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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  Forget what you know about all mustangs! - 2011 Ford Mustang
  By mastercheif11 - November 10 - 2:00 am

  This car is by far the best v6 mustang ever, I have owned mustangs since my first car back in 95 which ran for nearly ten years and died with 260k miles, then went to the 07 v6 which was cool but still lacked performance in a big way. The new v6 is completely different, from styling to handling to perfromance its absolutely incredible. Ive owned the car 5 months and Im still pushing the perfromance limits trying to find an area where the mustang is lacking, to date the only negative driving experience Ive encountered is having no room drinks in the cup holders (on a manual) and a little bit of nose bob at high speeds.

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  Great car for the money - 2009 Ford Focus
  By Kipp8302 - November 10 - 2:00 am

  This is my 3rd focus and they have all been great cars. on this one I have done a few mods to it (short shifter, lowered 1.5", exhaust, intake) all of which have helped the overall performance and experience of the car. even stock the car handled very well for its class and has great gas mileage (i maintain a 32mpg average). vast improvements over the previous models and far as comfort, sound level, performance, economy. driver comfort is great. I have done several long drives in this car with no problems. not as comfy for passengers though (not as adjustable seats). I have a kid and there is enough room for a stroller and goodies and decent back seat room for him. overall a great car.

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  Gutless and gas guzzler - 2011 Ford Escape
  By drhart416 - November 10 - 2:00 am

  I regret not getting the V6. The 4 cyl is a bit noisy for my liking. The torque is not what it should be either. I dont really notice great gas mileage. Ill fill up and drive 60 miles and the fuel tank is already down to 3/4 full. Ive figured it out to be about 7 Liters per 100 KM (hopefully you can translate this into miles per gallon). I hope this improves as the car gets "broken in". Right now, its got about 4000 miles on it.

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  My first car - 1996 Ford Taurus
  By Christian - November 9 - 2:00 am

  I love my 1996 Ford Taurus GL. I bought it with 96,825 miles on it and now it has 114,000 miles on it the only problems with it i have had are the normal Taurus problems as in I had to put new brakes and brake lines on it which was about time because they where the original 1996 brake lines when they went. It drives like a dream and still has its get up and go.

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  Not bad for the years - 2002 Ford Windstar
  By FordNuts - November 9 - 2:00 am

  The SEL was the cats meow back then, leather seats, VCR/CD combo, seats 6, slider doors. Over the years we took the car everywhere and it was fairly reliable, 167K miles. Its doesnt handle like a truck and offered smoother and quieter ride, but sometimes stressed systems wore down. Replaced heat coil 2X, alternator 1X, battery 2X, frt. brakes and tires 3-4 times, & one slider failed. Just brought in for recall(s) on the back axle and it failed. It supposedly is a fairly low percentage of failures, but could be catastrophic if your axle fails.

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  Dont bother with the base 4 cylinder - 2005 Ford Escape
  By bsumorgan - November 9 - 2:00 am

  I got a job where I needed to carry stuff for work and I also needed to haul our small family around in the winter. The ford escape seemed like a perfect fit. It drove well enough, but the 4 cylinder is just plain lethargic. At low gears its all right, but in second and third, well, you had better not be making emergency maneuvers. The arm rests are hard and unforgiving. I didnt like the position of the seats relative to the floor. The 4WD, however, was FANTASTIC! I could drive like a complete idiot on snow and ice, and it didnt matter. Ford AWD is much better than the AWD that I had in the Saturn Vue I bought after owning this. My advice: get the nicer trim level with the 6 cyl and 4wd.

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  Great Vehicle - 2011 Ford Edge
  By Tom - November 9 - 2:00 am

  After 11 years with BMW and Mercedes, it was exciting to find an American made product that was winning in design and features. High quality, good performance, solid feel, great ergonomics, lower cost of ownership. A person can jump in a drive it just fine. If you want to learn all the settings, options and features, it will take some commitment. I learned most everything in one week. Great feature / performance set for the money.

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  The Fusion Horrible - 2011 Ford Fusion
  By joy316 - November 9 - 2:00 am

  Cheap Cheap Cheap. Filled with plastic. Horrible Ride-you feel every crack in the road. Many, many blind spots. 20 mpg. Seats hard and uncomfortable. 2nd worse car Ive ever had (1st was a Taurus)

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  Best car I ever had! - 1996 Ford Taurus
  By Ford Taurus - November 8 - 2:00 am

  First I have to say this car was well taken care of by the previous owner. Ive had it for 3 years now and not an ounce of trouble except a flat tire once. I feel safe behind the wheel. Its a heavy car and holds the road good. Everything in it is still working perfectly. Electric windows and everything else. I have nothing but praise for this wonderful car. Im 80 years old and believe me Ive driven almost everything during my lifetime.

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  Same old design, love it - 2011 Ford Ranger
  By Natick73 - November 8 - 2:00 am

  Ranger gets a bad rap because the design doesnt change much from year to year. My previous vehicle was a one owner 1999 ranger (me) with 367,000 miles on it. Used synthetic oil the life of the vehicle and never had to replace even a valve cover gasket. The Ranger is a fun vehicle and extremely reliable. Go ahead and spend more money, but you will be overpaying.