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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  Explorer XLT - I love it - 2012 Ford Explorer
  By htown35 - February 26 - 12:08 pm

  I brought my 2012 Explorer XLT with leather interior, 20 in rims and power liftgate in Dec 2011. The only issues I had was replacing the brakes (covered under warr) at 8,000 miles and a recall for engine cooling. Currently I have 10,000 miles. I like driving my Explorer. It gets a lot of attention with its 20 in rims and dark exterior color. I have gotten 25 MPG on the highway and about 18 in the city. It always has enough power and all features work correctly... Its quiet and I feel very safe in it.

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  first impression-excellent - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By mtsman - February 26 - 9:36 am

  Bought used with 52k and #1 reason for purchase was SYNC. cold weather and first tank of gas is still averaging 28mpg! woo hoo! 4cylinder seems to have better low end power than up top. no issues with trans even when cold. very aerodynamic-gains speed easily down the slightest grade. seats have great support but headrest pushes my head too far forward. text function "not supported" for iphone3...hmmm? back seats have lots of room for tall people. had to adjust fog lamps way up...no idea how previous drivers actually found them useful. so far HVAC is good-fan is slightly noisy. not the refinement of a cadillac or lexus but GREAT value for contents. gauges easy to read.

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  the 4.0 engine is a piece of crap - 1995 Ford Ranger
  By joeblo1 - February 26 - 1:25 am

  I bought this truck with 122,000 miles on it. It has 137,000 now and it has been nothing but trouble. I have had to replace the midshift bearings twice, the belt tensioner, body bushings and the fuel pump. The head gasket blew several weeks ago. When the engine was in pieces, we saw that one of the pistons had rubbed out gap in the cylinder wall. The motor is now completely useless.

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  Pieces falling off - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By asalvo15 - February 25 - 7:29 pm

  I was considering buying a 2013 Ford Fusion, so I went to the dealership to test drive it. I brought two friends with me, who sat in the backseat during the test drive. When we got out of the car, they told me the roof material in the back was coming off. To make it worse, we looked at another model (which was more expensive because it had the My Ford Touch options inside the car) and a piece of the exterior door panel was falling off. We mentioned it to the sales person and he went outside to check it. He hit it back into place and simply said, "We can just put some glue on it." SERIOUSLY?! Both cars are NEW cars and they already have pieces coming off? Imagine how it will be years from now

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  A 13 gallon gas tank? Sync still not ready for prime-time - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By fury63 - February 23 - 2:02 pm

  I have about 9200 miles on my Titanium FWD. For the most part, this is a great vehicle. It is a nice driver and is quiet and comfortable. It handles extremely well. However, there are a couple of things that really make it hard for me to recommend to anyone else. There is a problem with the gas tank that prevents you from putting much more than 12 gallons in when you are near empty. The specs say 16.5 capacity. So plan on spending a lot of time at the gas station. My last car held 18 gallons so this is a huge inconvenience.

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  Good car - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By stephen_c - February 23 - 11:34 am

  Ordered new from the factory in 2010, the vehicle now has 51004 miles on it as of this morning, with 27k being HARD miles driven while using it for a courier job that I had. My wife and I have made a 2500 mile round-trip journey with this vehicle, driving 23+ hours each way non-stop, and I can speak for the comfort of the front seats. After all of the things this vehicle has been through we have had only one mechanical issue, a leaky front right boot, and nothing else. Regular maintenance has done the trick. We have the 6-speed auto. Would recommend this vehicle! Great gas mileage (36+ mixed daily driving), reliable, fun to drive. My wife and I have driven this vehicle off-road :P

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  Good performance, but QUIRKY and has issues - 2011 Ford Edge
  By stxedge - February 21 - 3:33 pm

  Happy with vehicles performance, comfort, and styling. SYNC and MyFordTouch are quirky and are hit or miss whether or not theyll work correctly any given day. Ive had to get tips of forums on how to get the system working correctly again and have even had to do some hard resets. Annoying, but not worrisome. What is disconcerting, though, is the recurring smoke producing transmission leak from the PTU (power transfer unit) that is well documented in numerous online forums. Ive been fighting that one with the dealer for the better part of a year and a half and only have 27K miles on it.

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  Excellent commuter car - 2012 Ford Focus
  By bencheerios - February 20 - 11:40 pm

  Good looks coupled with plenty of power for passing and fun, and enough comfort and build quality to keep you from thinking that youre driving a compact car. The hatchback looks better than the sedan, but the blind spots are more cumbersome. I drove the car for last 4 months of winter 2012/2013, averaging 2900 miles a month. The car averaged 35MPG with a best of 41.6 MPG. If the weather stayed warm, the fuel economy would pick up a couple of points.

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  Still a few design flaws - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By ashburner - February 19 - 6:11 am

  Im a huge car fan, and I get a new car every 10 months or so. I decided to give Ford a try, as I have never owned one before. The car drives very nicely. Super quiet inside, at least as quiet as my 2011 Infiniti M37s. The interior is comfortable, but takes a little getting used to. Rear seat leg room is not the greatest. 2.0T engine is good. Definitely torque steer and turbo boost delay if you step on it but not a problem day to day. Love the Sync system and the LCDs. Driving anything else seems almost archaic. Stereo is great, especially the quality from the HD radio. Gas mileage is still up for debate but seems good. Did a 50 mile trip at 65mph and averaged 34.2.

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  economy, Sync lacking - 2013 Ford Escape
  By shortybus - February 17 - 3:07 pm

  2013 Escape SE 2.0 EcoBoost I feel like I am a victim of false advertising. Fuel economy is definitely not up to the billing. Im lucky to keep it over 21 average. I got rid of my 05 4-Runner to try to get better mileage, but its barely cutting it. Also, as described in numerous places here, Sync is buggy. I have recurring problems with my ipod and the Sync index. Its unpredictable and dsometimes unreliable. And when somethings not right she wont shut up. Bottom line, nice vehicle for the money as long as you are aware of the problems. Dont expect much for fuel economy, at least with the 2.0, unless you drive like a granny in a warm, dry climate on flat roads.