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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  90s Hot Rod - 1995 Ford Thunderbird
  By aaronhall1980 - April 17 - 8:48 pm

  I bought this car for $3,000 and It was worth every penny! The car was in perfect working order and the leather interior was very comfortable but sporty looking at the same time. The interior set-up was very easy to get used to and the gauges were easy to read and well illuminated. The big surprize comes when you put the petal to the floor! The powerful V-8 leaves nothing more to want for the money and provides easy cruising or powerful takeoffs. An all-around sporty but comfy car.

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  Steady Vehicle - 2000 Ford Windstar
  By oldcrewjock - April 16 - 7:51 pm

  Generally a good vehicle, however there have been nagging issues. There was an issue with the steering column (fluid leak), the cruise control went out a 80K miles. It is a bit of a gas pig (17.5 town/21 hwy), now that gas is over $2.00/gal it is the last of the three I own to be used. The ability to switch climate control to rear is a nice feature. Used to tow a large pop-up camper- performed well. Lots of power, though could have more low end torque. Transmission tends to be a little clunky.

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  Wish They Still Made Them! - 1991 Ford Aerostar
  By Torres - April 16 - 1:54 pm

  Bought van used with 70k miles and its now at 168k & running strong. Bought it to replace a 1995 Plymouth Voyager after it was totaled & the biggest difference noticed was all the extra room. We had 4 kids at the time & van is huge with extra big cargo area & storage even under seats. Lots of headroom. Can comfortably haul from kids to couches. Engine & transmission mechanically sound with only routine maintenance light oil usage only problem. 3.0L V-6 not enough power & it strains when accelerating but rides smooth once going. Gas mileage good at 17 city, 25 hwy. Seats have thick cushions instead of thin like new vans weve rented. Weve kept van as spare because no new van is as roomy. We wish this model was still made!

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  A Pretty Good Truck - 2004 Ford F-150
  By kevhunt - April 16 - 10:00 am

  This one has the 5.4 engine. Im getting between 14 and 16 mpg:( Other than that, its great. It handles better than any pick up I have ever driven. Very quiet inside. Great stereo system.

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  Ford is lying about the mileage - 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By safedriver415 - April 14 - 10:38 pm

  The 2014 Fusion Hybrid does not live up to its mpg claims. AT ALL! Expect to see no higher than 34mpg from normal driving and 38mpg from "hybrid driving". Unlike the Prius which get its claimed mpg numbers when driven normally, the Fusion Hybrid will never get close to 47mpg unless all your drives are down hill, at 70F degrees, and no headwind. The MyTouch system is a dog. It cant do anything without numerous inputs, and forget about the navigation, it is a true pain to use, so we dont and use our phones instead.

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  Just got mine - 2013 Ford C-Max Energi
  By cgold13702 - April 14 - 1:52 pm

  I am generally happy with the car. I realize it is the first generation, but Ford could have done better. I ordered it with every electric option and yet I do not have memory seat, daytime running lights or blind spot alert. I requested all of the above, and apparently it is not yet available. I the stated electric range of 20 miles is not even close. I drive very conservatively and I do not get 15 miles on a charge. The ride and handling are excellent. The road noise is non existent.

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  Pretty good car but no more Fords 4 me - 2001 Ford Windstar
  By QBOY - April 13 - 10:59 am

  I have always driven American cars except for my 97 Toyota Land Cruiser. I bought my Windstar in 2001 when I had two car seats for the kids. Today, five years on, the car runs fine and has served us well but it simply is not wearing well. We have had no problems mechanically -- everything works but things are aging badly. All door hinges -- especially rear gate -- take too much effort. Transmission is okay but not great. The point of mentioning my 97 Toyota (with 100K on it) is that it feels way more solid and drives better than the van. Granted, the Toy is also worth twice the Ford at this point but Id rather drive a used Toy than a new Ford. So, I doubt that I will ever buy another.

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  Nice vehicle...but oh, those seats! - 2016 Ford Explorer
  By paul dekoekkoek - April 13 - 1:50 am

  Full disclosure--Im reviewing based on a week traveling with this as a rental vehicle as sort of an extended test drive before making an expensive purchase! Maybe this wont get published as a result and interpret accordingly. Ive read all the online reviews of the 2016 model, looked at all the specs, compared to several other competing models that Ive researched and test driven, and had some extended seat time before arriving at my conclusions. Disregard required ratings for things that can only be evaluated with months and years of ownership time like reliability, maintenance costs, etc. under the "Reliability" and "Value" categories. Overall, this is a great vehicle and I understand why many people ultimately decide to purchase one. It has the combination of luxury, styling, technology and performance thats hard to beat. The turbo v6 is a treat and I averaged 22-23mpg across over 500 miles of driving 70-75mph. City mileage in true urban/suburban traffic leaves a bit to be desired as I was more in the 12-14mpg range then, though perhaps not appreciably different from the normally aspirated standard v6. I also appreciate the lane-keeping assist (though not always reliable even when lanes clearly painted and favorable conditions for it to work). Most of the electronics and "Sync" were good, though I kept getting a "usb input error" message on screen from one of the charging ports used to charge phones that I dont get anywhere else. Will chalk that up to Microsoft and perhaps the next generation Sync3 on next years model will improve some of these little annoyances. The highway ride is quiet and smooth, with minimal steering adjustments required to keep it tracking straight. I enjoyed driving it and all the electronic parking aids are useful though I didnt try the parallel parking assist. In the interest of keeping this review fairly short, wont go into all the details of everything I checked, but overall found the technology and features in this model to be very good. Its not going in my garage, however, for one simple reason--seat comfort. I plan for this vehicle to be the family roadtrip hauler and this is the fatal flaw for me. I can nitpick a few other items that I wasnt thrilled about, but could learn to live with, but seat comfort is a major problem area for me at least. Even with the Platinums "Nirvana" leather and seemingly infinite amount of adjustment (including massaging seats), I eventually developed significant lower back pain over the course of many consecutive hours behind the wheel. Im not sure if the highly inboard dead pedal placement is part of the equation, but the seat cushions contours felt too narrow and the bottom cushion too short (at 6 1", Im not tall enough to expect that to be an issue) resulting in sciatica symptoms. I tried to wish them away as I really liked the vehicle enough to strongly consider buying one. Could just be the way it fits me, though Im apparently not alone given what Ive read here and elsewhere. For reference, both the Dodge Durango and Toyota Highlander (the latter with its inflatable front seat edge extender for more thigh support) feel much more comfortable to me. There may be other vehicles in this class with even better seat comfort, though I have ruled them out for other reasons. My recommendation--try to get some extended seat time to confirm long-haul comfort if traveling on long trips is part of the intended use. Such a nice vehicle, though it wont work for me.

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  After a year of driving - 2005 Ford Focus
  By Olympia, WA - April 12 - 12:49 am

  Really a great car for a 5-speed manual. I drive 30 miles each way to and from work. Handles great on the freeway as well as in town in those hard to park spots.

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  Best Lil Truck 4 Me - 2002 Ford Ranger
  By This1wrkd - April 11 - 12:26 pm

  I purchased my 4WD Edge new in 2002. Its going strong in 2006. Ive been all across the country, and commute from Houston to Crockett 3 times per month. You may think its a chick truck, but 4 wheeling is terrific, and it carries everything an artist/remodeler needs (for a chick). Ive owned a lot of vehicles, this one is just plain fun!