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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  Great Car! - 2006 Ford Freestyle
  By Jim - November 29 - 6:05 am

  Back in 2005 when these first came out we test drove one, and loved it. But at that point there was no reason to get rid of my 1997 Chevy S10 Blazer. Then we started having trouble with the Blazer and it was time to replace it. We test drove multiple other cars, to see if we found something we liked better - but could not. For the price and the sized vehical it was a awsome deal. I would recommend this vehicle to just about anyone with a family. We just got back from a trip from Michigan to Buffalo, NY - and it was awsome both ways! Had 6 people in the car and had plenty of power for everything.

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  I love this car! - 2006 Ford Freestyle
  By freestyin momma - November 28 - 4:22 pm

  This car is great for moms. Ive got 3 rugrats and the Freestyle has enough space for all of us and our stuff. I love this car. the design, handling, and performance are great. The in city mpg is a little disappointing. But this is generally a great car! Way to go Ford!

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  Im loving it - 1996 Ford Mustang
  By Dave - November 28 - 3:11 pm

  I love my stang. I put aftermarket exhaust, air intake with K&N filter, electronic distributor, thicker spark plug wires and better spark plugs. Very fun to drive and sounds great with true dual exhaust!

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  1995 Mustang 5.0 - 1995 Ford Mustang
  By dust - November 27 - 8:48 pm

  I have had my Mustang for a little over 3 years. It has been through a lot, it was originally a 3.8, but I cant stand that engine, its crap. So I put a 5.0 in it and love it. Im going to put a lot of money in it in the near future. I believe it should have more performance from all the talk, but it is ok and it has a lot of potential. If the money is put into it smart, then it can be one of the finest looking cars around. And I only gave 3,500$ for mine.

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  It has been good to me - 1995 Ford Explorer
  By JD - November 26 - 7:32 pm

  I bought this Explorer in April of 1995 and I ready to sell it now because it is finally showing its age but I got my moneys worth out it.

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  Got a great deal - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By jkline - November 26 - 10:00 am

  If you are going to buy one, buy it now. With the rebates and slow sales, you can get a great price. We drove off at 8k under MSRP (about 6k below invoice). If you are going to buy the XLT, definately look into the Sport. We were looking at the NBX, but decided it was too utilitarian.

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  Ford Escape - 2005 Ford Escape
  By Heather - November 24 - 6:43 am

  Love the size, look, gas mileage! However road noise is an issue. If it were not for that I would give it a perfect score. If Ford could decrease road noise this would compete with Honda CRV,and Toyota Rav 4 hands down. I looked at those too, but chose the Ford because of the economical price. However the road noise can be annoying. My husband is thinking about pulling up the carpet and putting down a noise pad to see if it helps. So, maybe ford could try that! I love the look and gas mileage and have had zero mechanincal issues and it has 80K miles on it now. I love the fact that there is no tire on the back..that is why I nixed the CRV and Rav 4.

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  Good Truck - 1999 Ford F-250
  By dbweaver - November 23 - 9:56 pm

  This is the best, hardest working, most dependable work truck I have ever had. I have 129,000mi on it with only one repair, which was a new clutch kit.

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  A real keeper of a pickup - 1996 Ford F-150
  By Saganashkee - November 22 - 9:39 pm

  Bought this standard 2 door 8 ft bed 1996 F150 in 2000 just because I wanted a pickup. Since then I lived in rural IL south of Kankakee for 2 years and rural SE Georgia the last 7 years. It had 21k on it when I bought it and its pushing 95k now. The only problem is a worthless maintenance idiot light on the speedometer that turns itself on and off at will and tires that tend to go flat when a nail or railroad spike gos into one of them. Hey, I can deal with that! Without a doubt best and most enjoyable vehicle Ive ever owned. I fully expect to be still driving it in 2017!

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  2007 GT/CS vista blue - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By Brian - November 21 - 9:41 pm

  I love the car. this is my third Mustang. my first was a 67 coupe, then a 2001 GT, now this one. I love the color, the performance, the only thing Ford didnt get right is the comfort of the driver. On any drive over an hour or so, the comfort level goes down. I have had 2 warrenty issues with this Mustang. The leather insert on the pass. door had to be replaced, it was not glued on properly. I also had trouble with the rev limiter kicking in to soon in third gear, and sometimes fourth. A flash tuner should fix this issue. Overall I am very pleased with my new stang. I cant wait to up the hp.