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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  Problems - 2008 Ford Focus
  By Jan - September 7 - 12:14 pm

  I traded in my focus for a Toyota Rav4 this weekend, because I cant take a chance on the transmission again. It was overhauled 2 times already by ford, and they never considered putting a new transmission in the car. It is starting to slip again, and so the time came to trade it in. I loved the car with the sync. and other features. Ford has to work on all the transmission problems with all its vehicles.

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  Really Great Truck - 2008 Ford Expedition
  By Kevin - September 6 - 10:42 pm

  My wife and I purchased the fully loaded Limited in Jan 2008. We have almost 50k on the truck now and I have to say its one of my favorite cars Ive ever owned. For the most part there have been no problems until recently. If you know Ford - you know they have electrical issues. My GPS system broke, but I had the extended warranty so it cost me $100 deductible. Also had problems with the gears on the windows (they would move up/down really slow or not at all in extreme heat/cold. Overall though its been an amazing truck and when compared to the Tahoe it was an easy decision. Especially with the auto fold flat seats in the 3rd row. I would highly recommend this truck.

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  Previous Chevy owner, will never go back - 2010 Ford F-150
  By Eric123 - September 6 - 8:27 pm

  Got rid of my problematic 09 Silverado in favor of a 2010 Supercrew XLT 4x4 in sterling gray with the chrome package (XTR here in Canada), and am happy to say that i am in love with this truck. 3000 kilometers and completely reliable. the employee price event shaved 10 grand off the price. i would recommend this truck to anyone. fuel economy is not perfect, but its definitely better than the 6.0 i had in the Chevy.

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  Solid car - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By Vancouver - September 6 - 7:16 pm

  Bought the car with 20,000 km, now have 50,000 km. No problems so far. Good interior space and good exterior appeal. Decent quality build and comfortable seats with good support.

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  Even better than my Fusion! - 2010 Ford Edge
  By tozrink - September 6 - 9:18 am

  The ride and fuel economy are just what I expected from a midsized SUV. The "sunroof" is awesome and with the Limited Pkg. the options are plentiful and nice to have.

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  A Very Nice Ride - 2011 Ford Taurus
  By tmjc1 - September 6 - 7:21 am

  Overall, I am extremely satisfied with my 2011 Taurus Limited. Noise and ride are the best Ive experienced and its almost a pleasure to drive to work now! Air conditioned seats are definitely a plus (as I found out during a recent heat wave here). Great transmission, shifts when it should and so smoothly, too. Only negative I noticed was a very slight misalignment of the drivers door, vertically.

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  My first sports car - 2011 Ford Mustang
  By jimmy G. - September 6 - 3:56 am

  Well I just had this car for couple of days at the time of writing this review. But my initial impressions were pretty good. My out the door price was 25K even(after adding auto trans, security package, rear spoiler, and side stripes). Think I got a good deal from the dealer and Im happy. One thing I dont understand is the fact that the max speed for V6 is wimpy 113 mph. 113 mph for a 305 horse car? Come on, even VW Jetta can go that fast. Other than that, everything seems to be good so far.

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  Great Truck - 2001 Ford F-150
  By RKMason - September 5 - 10:26 am

  Bought the truck used 1.5 years old w/22k mi. Now at 83k mi. Got 4WD for use launching and retrieving a boat, but found I rarely need to engage 4WD. With the 5.4 L V8 the truck is a great tow vehicle for a 4500 lb boat & trailer. We use the CrewCab as our primary vehicle carrying more than 2 people. The Lariat model interior makes travel very comfortable. Reliability has been good IAC valve began to stick last winter and I have paint peeling off of some of the plastic dashboard panels. Gas mileage could be better but overall its been a great vehicle for us.

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  1994 Ford Bronco 302,000 miles plus - 1994 Ford Bronco
  By RKSS - September 5 - 9:22 am

  My Bronco Buddy has been more faithful than my ex. I did have the trans rebuilt in Jan,2009 other than that it has not had any other work done in the 302,000 miles I have accumulated. My Bronco runs great still to this day.

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  Best Minitruck out there - 1991 Ford Ranger
  By FordFan - September 5 - 3:08 am

  Just bought this ranger knowing it had a noisy transmission. Once it came out of the shop I fell in love with it. Easy to park, easy to drive and very quiet (fords always are). Plenty of torque from the 2.9 L V6. Twin I beam front suspension, rock solid and rides like a car down the highway. Dont know about the fuel mileage and really dont care if it only gets mid teens. If youre looking to buy one make sure you get one with the Mazda transmission not the Mitsubishi transmission, as the Mazda is cheaper to rebuild and source parts for. No point in throwing away a good running gas engine, but if i can wear the V6 out i plan on a 4BT cummins swap. Great trucks. Built Ford Tough.