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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  1 year update - 2010 Ford F-150
  By screwboy - March 27 - 7:31 pm

  Its been almost a year. Clocked 33K and heres where I stand so far. I have the ticking engine thing. Doesnt seem to affect anything but I dont like it. The 6 speed has the hunting problem I think everyone else has. Its only bad in town. Mine feels like it drops into gear when I leave stop sign/light. I had the flash done at service but it still bumps. The seat back thing has gone away. Obviously, I got used to it. Still liked my Safari seats better. I rode in a friends 2010 Ram and it rides smoother, even with the 20s. I still like the F150 interior better and my mpg are far better than his. If you can deal with the little defects, F150 is still top competitior

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  7500 Miles in my Fiesta Hatchback w/automatic - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By haulsalot - March 27 - 5:22 pm

  I purchased the Fiesta Hatchback new in November as an around town and commuting car. My drive is 38 miles each way with a mix of two lane road, suburban traffic, and I-95. On any given day, the 18 miles on 1-95 can be wide open or grinding traffic. After 4 months, I couldnt be happier with the Fiesta. It is fun to drive, quiet, full of cool features, very comfortable. So far I have had no issues of any sort with the car and pretty much everything about it is better than expected. The Sync system with Sirius is terrific, working flawlessly over Bluetooth with my Blackberry. I have owned quite a few new cars and the Fiesta compares favorably with my Honda Fit and Toyota/Pont Vibe.

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  Smiles on your face! - 2012 Ford Mustang
  By jsm10 - March 27 - 11:11 am

  2012 GT Coupe . . . perfect blend for an easy daily driver plus everything youd want to put a smile on your face. First, the smile factors . . . satisfying growl, neck-snapping torque, smooth clutch and tight 6 speed, balanced handling (youll look for curvy two-lane roads) and appreciative looks. And, this comes in an easy-to-drive commuter. The engine is powerful enough so that you dont have to "row" yourself down the street. Gas mileage is 16/26 . . . you can get over 20 combined, but youll want to put your foot into when you get a chance. Did I mention the growl? LOTS of bells and whistles with SYNC, bluetooth and the optional NAV system (recommended if you like music).

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  Great Car, Amazing deal, Ford is Great!!! - 2011 Ford Fusion
  By crnadaney - March 26 - 9:34 pm

  Just got the fusion sport and have and it for a week, its amazing. Its totally loaded, all the options, from AWD, to Nav. The seats are very comfy and all the controls are in easy reach. The take off power is great, and the exhaust sound great when you take off. BLIS is great to have for those blind spots and reverse camera is great on the nav screen. The black color looks so nice in the sun with the sparkles, and the black seat w/ the white stitching makes the inside look great to me. All around great car, I had a VW Jetta wolfsberg 2.0T, which I really like until I got this. I recommend this to anyone, but I really thing the sport is the way to go for better performance, handling & fun.

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  2011 Ford Edge Limited - Loaded - 2011 Ford Edge
  By cafunmom - March 26 - 7:50 pm

  I am really enjoying my new Ford Edge. It is a very comfortable car (I have back issues as times), and it is also roomy enough for my tall family. The car has great safety features and performs well on the road. I love the new MyFord Touch and Synch. I received very good training on the system from my salesman when I picked up the car. I highly recommend taking the time to understand the features it really is a great system and worth taking the time to learn it! Some people said they had glitches or found it confusing. So far, I have not found that to be an issue. The car handles very well, but the suspension is a little firm.

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  Happy to hear: Totaled - 2000 Ford Focus
  By ktgritz - March 26 - 7:03 pm

  I had this car given to me by my dad and he said it was a good car. Well it might have been a good car when he had it but it seemed that from the time I took hold of the keys everything fell apart. First 100 miles struts break $600. 300 miles power steering pump $300. 500 miles wheel bearing $500. 1000 miles Transmission slips estimated $2000. luckily someone hit me and totaled it (no one was hurt) it always started rough. for your own sake dont buy it. if you do and keep it driving for a year you will put more repairs into it than its worth. i bought a Grand Prix GT with the money much happier with it. more power + less repairs = happier customer

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  Good so far. - 2009 Ford Escape
  By texaschemist - March 24 - 6:36 pm

  I bought my Escape used in June 2010.The Escape handles and accelerates well and has an overall powerful feeling. It was after 2 months of routine driving that I noticed the first problems. The transmission would hesitate when accelerating from a stop and jerk into gear. There was no noise and afterward the transmission was smooth. When it started doing this while making left turns through 4-way stops I decided to take it in and have it looked at. Turns out the transmission was failing to downshift from 2nd to 1st quick enough. A technical bulletin fixed this. Ive also noticed that my MPG in winter are much worse than summer (2-4 mpg). Otherwise its a great SUV for the value.

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  Not worth the repairs - 2005 Ford Focus
  By bioc06 - March 24 - 3:09 pm

  My 05 Focus has been prone to maintenance issues. Despite following the scheduled maintenance guide and having less than 50,000 miles, the transmission has gone. The cause, according to the mechanic, is wear and tear on a band, and nothing could have been done to prevent it. Twice, the alignment has gone out. No cause was given.

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  Well worth the money for a first car! - 1997 Ford Mustang
  By pat126 - March 24 - 2:41 am

  I bought this car several months back with about 87k on it, and Im already pushing 99k. Other than an issue with the electrical system due to chewed up battery terminals (a $6 fix), it has been one hell of a ride. I checked out camaros and a charger or two while I was searching, but every mustang I sat in just felt more comfortable, and even better I could actually see out of it. After a few bolt-on modifications it can turn some heads. Im hard-pressed to say that Ill probably have at least a mustang in my garage at all times from now on. You only get one chance at a first car, and this nasty pony did the job!

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  Extremely Reliable if you know what to look for - 1994 Ford Taurus
  By papasmith - March 24 - 12:05 am

  I had three 94 taurus wagons altogether. Everyone of them were comfortable and reliable. They do have some consistent weaknesses. The first seems to be the ignition module. I had to replace everyone on each car at least once. The second is the body control computer. When this goes, you will think that the fuel pump has gone bad. Find out where it is and tap it for a temporary fix. The ignition module problem will manefest as unsteady speeds. Other than that, nothing but expected maintenance. I or my wife drove these cars well over 150k each. A couple of these cars now have over 250k. I wasnt that big on maintenance. I wish I could find another with low mileage.