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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  Ford Focus - 2002 Ford Focus
  By AJIowa - November 20 - 5:16 pm

  This car has excellent handling. I am not a car person so my primary reason for purchasing was price and gas mileage. The inside of the car is a little small. Passengers in the back seat have to scrunch up and it would not be good for long car rides with four people. This car needs new tires constantly. I am lucky to get 15k out of a tire. I mean they are completely bald. I have had alignment checked no problems. I rotate the tires but barely can do it twice before I need new ones. I been through 7 full sets of tires in 5 years. The tires are supposed to get 50-75K and it isnt even close. I also had to have the struts front and back all replaced by 50K.

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  Couldnt be happier - 2007 Ford Edge
  By Sue Ray - November 20 - 5:43 am

  I couldnt wait to get my hands on the new Ford Edge. I had been calling local dealers and it was hard to locate one. I finally bought one and couldnt be happier. The ride is great with little noise from the outside. It handles great and at 55 I finally feel like a kid again.

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  Perfect for small business operator - 2010 Ford Transit Connect
  By Gary Stewart - November 20 - 12:40 am

  We bought this for our gourmet bakery distributorship business. We have put 25,000 miles on so far. It has been everything we hoped it would be. We get a huge amount of product in it, all the doors are easy to work from with the low floor, very comfortable to drive with great gas mileage. This was a key for us averaging almost a thousand miles a week. People constantly come up and ask about it. Were thinking about buying a second one. Why has no one else come out with this type of vehicle for a business operator?

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  2004 Ford Screaming Mustang Convertible - 2004 Ford Mustang
  By R.Kelsesky - November 20 - 12:20 am

  Im a 49 year young man who used to be a Pontiac Trans am man but once I drove this baby I was hooked! I love my Mustang. I have a 2004 40th anniversary edition that Im restoring to look like she was just rolled off the show room floor with some of my own classified modifications that will put the GT to shame LOL

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  Awesome ride - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By shane - November 19 - 12:11 pm

  Me and my wife have gone through quite a few vehicles over the past year and none compare to our Freestyle. It is so fun to drive, very dependable, lots of storage space, hardly any complaints, but I do have two. I would like a little more room in the passenger seat up front, and our biggest problem is what to call the darn thing, when we are leaving we dont know what to tell the kids to go get into, the car, the suv, the van , talk about confussing. But other than that we love it its the best driving and best made car, suv, van oh what ever we have ever had

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  Better at everything but.... without cache - 2017 Ford Edge
  By Steve - November 19 - 11:38 am

  I also purchased an 8 year bumper to bumper warrantee

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  Brand new purchase - 2016 Ford F-150
  By Terri Carlson - November 19 - 7:52 am

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  Swiss Army of Cars - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By Peter - November 18 - 6:53 pm

  After owning this car for a little over 2 weeks, I havent been this impressed with the versatility of any car before. You get good looks, great use of space, good gas mileage, great safety features and above all a pleasure to drive. If you have a family with kids, this is the family car you should look at seriously. The only thing it cant do is haul things like a pickup could, but really, how often do you do that in a family vehicle. Only negative so far is a loose DVD player that rattles but will be corrected by the dealer. I really enjoy this car.

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  I love my 2016 Ford Focus Electric! - 2017 Ford Focus
  By Dave - November 18 - 7:01 am

  I leased my 2016 Ford Focus Electric from a dealer in Portland, OR in October, 2016 and I truly love it. If you are looking for an electric vehicle I highly recommend it. I drove the Nissan Leaf, VW Golf-e, and Fiat 500e and the Focus Electric was the winner. It has the same body style as the gas-powered Focus and looks very sharp. It comes standard with fancy alloy wheels and the front grill and headlights make it look very sharp. There are only 2 model packages, and the difference is just the seating. The cloth seats made from recycled material are not great. I opted for the leather. The interior is well designed and has ALL the modern amenities like touchscreen, backup cam, blue tooth, steering wheel controls, etc. The LED lights that glow at night are a nice touch. You can pick the color and intensity! The stereo is a Sony and is decent but not great. The fact that the car is so silent all the time makes the stereo easier to hear and sound better. Driving this car is a true pleasure! The acceleration at any speed (with just one gear) is amazing. Its hard to restrain from going fast in this thing. It handles well and is very responsive. One big drawback is the turning radius. I often have to do a three-point turn when on a street whereas other cars could just make a tight u-turn. This may be my only complaint, other than the low mileage range. My 2016 model was rated around 85-90 miles per charge. In ideal conditions this does occur, however the heater and A/C will put a dent in the mileage. The heater more so than AC. In the winter I was getting more like 50 miles on a charge. But, I found that like a cell phone if you just plug it in regularly you never dip down too much. It comes with a charger that plugs into a regular 120v outlet. I run a 50 ft extension cable to where I park it. You can even put a little lock on the charger if parked outside. I love driving past gas stations and never having to stop. There are no oil changes! If you wish you had a Tesla this is the best next thing. With incentives from Ford and the state, I had $14,000 taken off the sticker price. That made the price $17,100 and my lease was based on that. Ford knocked it out of the park on this one!

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  Best Mustang - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By cobra rick - November 17 - 7:46 pm

  My wife and I own two 2006 GTs, this coupe and a premium cont. She drives ,the convert has only 6k miles ,they are both great cars and were fine stock ,I own my own mustang shop and modify the cars all of the time ,neither one of our cars is stock ,they are the best all around Mustangs ever built ,we have had no problems ,the shaker 500 is great ,and the back seat isnÂ’t that bad once you get in ,best bang for the buck out there. I have owned around ten Mustangs, including a task built 428 car the aftermarket is huge for this car, Ford did right by getting the aftermarket involved from the start