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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  Well See! - 2005 Ford Focus
  By focus1 - July 30 - 10:00 am

  Purchased my 05 Focus last month and so far Ive been pretty happy with it. However, there were three defects that have been corrected. They forgot to install one of the bolts that holds the rear wheel well guard in place. Paint defect on the hood and the passenger mirror molding came loose. Local dealer fixed them all. Must have been built on a Fiday or Monday! Overall this little car is very good. The idependant rear suspension is nice as is the handling and responsiveness. The driver seat feels like it wraps around you. Traded in my 03 Corolla for it. The Corolla is jerky on the road and hurts your rear after a long trip. I hope the Focus can stay par with reliability.

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  Love my Ranger..... - 2003 Ford Ranger
  By bterril - July 27 - 2:00 am

  I just bought my 2nd Ranger just recently and I have to say that I love it more then the first. I love the way that my Ranger handles. It is a very smooth ride compared to previous. Since I have bought it I have been driving anywhere I can. The interior is a big improvement from my last Ranger. I love the fact that there is no carpet in the Tremor Ranger. Very easy to clean up. The only real complaint I have with it is that the Tremor comes with the 3.0L flex fuel V6. There is some power but not like the 4.0 . For those of you that are into music and have to have a thumping stereo, I would defenitly recommend this truck for you.

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  Great Car With a Few Caveats - 2012 Ford Focus
  By T - July 26 - 4:35 pm

  Love this car, albeit with a few minor nitpicks. Its fast for a base model, drives great with the 5 speed (I did not want the DCT!), handles fairly well and visibility is very good. Power delivery is linear, throttle response has only a very slight lag from the drive by wire system (1/10th of a second or so) and it really comes alive above 4k RPM. The electric power assist isnt as good for road feedback as hydraulic, but is better than other electrics I tested by far. The interior is somewhat on the small side, especially in the back but is just large enough for me and the seats are high quality for basic cloth. The only real nitpicks are the lack of S level features and a few noisy interior parts-no cruise, manual rear windows and no computer functionality except a trip meter. The engine is a bit coarse also and really needs super to run right. I can live with this considering I rarely use cruise and almost never have rear passengers, but do miss having a realtime MPG calculator. The sound system is adequate, but somewhat mediocre in terms of fidelity. Coming from an older VW GTI, this car has almost the same HP, handling, steering feel and responsiveness while getting much better gas mileage. Ive had no maintenance issues except having to replace a dirty air filter and a missing brake fluid cap that someone had sealed with plastic wrap and a rubber band (??).

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  Six years and still going strong - 2000 Ford Excursion
  By North Dallas 40 - July 26 - 1:54 pm

  I purchased my 2000 Excursion Limited Diesel back in 2001 with one eye open, not sure what to expect. My wife had just totaled our 2001 Suburban and I was looking for a diesel. Six years later, I have not had a single reliablity issue with the truck. Other than routine maintenance (brakes, hoses, fluids, etc...), the truck has given us 131,000 trouble free miles. I get 17mpg around town, and 23 on the highway. I am 64"/330lbs and I am very comfortable in the truck. I plan on keeping this vehicle for many more years, or until it gives up the ghost.

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  Should have bought extended warrenty - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By mlogan03 - July 25 - 11:38 pm

  I purchased my 2004 Explorer new in December of 2003. I bought the basic XLS model and planned on using it for the short drive to work and the occasional trips out of town. It has been reliable until just last week when the ABS light, Service Engine, and the wrench light all came on at the same time. The cruise control also failed. The throttle body had to be replaced along with the rear wheel speed sensor. The vehicle has 32,000 miles and has been driven with care. Somewhat disappointed with the vehicle. Fortunately the Ford Service here was quite professional and had the vehicle back running in a couple of days.

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  First newer used car - 2010 Ford Escape
  By Drew - July 25 - 6:39 am

  First car Ive bought from a dealership, it suits me very well. Perfect size for longer commutes if you want to ride in comfort

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  Beware of transmission! - 2006 Ford Freestyle
  By Patricia Doyle - July 24 - 6:46 pm

  We purchased our Freestyle in 8/06 and were initially very pleased with it. It handled well and looked sharp. The kids loved it too. We had problems, though, with the dashboard lights (fuel cap, check engine, etc.) going on and off. Finally the worst happened July 7th. While riding on the NJ Turnpike, our transmission died. We were shocked (but thankfully safe). The car had only 12,800 miles. The transmission needed to be replaced and we were using a rental for two weeks. Ford didnt even reimburse us for all of our expenses. The car is back and is running fine. Im very disappointed with Ford, though. I thought they would take better care of us throughout this ordeal.

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  1998 Escort SE - A great, reliable car! - 1998 Ford Escort
  By Scooter - July 24 - 12:14 pm

  Bought this car new in 98 for my wife to drive around town, an SE Sport model thats still fun to drive. After 9 years and only 31,000 miles, the engine still has a lot of pep and gets GREAT gas mileage. No major repairs other than a serpentine belt and A/C work (common to Escorts). Most problems due to age rather that normal wear and tear. Routine maintenance was as expected. Will be a great car to pass on down to the kids!

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  Love it/hate it - 2005 Ford Escape
  By april - July 23 - 4:26 pm

  I love this SUV but i HATE the way that i must fill the gas tank up every 3-4 days due to the small gas tank and the AWD 6 cylinder. It seems that every time I drive it, I must stop at the gas station. I also find blind spots in changing lanes and backing up but hope in time I will get used to it! I am also disappointed in the placement of the speakers in this vehicle. Sound is not that great.

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  Not a Bad full size SUV - 2004 Ford Expedition
  By Marc04EXP - July 23 - 3:43 pm

  I purchased my 2004 Expedition on June 27, 2007. The evening I drove it home, I heard a noise coming from the rear. I own a mobile automotive repair business so I was checking the truck out. To make a long story short, the rear needed to be completely rebuilt. The problem was it was bought from a Chevy dealer so after 3 dealers, it ended up at a Lincoln/Mercury dealer and this process took 8 days. Otherwise, it drives great and I love the vehicle.