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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  Handles well, broke down at 37,000 miles - 2004 Ford Escape
  By forddriver - March 4 - 11:53 am

  Handles well, plenty of storage. The cruise control is well-designed. Handles really well in poor weather, snow, heavy rain, etc. One small blind spot by the side view mirrors, but great visibility compared to other SUVs. Stopped running at 37K miles. Had to replace the MAF (a $325 repair). Didnt like that on a low mile vehicle thats been well-maintained.

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  FUN TO DRIVE - 2004 Ford Focus
  By sgr - March 4 - 10:00 am

  VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED TO REPLACE A LEASED TAURUS. THE FOCUS WAGON IS A HIGHLY USABLE VEHICLE,EX., HAULING BAGS OF LAWN SUPPLIES, CABINETS, HOME REPAIR SUPPLIES,ETC. COULD NOT CARRY IN TAURUS. IMPRESSED WITH POWER OF 2.3L ENGINE.

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  dont know yet - 2003 Ford Escape
  By benni - March 4 - 2:00 am

  My husband and I bought this vehicle used. Its been ok. Going from a Saturn SL2 to this is pretty amazing. It sits so high. Getting in and out is wonderful. So far we are fine with this suv. I dont like where the windshield wipers are next to the steering wheel. The brakes make a lot of noise other than that it seems like Ford did an ok job with this one we will see in the future.

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  A good, economical SUV to drive - 2006 Ford Escape
  By atg61 - March 2 - 11:05 am

  A good, economical SUV to drive and it serves most purposes. Although not a very powerful engine (4 cylinder) it easily makes up for it in fuel economy. Because of its size, it is nimble and can squeeze in spots better than your average SUV yet still is able to hold/transport almost the same amount as bigger SUVs without giving up a lot of space. The base XLS model is no frills but has options that you would not expect. A good value over all and I am quite satisfied.

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  Windstar - 2000 Ford Windstar
  By tshffr - March 2 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive with plenty of interior room for short or long trips.

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  After 15 years I am finally selling it - 1991 Ford Festiva
  By fl678 - March 1 - 12:03 pm

  I have owned this little oddly shaped car since it had 6 miles and it has been extremely reliable. The only issue I ever had was the ball bearings going out every few thousand miles. It has always work in cold or warm weather and fuel economy was fantastic when I bought it 15 years ago.

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  An Ok SUV - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Ken - February 28 - 8:09 pm

  I think the dealer wanted to move this Eddie Bauer as it had the V8 & most of the options including captains chairs in rear seat & canopy air bags. Got a great deal as it was on the lot for 4 months. Engine is flawless but highway MPG is 18 unless you get off the highway for a few miles & then average drops to 13-14. Lots of problems with transmission shifting but all was fixed in a timely manner by Ford. Ford should get with it on the leather seats with the inserts & make them solid leather. Heated seats failed & wrong parts kept on being ordered by the dealer. Dealer prep was less than desirable as lots of buffing compound was left on. Paid $31,000 for a MSRP $39,500. Not bad overall.

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  I love this car - 1999 Ford Contour
  By Lindsey - February 28 - 5:44 pm

  When I bought it there were only 33,000 miles on it and it was in perfect condition. It now has over 50,000 miles on it and still runs like new. It has been in a few minor "incidents," but has come out virtually unscathed (after being involved in 2 accidents, total repair costs amounted to only $200 ... COMBINED). Its a tough little car and has great pick-up and power for its size. The gas mileage is pretty good as well (about 17 - 20 mpg depending on how hard it is driven) the only bad part is that the tank is small (13 gallons I believe) so it needs to be filled up a bit more often than other cars. But it handles well in the snow (front wheel drive) and I wouldnt want to drive anything else.

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  6 plus years and still humming - 1999 Ford Explorer
  By Gasburner - February 27 - 11:28 pm

  I bought a V8 XLT with the sport package brand new. Tows my 17 boat like it is not even back there. No real problems to speak of, except maybe poor quality of Ford service departments. The engine and transmission have been rock solid. I had some problems early on with the windshield wipers having a mind of there own. I also had the front ball joints go out at 50K. Everything fixed under (extended) warranty. At the rate Im going, I dont think Ill get my money back (in repairs) for the extended warranty. All in all I have no regrets.

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  My Experience - 2000 Ford Mustang
  By SoS - February 27 - 8:29 pm

  I bought this car with 16,000 miles on it for $9,000 dollars from a friend. It has been nothing but amazing since that day. I have added a cold air intake, tinted the windows and put on an amazing exhaust. I get about 30 miles per gallon in the highway and about 14 in the city (without any air conditioning). I had to change the CCRM which ran for about 140 dollars , but this seems to be a really rare problem, I was just unlucky. I would recommend different rims and tires, because traction in the rain is horrible I have crashed 3 times. All of which kept my car in perfect condition, but ruined the other cars lol.