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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  Highly recommend the Edge - 2008 Ford Edge
  By Bob - June 18 - 10:16 am

  I had owned a 97 Ford Explorer for 8 years and put 250,000 miles on it. I have been looking for a good quality, highly reliable, comfortable SUV and all roads and research led me to purchase an 08 Ford Edge. I had been researching for 6 months, looking at Chevy, Honda, Lincoln, Toyota Highlander, and GMC Acaidia. I decided on the Edge because it met all the requirements of what I wanted in my next vehicle. I average 25 - 30,000 miles a year, so relibility, comfort, interior room and gas mileage were all important factors. I have driven it 4,400 miles now and have been averaging 19.9 miles/gallon overall. Congrats to Ford! I would highly recommend the Edge to anyone looking for a new SUV.

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  wolf in sheeps clothing - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By justin - June 18 - 9:43 am

  The car rides wonderfully. I traded in my 2003 Audi and my 2003 Mercedes to consolidate to this one car. I already packed the trunk and folded the back seats down to carry about 1200-1400 pounds of bricks. I get comments all the time ... THATS a FORD? WOW! It is refreshing to see domestic automakers stepping to the plate with their new designs. Welcome to the new millennium with this model, Ford.

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  Love my Focus! - 2000 Ford Focus
  By Jen - June 17 - 4:21 pm

  Ive been a truck girl my whole life, but had to go to a car for better fuel economy. It wasnt a hard switch. I can flip down the back seat and fill up the cargo area, tow a small trailer, put stuff on the roof rack or put passengers in the back comfortably - all while zipping around (zippy engine) getting great gas milage & being able to park anywhere! The ride is smooth & quiet, handles great, has comfortable roomy interior, and the exterior looks alot more stylish & modern than most other station wagons. Ive put on many miles, keep up on maintance, but have had no problems. It is very reliable. A very fun & versatile car, and consumer reports rates it tops. All & all, I love this car!

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  2007 Fusion I-4 5A - 2008 Ford Fusion
  By Rick - June 17 - 10:26 am

  We needed an efficient family car, and went with a 2007 Fusion. It was $5-7K less than a similarly equipped foreign model.It constantly gets 29.8 mpg with 65% hwy and 35% city driving. We have a K&N air filter installed and use synthetic oil to protect our investment in our attempt to go green. The car constantly turns out good fuel economy and if a comfortable drive for family trips. The 4 Cyl. engine lacks power, but once on the hwy (with the cruise set), it doesnt matter. The Aux input jack for our ipod is great for long trips. My wife drives about 50 miles round trip to work and she loves the interior and ride handling. Though in the city, the 4 banger needs more pep.

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  27.3 MPG on the highway - 2008 Ford Edge
  By fxstc9 - June 17 - 2:23 am

  Fell in love with the exterior styling while following a Ford Edge. The interior is very comfortable. The seats feel like they are constantly hugging you and the placement of the controls are spot on. I bought my Egde right after the test drive. A nice quiet ride. Wind noise is a thing of my past. I did a MPG test at 65mph I got 22.3mpg at 60 I got 25.3mpg and at 55mph I got 27.3mpg. I know 55 feels slow but its a 25% savings and I dont have to worry about passing anyone. Plus who wants to get to work in a hurry. It has plenty of get up and go when you need it and its very agile but stable. I dont miss my 13mpg avg F150 super crew Lariat one bit.

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  Great car! - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By Adam - June 16 - 9:10 pm

  I love my Fusion. The V6 has good punch and great economy. The styling is also a big plus to me. The Camry and Accord were far too ugly for me to handle, not to mention boring. The Fusion brings a nice breath of fresh air to the boring mid-size segment!

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  Jacque Le Bleu - 2002 Ford Escort
  By amy - June 16 - 8:41 pm

  Graduation car- 2002 4-door sedan, gets 34 mpg, better than Moms 2001 ZX2 Escort at 32 mpg and dads 2001 ZX3 Focus bubble at 30 mpg. Medium pickup speed, but not quite as good as dads ZX3, and no match at all to moms Escort ZX2. Really fun car, but only had a stupid cassette, where I needed a cd player. Great starting in the winter and handled well. We are each hoping to eventually replace all of these cars with new Ford Escorts (we dont like the Focus with trash gray seats) and we like the better fuel economy and better pickup than the Focus. We sure hope tan or color- coordinated interiors are available soon.

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  Gas Guzzler? Not exactly! - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By Eric - June 16 - 4:14 pm

  The funny thing about the V8 GT is that it gets surprisingly good MPG on the highway and I routinely get 28mpg going back and forth between New York City and Lake George (250 mi). Around town and stomping on the gas from green lights I hover around 20. My Civic got 32mpg highway. One goes 0 to 60 in 9 seconds, one gets there in about 5. The biggest chuckle I get is when I stop the car at home, reach into the back seat where my sons child seat resides and pull him out, much to the amazement of passerbys and even more when I pull out his stroller from the trunk. This is a big, wide, safe feeling car and gas attendents routinely are amazed when they cant reach across with the squeegee.

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  Been good - 2000 Ford Expedition
  By rollnon - June 16 - 12:42 pm

  For all the hype on how wonderful the Toyotas and Hondas are I have loved my Expedition. I know these are gone with the rising gas cost but I plan to hang on to this SUV to tow my camper. Every day driving will slow down but this has been a reliable, comfortable family travel machine. Pulled my camper from Maine to Florida and does it well. From the beaches of the outer banks on NC to mountains of NC, VA VT, NH. This is one tough truck.. I love my American truck

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  Love this vehicle - 2007 Ford Freestar
  By Jo Jo - June 16 - 10:11 am

  We are Ford people. The Freestyle is a great combo vehicle. We love the complete fold down back. Now I am hooked on the heated seats and the memory seating (things I never thought I would need) The sound system is not as good as it could be (we previously had Lincolns and Marquis) it is actually irritating on some stations, but the CDs seem to play very well. Adjusting the heating/AC is strange. We just dont seem to understand it. Give me the simple turn button controls. When I am driving I do not have time to think about all of those buttons. All in all, we love the handling, the body style, the room and the three sets of seats. On trips 22-23 MPG. It is easy in/out.