyard transmission in it not too long ago, and a $17 oil preasure switch and a new tensioner but its to be expected at that age and miliage. Idles a bit rough when first started but like I said shes old been from Maine to Florida, Alabama now Tennesee. With age and wear and tear you can expect to have repairs. Its been a great car.

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  Nice sporty and family car - 2008 Ford Edge
  By musict39/new york - April 9 - 3:33 pm

  I love the nav, bluetooth..fully loaded. Great on the road. Wish it had a 3rd row seating then I would have been fully satisfied.

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  Back in a Mustang after 41 years - 2015 Ford Mustang
  By CharlesS. - April 9 - 3:28 pm

  My previous Mustangs were a 69 Shelby drag pack car, and a 70 Shelby GT-350. The 2015 GT Premium might as well be from another planet compared to those earlier cars. I bought this car used a few weeks back, and have zero complaints about the car itself. My plan was to order a 2017 model, however this car was offered at the right price for one pampered car. The quality, fit, and finish of the sixth generation Mustang is impressive! Being an old guy, it still seems strange to use the terms quality and plastic in the same sentence, however the quality, even the plastic pieces are very good! There is an abundant use of metal parts and the leather appears to be of good quality. I am a muscle car guy and have mostly owned Chevys. I have spent a considerable amount of time in the fifth and sixth generation Camaros which are some sweet rides in their own right. The Mustang has much better visibility and the interior of the GT Premium is refined compared to a top of the line Camaro. The previous owner of my car is the service manager for our local Ford dealership, and he took excellent care of the car. The car currently has 13K miles on it, and presents like a new car. A positive aspect of buying a car owned by a service manager is that he has likely worked out all of the bugs in the car during his ownership. Of course the negative is that he made some mods to the car. Some of the mods made the car better, and one mod did not improve it at all. The car has been lowered and leveled. This is a mod that I like, as the factory stance of these cars has the front slightly higher than the rear. It also has a BAMA tuner, and a cold air intake, both good for a few extra horses beyond the stock 435 HP. This is one wicked fast car. The car has so much power that it should be driven with lots of respect and a healthy dose of caution. We live near US 129 (the famous Tail of the Dragon) one of the most challenging mountain roads anywhere in the world. The 2015 GT Premium with the high performance package and a manual transmission is a whole bunch of fun, and this road brings out the cars touring capabilities! Of the two complaints that I have with the car one has to do with the previous owner and nothing to do with Ford Motor Company. The previous owner first removed the resonator and installed an H pipe in its place. Then he removed the mufflers and installed straight pipes. This car is loud! So loud that the neighbors probably hate me... Drone is so bad that it drowns out the Shaker Sync III stereo. Like I said this has nothing to do with Ford. I have ordered a S-Type cat back system from Borla Exhaust and will be installing this system in place of the straight pipe exhaust system as soon as it arrives. A friend owns the same model car except his GT has an automatic and mine is a manual. He is running the Borla S type exhaust and it makes these cars sound sweet! The stock exhaust is a little too quiet for the enthusiast. The other complaint is the overly complicated Shaker Sync III system. In order to connect via Blue Tooth to my Galaxy Note 4 smart phone the app has to be cleared and reinstalled each time the car is driven. This problem may be user error??? The other irritating thing about the Shaker system is the volume. Playing Sirius or the single CD and the volume is impressive! Playing Pandora from the phone through the Bluetooth or by direct connection and the volume is moderate at best. That is with the volume on the phone turned wide open. There are complaints about other makes of cars having the same issue, so this may not be a Ford issue. The last topic is about the six speed manual transmission. This is not a complaint, just an observation. The shifter has a very short throw and the ratios are close. The transmission shifts smoothly and really seems to make this car more of a blast to drive compared to an automatic version. It is taking me a while to get used to it. I have been driving two old F-series diesel powered trucks for several years with the typical long throw shifters. The precision of the Mustang shifter will take some practice. All things considered I am excited about ownership of a 2015 Mustang GT Premium.

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  P.O.S NEVER AGAIN!!! - 2014 Ford Focus
  By Jen - April 9 - 3:23 pm

  Dealership sold me this new car back in 2014. From the start the transmission was jumpy. Taking off from a stop that car shakes back and forth like it doesnt want to go. This type of acceleration is dangerous if you need to get out of the way. Dealership was no help and I was told there is not fix except computer updates which dont work. I have had 3 computer updates since having the car. I will never buy from Ford again. Value of the car went down quick. Now that I have had it long enough and paid of enough it will be traded in for a better car NOT with Ford. I will be surprised if someone doesnt get help with this issue. I was told sales reps do not have to tell you about the problem. No integrity!!

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  My 05 ZX3 Review - 2005 Ford Focus
  By mwp1 - April 8 - 9:33 pm

  My car is the basic S model with air and 5- speed; I bought it as a daily commuter as I drive 120 miles a day for work. Runs well but has had transmission problems beginning at 50 miles, the shifter cable keeps falling off at the transmission, three times now, the dealer keeps "adjusting" the cables but I know that there is a design flaw with the plastic connector. Also the drivers seat frame broke requiring a new seat back to be installed.

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  Love It - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By Collie1228 - April 7 - 12:03 pm

  The 2010 Ford Fusion is an exceptional American made car. The styling is outstanding, and the mileage is impressive for a non-hybrid car. I have had the car for three weeks now, and I have yet to find any defects. The power is sufficient (its a somewhat small I-4 for gas mileage), and the six speed transmission is great. The interior has been improved significantly from the 2009, and nothing in it seems cheap or out of place. The guages and switches are all in reasonably located positions. I particularly love the main guages, their colors and lighting, and the way they reset themselves each time you start the car. I love it.