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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  Pretty decent - 2003 Ford Taurus
  By michaeldav1234 - January 19 - 6:00 pm

  Going from a 97 Acura 2.5 TL to a 2003 Taurus was a bit different at first. I miss the sunroof and leather seats and climate control system my Acura had. Overall, I am very satisfied with my Royal Blue 2003 Taurus SE. I bought it on Valentines Day 2012 and almost a year later and more than 20,000 miles putting it at 130,000 miles, Ive only had to replace the starter, alternator, and battery which were all under warranty from JD Byrider (hence the 1 star for value because Im overpaying for it). I have driven it from Jackson, MS to New Orleans and to Ole Miss numerous times and it has not failed me. Will keep til I can get a brand new black Ford Taurus SHO.

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  Good car, serious safety flaws - 2012 Ford Mustang
  By ponycar - January 18 - 9:05 pm

  This is a great car, with a huge potential flaw. I, as well as others, have experienced a crucial flaw in the stability control system on some 2011 and 2012 Mustangs. The stability control has a tendency on some vehicles to engage itself at around 50MPH for about 15-20 seconds. During this time, the car cuts throttle, and engages the brakes - and can cause the car to buck, sway, and behave violently. Ford has yet to acknowledge this issue or supply a fix.

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  3-month followup - Ford has stepped their game up - 2013 Ford Focus
  By weelman13 - January 17 - 2:09 pm

  I have 2800 miles now after 3 months from Oct-Jan. My driving habits are mostly city (90%+): 27.4 MPG. On a short road trip, i get around 30, and dont know how to get the EPA 36, maybe 80mph doesnt bode well for fuel econ. The ride is good(not too stiff) and the handling is very good, but the 18"pilot sport 3 are bad in snow but are great in rain and dry. The sync is fine, it does change my media upon start-up about 30% of the time. The bluetooth works good (podcasts/pandora/etc) and i am using both an SD card and USB stick. Making phone calls is very easy, the phone features are always on. Going for my first oil change soon and no problem issues that i know of.

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  Not a good car for babies - 2013 Ford Explorer
  By twins10 - January 17 - 11:31 am

  Ford Xlt v6 with leather and bench seat. Wife bought car while pregnant but before we had car seats. We had twins, so two car seats britax. With car seats install driver and passenger knees are against the dash. I am 6 ft, wife is 5 ft 10 in. Traded with mother-in-law for her 2013 gmc Acadia. Nice exterior lots of good comments Interior looks nice Sync system voice recognition is slow (as compared to my Hyundai genesis coupe) Leg room is poor with car seats Drive is more responsive a better than the Acadia

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  Theres a reason why these sell... - 2010 Ford F-150
  By student4life - January 17 - 7:52 am

  I purchased my Truck for work purposes, and its performed very well for over two years now. Its comfortable, very roomy, looks great, and gets over 800km per tank of gas (120L tank option). I always admire the fit / finish of the interior and it looks great when cleaned up. I have nearly 60,000 kms on it now and its only been in the dealership for minor issues, like the tailgate and drivers door not closing perfectly, turns out just realigning the pins fixed it. Nothing else has been an issue, just scheduled oil changes and maintenance as per ford. Its got the 6 1/2 foot box so its 20 feet long overall, but never been an issue to park or drive in the city, great turning radius.

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  my 2012 FORD FOCUS "SFE EDITION" - 2012 Ford Focus
  By badfocus - January 14 - 3:57 pm

  I purchased my 2012 Ford Focus feburary 27,2012, at 5600 miles I get a RECALL letter on the "programing of the transmission" from then it was down hill for my little car. I took it back around 10,000 miles and i was adv nothing was wrong with the trans that this is the way it is to shift, the car was shifting like someone just learned how to drive a stick shift!!!!!, this went on for a month, i was so upset oneday i almost got hit by another car because of the way the car was shifting out, i put my big boy pants on and demanded they look at the car. well, what do you supose they found???? they found there was a problem!!!! it was the clutches, they replaced them, i drove the car 2 weeks and

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  good car good mpg - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By cde5151 - January 14 - 11:28 am

  Nice car for last 3+ years, never been in shop, except for tires I change my own oil, fan is loud but normal for fusion. good ride .. tires all wore out by 36k, now have Nexen tires, they seem ok at 55k. I did just put in battery also. MPG average 28 with 70% hwy and 30% city

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  Poor Navigation System - 2013 Ford Focus
  By barridale - January 13 - 7:45 pm

  I purchased a 2013 FORD FOCUS Nov 2012 and took the optional navigation system because I needed it. Since the firsr time I used the system it did not fuction properly. It is inaccurate placing the vehicle location on either a different street or driving through backyards. When the destination is right ahead at 50 yards the system tells to turn left then right at the next street to reach the destination. Needless to say that this could be dangerous as well as getting the driver lost. The vehicle has been to the dealership twice for two hours each time. The whole software was updated as well as the new version SD card installed. The second time the service dept liasoned with FORD but never

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  2013 Fusion 1.6L Ecoboost MPG - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By ozarkfusion - January 13 - 6:31 pm

  I just purchased a 2013 fusion 1.6L ecoboost that is rated at 36mpg on hwy. At best I can get 32. Took a trip to SC and back to MO and averaged 32. Ive had 5 new vehicles (none of them ford) in the past 10 years and all of them got what they said they would. How are others out there doing with their MPG-specifically the 1.6L ecoboost engine?

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  Good reliable car - 2008 Ford Focus
  By wharpig - January 12 - 1:35 pm

  We bought this car used with 34k miles a few years ago and it hasnt let us down yet. Its a great reliable car that has roughly 80k miles on it to date. I drive 100 miles to work and back mostly highway and get 36-42MPG. I did add a K&N air filter which boosted the MPG about 4-5MPG. Its a nice peppy car for a small car and doesnt feel under powered like alot of smaller cars I have drove. I havent had one problem with the car and would reccomend it for anyone looking for a good gas saver.