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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  Great for the money - 2003 Ford Escape
  By Mike - March 1 - 7:01 pm

  What a great little SUV for the money. Plenty of room, plenty of power (V6). Build quality could be a bit better (rattles and squeaks at 40K miles) All in all I would buy another.

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  American-made reliability! - 1997 Ford Escort
  By Eric - March 1 - 11:29 am

  Absolutely reliable. Not the most quiet or refined automobile in its class, but VERY cheap to fix and maintain. The perfect utility-type vehicle for work/students/grocery chasing. Excellent mileage. The standard for dependability! This is my third Escort. I wouldnt hesitate to buy another one.

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  Too bad they dont make these any more! - 2004 Ford Ranger
  By Riverguy99 - March 1 - 4:07 am

  I bought this Ranger (my 4th or 5th, cant remember) 5+ years ago (2011) with 82K miles on it. I paid $7000 for it at that time. It had been owned by a maintenance fanatic and was absolutely as-new. Every service had been performed on schedule. It now has 113K miles on it and the maintenance has been kept up in the same manner. Ive had no problems with it at all. The 4.0 engine has had full-synthetic oil since the first change. Other than regular maintenance, my only expense so far has been for a new battery and a set of spark plugs. My only non-routine-maintenance costs so far have a set of spark plugs and coils (an engine miss triggered a code telling me an ignition coil had misfired), and a new battery soon after I bought the truck. Its five years old now so will probably not last much longer. I installed a 2" Flowmaster exhaust system soon after I bought the truck. For fun; not expecting any great performance gains here. This truck has all the toys: power windows, locks, automatic transmission, A/C, cruise-control, the Pioneer sound system etc., and everything has always worked as it should. The Ruby Red metallic finish still looks new even though the truck has been parked outside for the last 5 years. Driving impressions: I love driving this little hauler! It has a heavy duty lumber rack, the first thing I do to any truck. I regularly haul 500 pounds of beams and other long items on the rack and another 500 pounds in the bed, and the truck never complains. It gets 20 mpg all around driving (very little city) and 22-3 on long trips. My only complaint, and thats a small one, is that compared to my last Ranger, a 91 with the 3.0 engine, I can feel no better performance from this 4.0 engine, the 3.0 engine was physically smaller and far less complicated so easier to service, and the 91 got a consistent 24 mpg. Nice and quiet, handles well, the ride is great considering the hauling capability. I have a heavy-duty lumber rack on the truck and it often gets some amazing loads on it, which it handles fine. When I bought the truck, it had gone about 5000 miles on a set of new tires. Now, 30,000 miles later, they still look good, like at about 50%, with no uneven wear. This speaks well for the trucks suspension design. Low-speed acceleration is impressive. Highway acceleration, not so much. It surprised me that on a regular trip I do which includes many miles of 50-65 mph mildly curving highway up and down mountain ranges, the truck has a hard time keeping up with traffic. Then I finally figured out to lock it out of overdrive! That way the performance is fine, although certainly not impressive. Other than that, I have absolutely no complaints about this truck. Oh yeah, one little one. The seat cushions are really hard, but I fixed that with a foam chair pad. The backrests are great for me. That 4.0 SOC engine gets 18-19 mpg in mixed highway/town driving and 20-22 highway. For a truck, Im happy with that. I do use premium gas, however, and the mileage is enough better to offset the cost of the gas, plus it performs noticeably better all around. The transmission is terrific. Shifts solidly but smoothly and always right when it should. On a Ranger Forum I subscribe to, there are complaints about timing chain issues on high-mile engines, and getting to the rear timing chain (yes, the right one is at the back of the engine) means removing the engine, as in expensive. Im hoping that my oil-change diligence and that I keep the RPMs to a reasonable level will make this a non-issue. I really like the convenience of the rear doors, although as other have mentioned, theyre cumbersome in a parking lot with skinny spaces. Bottom line: I cant think of a truck I could buy for this money that Id rather have.

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  Poor Gas mileage - 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By Jack - February 28 - 3:20 am

  Ive had my 2010 Fusion Hybrid for 6 months and only get 31 mpg city/hwy. From everything I read Im one of the very people owners that is getting this low of mileage! Dealer said that because I drive a short distance around town, that is what I will expect. I have driven 60 mi. plus and still cant get over 31 mpg. Ford advertised with city driving, you would expect the best gas mileage, not mine! I have talked to Ford Corp. and depending who you talk to Ive gotten contradicting explanations. This is my only complaint with the car, but I bought it thinking I would get much better gas mileage, like reported. I cant imagine if I drove in cold weather what I would get.

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  2003 Escape XLT 4x4 - 2003 Ford Escape
  By David Wicksell - February 27 - 8:30 pm

  I purchased my Escape new in May of 2003 and have loved driving it ever since. When new they had to replace the radio (CD/tape) because the clock ran slowly. It was also missing the rubber stoppers for the liftgates glass. Both problems were fixed under warranty. After a while I noticed another couple of defects, the rubber seals in the liftgate (both the glass and the gate itself) as well as the moonroof, leaked slightly in the rain. That is just sloppy workmanship in my opinion. The moonroofs switch didnt work correctly. They were however fixed by the dealership under warranty. I now have 34,000 miles on it and it runs like new. There have been no mechanical problems or any other problems.

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  Great Family Vehicle - 2005 Ford Expedition
  By Sylvia de Valcourt - February 25 - 3:26 pm

  With the arrival of our 3rd child we test drove several SUVs and chose the Expedition. We test drove the Nissan Armada, Honda Pilot, Toyota Sequoia, and two minivans. We needed room, AWD or 4WD for beach excursions, and towing for a recreational boat. Ive hauled as many as 7 people (with luggage) comfortably and everything from 6 ft. tables to 8 ft. long 2x4s. The highway ride is smooth and passing is a breeze with the 5.4L engine. Turn radius is surprisingly tight for a large vehicle. My biggest disapointment is the mileage. We knew it would be bad, but we dont even get 14 mpg. We drive mostly highway miles and try to keep rpms to 2K. Our 2001 F-350 7.5L TD averages a better 19 mpg.

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  good value - 2005 Ford Taurus
  By mike v - February 24 - 6:15 pm

  I bought my Taurus in march 04 with ABS, SE preferred equipment package, 6 disc CD player. Use car mostly for work. Very reliable. Nice ride on open highway. Put 20,000 miles on it - no problems. Best 15 grand I ever spent on a new car.

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  2003 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By gk - February 24 - 10:00 am

  Found that the gas peddle was uncomfortable. I cant explain it but my 2001 Olds and 2001 Jeep never had this uncomfortable feeling. Cant seem to get into a comfortable position even with the power gas/brake and seat positioning??? The ride is great for a vehicle of this type. I required a V-8, classIV hitch and the side air bag curtian which I have. Im averaging about 18.8 miles per gallon which I feel is good for this size vehicle. I asked the dealer to install daytime running lights to work in conjunction with the automatic headlights. Not done yet!

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  good buy - 2001 Ford F-150
  By fordfiend - February 24 - 10:00 am

  IVE SEEN MY RELATIVES F150S GO 200K PLUS BEFORE NEEDED ANY MAJOR WORK. THESE ARE GREAT AND VERY DEPENDABLE AUTOMOBILES/TRUCKS!

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  Big Red - 2002 Ford F-150
  By Russ - February 23 - 11:22 am

  My first Ford in 35 years. Im impressed with the ride, quality and overall "truck". A smooth and quality product all around.