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:
Showing 5631 through 5640 of 30,482.00-
fun little car - 1997 Ford Aspire
By bigmike86 - July 3 - 1:59 amI have owned this car for over 2 years and have had very few problems with it. Im rather happy with it with the exception of the road noise and lack of high end power. But all an all it is a worthwhile, inexpensive car to keep.
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2000 Ford Focus 4dr ZTS - 2000 Ford Focus
By Rick - July 2 - 5:34 pmNever had a problem with the car. Though I have received 7 recalls that were repaired. Average 26 mpg/33 mpg highway. Could use about 30 more hp. Car is tight and quick to respond. Fun to drive but does have too much road noise making normal conversations at 65 mph difficult.
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Great car, but I miss my Focus - 2004 Ford Taurus
By Map Girl - July 2 - 10:15 amI just bought my SEL wagon used and got a very good deal. It only had 9,000 miles. I sell maps for a living so I needed a car with a little more payload. I looked at many SUV styles but surprisingly many had no more carrying capacity than my Focus wagon. The ones that did were more like trucks and high to climb in and out of all day. Safety was another concern as I drive about 700 miles a week. Im bound to get hit some day! And I need a safe car. All in all this is a very sensible vehicle for anyone who travels for their work and/or carries heavy loads. But I sure miss Zippy (my Focus). It was much more fun to drive!
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Not great pretty good though - 2000 Ford Explorer
By Vic - July 2 - 12:34 amWe are at the end of our lease. This truck has been as advertised, both good and bad. Its been reliable, its AWD has gotten me through a couple of snowstorms, and has ample space for our family of 4 plus dog. Were moving up to a minivan mainly for the extra passenger capacity. Although I cant complain about the Explorer in any specific area, if I could go back 5 years, I would NOT buy this vehicle again. Again, theres nothing really wrong with it, but there are many other vehicles that would have fit our lifestyle better at a much lower price. I think a car based SUV like the Escape would have been a better choice.
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Slow But Fun Stang Vert - 2002 Ford Mustang
By svt_god - July 1 - 8:57 pmI have a silver 02 v6, automatic Convertible which is so much fun to drive. But not a lot of get up and go from a stop, but has plenty of highway power. I should have either got the GT or a 5 speed for to dead stop power.
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Showing Its Age - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
By brendan - July 1 - 10:00 amNow that this car has almost 50k miles on it, Im hearing rattles and clunks on all but the smoothest roads. When I drive through parking lots, the car bucks a bit. There are large paint chips where there shouldnt be. I even think my gas mileage is suffering (never mind the mpg rating for this car is generous to begin with). A shame its turning out this way, because when I bought it I felt I was driving a car worth twice what I paid.
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Ford Focus SVT 2 door - 2005 Ford Focus
By Jennifer - June 30 - 7:23 pmI really like this car because its fast, cute, and is a 6 speed! The only complaint I have is the gas mileage; not good. I get 90 miles each quarter of a tank city, and about 95 each quarter of a tank highway. Other than that its an awesome car.
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The "Old" Cobra - 2003 Ford Mustang
By Rod Gayda - June 30 - 12:10 pmThe car is built very well. The convertible is a little more "bouncy" than that of the Vettes, but the trade off for me was having the back seats for my kids. This is a very fast, fun, safe, family performance car as I like to say. One doesnt realize the true performance until you get the RPMs up around 4500, then the car is a monster. I was a Chevy guy, but for the price the Cobra was a far better buy for me. Over 400 hp for under $35,000, and an open top find a better deal.
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Not a bad vehicle - 1993 Ford Aerostar
By Andrew - June 29 - 8:59 pmI bought this vehicle to use for a courier service. I have put 10k on it since the purchase over 2 months ago. Was doing pretty good, then the transmission went. Such are the joys of a used vehicle without maintenance records! If you need a cheap minivan thats cheap to maintain, these are still a good purchase. Just look out for body rust (especially along the seams on the roof), electrical problems (power windows and locks) and transmission noises/leaks are bad news in this van. Braking is good, but these vans are known for chewing up front pads/rotors, since the front brakes do all the braking. The AWD (also known as E4WD) version can be expensive to fix.
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Nice car, bad battery - 2002 Ford Taurus
By James - June 29 - 6:20 pmHave had mine since I bought it new in 02, other than a couple of cosmetic issues which the dealership fixed the only issue has been that the battery shorted out. Wondering if this is a known defect with these batteries.
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