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 - 1997 Ford Thunderbird
  By Trevon - September 2 - 7:05 pm

  I was born in 97. My mom got this car when I was born she drove it everyday as a family car it was just me, her and my brother. Once she got a new car my brother drove it now Im driving it and the only thing thats really wrong with it is that it needs a paint job. Now I drive it and even though I love mustang this is still one of my favorite cars. I love speed the only thing I wish this car had was more speed but anyway Ill never get rid of this car for any other car.

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  Owned 5 years only one issue - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By Dick - September 2 - 12:48 pm

  Owned this 2010 since new. 66,000 miles. Only one issue-throttle body senser recall. Warranty covered it. Its excelleled in every area. Mileage unreal-34 miles to gallon highway at 70mph, 23mpg around town. Acceleration excellent. 6 speed automatic works well. Handles very well. Large trunck with fold down seats. Nice job Ford.

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  Still loving my 2003 Explorer at 188,000 miles - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By Jennifer - September 2 - 12:42 pm

  This has been a very reliable vehicle for my family. It is my daily runner back-and-forth to work (22 miles each way), as well as our long distance driver (frequent trips out-of-state). With almost 200K miles, I thought maybe Id start having problems, but so far Ive had to put very little into it. I bought it at 100K miles and since then have had issues with electronic things like the security alarm would go off when the doors were locked and after trips to local dealerships with no answers, out local repair guy disconnected two sensors in the doors. The lights dont come on now when you open those doors, but it also fixed the issue with the alarm going off for no reason. Other fixes have included a new starter just a few miles ago, but mostly Ive only ever had wear and tear things need replaced like brakes and rotors. I have a third row seat that isnt used often, but when we do haul other family and friends with us, I love that extra seating. The storage is fantastic and the front seats have plenty of leg room. The back seat isnt as roomy as my daughter would prefer, but she travels well back there. I average 16-18 miles per gallon between high way and city driving. I am struggling with how long to keep this great vehicle. I paid $7500 for it in 2009 and the KBB value is currently $3600. It has very little rust (although a problem of this year Explorer is the back hatch cracking under the glass). It did have one crack when I bought it and now it has two. I really do love this trust worthy vehicle!

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  AC problems - 2015 Ford Expedition
  By Matt Sprenger - September 1 - 1:10 pm

  Our 15 XLT El has all the options we could want, and is almost as loaded as a Limited. However the AC cycles from icy cold to warm all the time every few seconds or minutes. We have had the vehicle in the Ford dealer to repair it 4 times. On the final repair they indicated that the EL is such a large vehicle that the AC compressor will cycle on and off constantly and that this operation is normal. We are very disappointed as this cant possibly be normal. Help!!

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  great escape! - 2014 Ford Escape
  By bob - August 31 - 12:57 pm

  2014 Escape Titanium, what a great car. have had no problems in a year and 25000 miles. mpg consistently high 20s. transmission shifts oddly but that is explained in owners manual. not bad, just different. Only weak point is design of console storage, very deep and narrow. Handles like a sports car. Looked at CRV and RAV 4 when we purchased it. They remind me of kitchen appliances. Got great deal, $5000 off and 0% for 72 mo

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  CANT GO WRONG - 1995 Ford Ranger
  By Royal Bargo - August 31 - 12:57 pm

  I have had my ranger since i was 15 in 2005, it had roughly 120,000 mls on it and the motor look rough. At first i thought i made a 2,000 dollar mistake. I still have that truck now 2015, with over 500,000 mls on it. There aint a price on my old truck.

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  Ford Edge - Edgy in curves - 2015 Ford Edge
  By Tom - August 31 - 5:10 am

  The "Edge" is very comfortable. I rented this model to go on a trip from NC to Tennessee. Car did great until we encountered the curves in the Tennessee mountains. The rear of the car felt like it was coming up to the front when going in to curves. Rear traction very unstable. Tires had correct air pressure, only 2000 miles on car. Navigating through the electronics (via the up and down, left and right arrows, on the left side lever) is terrible. The Auto Traction function is (in my opinion) useless. I Definitely like "the ride comfort" but, the traction and instability in curves turns the "Purchase Option" off for me.

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  I call it the Lincoln Light - 2008 Ford Taurus
  By Charles J. Cates - August 31 - 2:08 am

  This is a large heavy sedan, more like a Crown Victoria than the previous generation Taurus. It has surprisingly good acceleration "out of the hole" and merging onto the interstate is no problem for the naturally aspirated 3.5 Liter V-6. When you park the car or pull it into the garage is when you realize this is a full size car. OK it IS shorter than my 63 BelAir. It is quiet with little NVH. The stereo system in the limited sounds better than the system in my "man cave". The transmission shifts smoothly and seamlessly. I did notice a lack of power pulling some steep grades on U.S. 22 where we live in west central PA. The car was frequently downshifting for more power. The climate control system is easy to set and works well. The leather upholstery is attractive and wears well. The vinyl dash and trim is soft and does not have a hard plastic feel. The size of the display in the dash for miles, mpg, miles to empty, oil life etc. are a little too small for my liking or perhaps Im showing my age. Ill be interested to see how this car performs in the winter time with front wheel drive and new Falken brand all season Touring radials. Though we have only owned this car for a few months we have been impressed with it. The only real gripe I have with the car is that there seems to be a corrosion problem on the alloy wheels that I cant seem to get off with anything that I have tried.

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  Saved from the crusher !!! - 1993 Ford F-150
  By tom topor - August 30 - 11:02 pm

  If you want reliable, and smooth ride the f150 has it.

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  234,000 miles and still going strong! - 2001 Ford Escape
  By Sarah - August 30 - 7:57 am

  My Escape has run like a dream since day one. I live on 3 miles of dirt road and use the 4 wheel drive several times per year. Ive never gotten stuck. The engine runs smoothly and it really is fun to drive. Road noise is a little much, and seats are hard as well. Im gonna keep it til it dies, so far so good.