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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  My festivas x 2 - 1990 Ford Festiva
  By rock hound - August 12 - 10:03 pm

  Both are excellent little car very dependable, one engine has about 375,000 the other 185,000 both still running strong. They both get about 40 miles per gallon, plenty of power. Getting a little hard to find 12" tires, and because of the smaller diameter the rough roads tend to break the belts on them but most likely this is because there from China now. If your lucky enough to buy one keep it! One of them does have a raw smell inside the vehicle which I cant find

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  WOW!!!!!!!!! - 2008 Ford Taurus
  By John - August 12 - 9:08 pm

  I have owned Fords for the past 30 years and I must say this is by far the best one. Among those Fords was a Lincoln Town Car signature series loaded and theis Taurus has it beat by a mile. Gas mileage is great (29 hwy 22 city). There is more room in this car then in the conversion van I use to own. Comfort is beyond reproach. I always buy used cars about one or two years old and add on extended warranty. I do not think (hope) I will need my 100,000 mile warranty on this vehicle. It is just great. Ford you need to bottle this up and keep it on the shelf for future models. Now is I could only figure out how to put a SHO engine from a 2010 into this 2008 I will be happy.

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  Typical American car - does not hold up - 1998 Ford Expedition
  By Thomas Fong - August 12 - 8:33 pm

  Poor gas mileage and does not hold up as well as a foreign made Japanese or European vehicle. Ford did not support vehicle for spare parts beyond 10 years.

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  160,500 miles and still running well! - 1997 Ford Aspire
  By rolynne - August 12 - 7:52 pm

  I was looking for a reliable, low-cost, used compact when I found a listing for an Aspire 2-DR automatic. After reading reviews here I went ahead and bought it. Im pretty satisfied with it, especially the mileage it gets. It does have a lot of interior noise and could use a bit more pick-up on the 0-60 time, but once it gets going it has no problem keeping its speed up.

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  Rumbling Ride... - 2006 Ford Escape
  By L.D.Driver - August 12 - 6:42 pm

  There is one minor flaw in this vehicle that is such a major distraction to the driving experience that I have grown to hate the Escape completely. I drive up to 60,000 km(35,000 Mi) every year and the uneven tire wear that mysteriously happens with these vehicles leads to obscene levels of noise while driving. The dealership and other garages seem aware that the Escape has this issue but dont seem aware of how horrendous an issue this is for a high mileage driver. The only advise the dealer could offer was to rotate the tires every 5000km instead of 10,000. For me that would mean a tire rotation every 4 weeks which is just not feasible! NOTE- uneven wear is not a result of wheel alignment.

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  The best American compact out there. - 2009 Ford Focus
  By srcej6 - August 12 - 6:09 pm

  Ive been extremely pleased with my 09 Focus SE coupe. I chose the 5spd because I personally cant stand to drive a car that doesnt have a lot of torque paired with an automatic. With that said the clutch uptake is very smooth and the pedals are well spaced for heel toe downshifting. The shifter itself could be shorter but the detents for the gears are positive. The car rides like a midsize sedan, very quiet and smooth. Its leagues above my friends 08 Cobalt in ride quality and noise control. While its no drag racer it definitely is entertaining in the twisties, with the 4wheel independent suspension. Not only does it soak up bumps mid corner with ease but it is also very forgiving.

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  Love My Ford Focus - 2009 Ford Focus
  By Kelly - August 12 - 3:57 pm

  Have always loved Ford products. I dont buy anything else. Have to say I went from a Explorer to a Focus. The transition has been great. My view is wonderful and hardly any blind spots to be had, LOVE MY SYNC! The LED LIGHTS are great and very fun! The ride is smooth and very quiet. Rides and drives like a bigger car! Boggs down a little on the hill. The MPG is wonderful and actually getting for miles to the gallon than promised on the sticker.

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  Bad Tranny - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By ripped off - August 12 - 3:52 pm

  I bought the second freestyle available at our local dealership. It was roomy and looked sharp.I enjoyed it with the exception of transmission problems. Took it to dealership and they replaced transmission which I paid for would not help.New tranny at 50k give me a break. Drove 1 mile and turned around it was exactly the same problem. They diagnosed the catalytic converter was the problem and replaced that still charging me for the misdiagnosed tranny. 115k new transmission again. Dumped it cant wait to be Ford Free once my F-150 is gone.

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  Never again - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By Rebecah - August 12 - 3:44 pm

  This is my first (and LAST) Ford. 2 radiator replacements. The heater does not work anymore and I now have to replace the housing and gasket which supplies coolant to the radiator. Waste of $ and time. This is not a reliable vehicle.

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  Dream machine - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By chrisma - August 12 - 3:20 pm

  Retro to the bone! Brings back memories of riding in my Dads old Stang. Excellent handling, good sounds (both exhaust and Shaker 500), love the front end. Love this car!