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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  Fun car with some quirks - 2012 Ford Focus
  By Old Pony - December 20 - 12:25 pm

  I purchased this car new after my 99 Mustang got blown up by a mechanic replacing its thermostat...arg. Didnt want to pay the price for a new Mustang and didnt like any of the used ones on the lot. I chose the Focus because basically Im a Ford guy and I thought it might tone down my driving style stepping down to something more civil in my old age lol. Pros: This is a great handling car and feels very similar to a 72 Datsun 240Z I owned when I was younger. I live along the coast of Northern California and have taken it through the paces so to speak. It is an automatic, but handles the twisties fine. No mechanical issues to report, but I should mention that I drive this car with the traction control off (when traction control on it is terrible in some situations, but be warned you will need to hold on the wheel if you accelerate hard from a stop if turned off). Cons: Im not real comfortable with the seat build..kinda like Ford designed it to fit all sizes and I wish it felt snugger. The brakes are great when Im alone in the car, but found that they could be better with a passenger. My car is actually an SE auto with a few extras. Stereo is barely passable for my taste. Resale value is still pathetic, but I think this is more a mentality. Overall Im very happy with this car. Allows me to still have some fun and feel comfortable driving. I got a 2012 Honda Civic once as a loaner during some routine maintenance..not even close when it came to driving experience and ergonomics.

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  fordtovw - 1999 Ford Escort
  By Joe - December 19 - 11:07 pm

  Got the car as a gift from my grandfather for my first car. Had 115k on it. Now has 123k and is sitting in my driveway. I loved it when I first got it... But it started to deteriorate substantially after a rough new england winter. Traction is terrible, but never killed me. Always idled very rough, car shakes when not moving. Rusts out cery bad. Tranny started to shift hard, throwing code for tranny failure. Got rid of it for an 05 jetta, Love it much more. All in all, not a bad choice for a first car/cheap transportation

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  Amazed at the change Ford Made to this Vehicle - 2015 Ford Edge
  By Justin Webee - December 14 - 11:23 am

  Redesigned for the Gen 2 the 2015 is really fun to drive. I was less then impressed with the previous version of the Edge, so I was skeptical taking a test drive. Wow they changed this vehicle, comfortable, design and what they used. Some thing I would have made standard is every model should have the LED rear red Light Bar, Power mirrors with integrated blind spot mirrors , also every version have intelligent access with push button start, I have this partially I have push button start and the rear gate is intelligent access but not the doors. Every model should also include the front and rear parking sensors. Other then that everything else could be optional. 2.0 EcoBoost AWD in Magnetic, black interior, Rear inflatable Seatbelts Pros: Comfortable Amazingly a lot of power Low road noise very nice controls Cons: Everything I mentioned that should be be standard.

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  Best Pick up for the money - 1990 Ford Ranger
  By Keith Mitchell - December 13 - 5:52 pm

  Not incredibly useful when used to haul 4x8 sheets. You need to build a special carrier (2x4s work) to haul panels. Plenty of power. Good for the average truck user.

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  Good but average - 2006 Ford Freestyle
  By CJS - December 12 - 6:00 pm

  THE CLOTHE SEATS WILL STAIN EVEN IF YOU SPILL WATER ON THEM! This is the #1 complaint of this car. I read some reviews before I bought it in 2008. Literally tried all types of cleaner for car seats and NONE of them have taken the stains out. Even spilled water left a stain. Since owning it 7 years Ive replaced 2 a/c compressors. Normal brake jobs and it will tell you when to change the oil which is a good thing for maintenance. The other problem is some of the plastic hardware (i.e. compartment to hold garage door opener) broke a couple of years ago and now will not stay shut. Some of the lettering on the radio has worn off. The continuous transmission took some getting used too but it will get up and go when you need it. It doesnt have enough "power supplies" for all the gadgets now days. It has been a good car but now that kids are getting older and bigger and two dogs, long trips are unbearable due to size of car.

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  A car with personality-Jeckyll or Hyde-who knows? - 2015 Ford Focus
  By Paul Lubell - December 4 - 9:35 pm

  I have had this car about one month. It is a pleasure to drive a new car since I treat myself only about every ten years. The fuel economy and acceleration are great. Reliability is still to be determined but the radio quit after two days, was confirmed as non-operational by the dealer, then resumed working without any repairs being made. I suspect I will have future problems with it. The ride is rather stiff, probably because the recommended tire pressure is 37 psi. The automatic transmission is built to emulate a manual transmission so shifting is very noticeable and not always at the optimum transition points. The transmission has an L position on the shifter, rather than an S, and there is no documentation in the owners manual concerning this. Ford Customer Service (Detroit) was able to give me a good understanding of how it operates but it is surprising that they could not provide me with anything in writing. A rear view camera is standard which is a nice touch.

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  very comfortable - 2015 Ford Edge
  By Paul Chafer - December 4 - 1:52 pm

  have had 4 weeks. It is a Titanium AWD with 3.5 V6 .Carpet material and mats poor quality, lint sticks to surface and vacuum struggles to extract. Trunk light location poor. Put in 1 bag and light is hidden. Navigation control cumbersome. Visibility good except when entering tight space, hood design is high obscuring front side view. The trunk cargo cover design is poor. Does not sit high enough to stack 2 pieces of luggage. Have to remove cover to get more luggage in trunk. Not very helpful when travelling and you need to park in a lot for a break. Instrument display OK. Tach display is very poor. Indicator data points hide actual RPM display. Display is too small. sits right next to fuel gauge and requires deliberate focus to see, cant just glance for view of RPM I exhaust tailpipe is bent and dealer cant fix. Dealer has not suggested how it will be fixed. Too early to judge gas mileage. So far around 22 overall for distance driving, 17 in city. Performance not bad. Still going easy on acceleration but not a zippy as our 2012 Santa Fe. Love new adaptive cruise control, waited 4 months to get this feature. Ride and comfort excellent. Panoramic sun roof is very nice at this time of year. Car does feel big when driving in tight spaces. Operating door locks is still confusing, touch control isnt consistent in operation. Touchless trunk opening also vague. We have the tow hitch so swinging leg has to be done with caution or your shin is in danger. Overall we are pleased with our purchase so far.

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  Not to be overlooked. - 2007 Ford Focus
  By Andrew Parkhurst - December 4 - 1:50 pm

  This car is best understood in context. I bought it new in December of 2006 for around $15k. Hondas and Nissans from 4 years prior were going for $18k. It is an excellent deal for what you get, and I think that too many people dismissed it because it was an older design. Ford introduced the Focus around 2000, but that means by the time you they produced the 2007 model year most of the bugs were worked out. Remember this was an award winning car for many years until it started getting a little long in the tooth. I have had few problems in 115k miles. Little things do come up every now and then, but it sure beats having to drive a Corolla. The alternator went out at around 70k, but that is not necessarily Fords fault. The cruise control stopped working at 60k, got a cable replaced and it is as good as new. One problem these cars have is the clockspring (in the steering wheel, works with the airbag system), which had to be replaced at 75k. There was some carbon buildup in the throttle body at around 50k, but that is more because of my short commute at the time. The radio did stop working a few years ago, so I replaced it with an aftermarket Alpine stereo that sounds a little better, but the stock radio was not bad. Problems are basically electrical in nature, but I have never been stranded and the basic powertrain is simple enough. Simple is good. The hatchback design is one of a kind, and has actually aged a little better than the sedan. The 5-speed manual has crisp shifts and is well-suited to the 2.0 liter gas engine. It has a fantastically light clutch. 136 hp is not a ton, but it will accelerate just fine and keep up with traffic. The best thing about the Focus is its ride-handling tradeoff. The steering has excellent feel, the ride is never harsh, and it will go right where you point it. Not bad for an economy car. We have a 2013 VW Golf as well. While the Golf is a more mature, heavier feeling car, the Focus is much more playful with no dead spot in the steering and a near perfect driving position. The hatchback is nice to be able to load larger items, has great visibility and the back seat is so much bigger than many of the new compact/midsize cars. The 2012-present Focus is much more cramped inside. The weakest thing about this car is that it just wasnt screwed together very well on the inside. It rattles, sometimes badly, sometimes not so much, depending on the tire pressure. Sometimes I feel like I have the best car ever--it is quite fun to drive--and sometimes I just want something a little quieter, a little more refined, like a Golf. But then, I get on a back road with the 5-speed and realize that this car is one-of-a-kind and it will be hard to replace when the time eventually comes.

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  Cubic Zirconia in Diamonds clothing - 2015 Ford Edge
  By Dissatisfied customer - December 2 - 8:57 am

  I just leased my 2015 SEL in October. I love the way it drives and handles on the road. However it has been in the shop twice with electrical issues in a month. The first time was when I tried to turn on the heat and no air came out. It turned out being a faulty pin according to the dealer. The next time was an electrical issue that prevented the car from starting and just about every warning light came on in the process. Im beginning to question the reliability of this model. I traded in my 2013 Focus for the Edge, thinking that I was getting a better made vehicle , as I had electrical problems with the Focus, as well. To add insult to injury, the dealer (Lester Glenn) has a ridiculous loaner car program where there is a two week wait and only about 3 vehicles, according to the service manger. Are you kidding? Perhaps if there is that much volume in the service department, the dealer should invest in more loaner cars. Also, they should give priority to customers who purchase vehicles at the dealer. FORD= Fix Or Repair Daily!

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  Nicve Car overall -- Poor resale - 2015 Ford Taurus
  By Steven Foster - December 1 - 2:56 pm

  The 2015 Taurus SEL AWD Stickered at $40k, wanted the new Mustang....trade in value at dealer $20k -- 50% depreciation in one year and 11k miles