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 value - GREAT mpg - GREAT utility - 2009 Ford Escape
  By RAINKIR - June 30 - 4:10 pm

  This is our 3rd Ford Escape and this is by far the best one yet. The 2009 has a great 4 cylinder engine that has almost the equivalent power of the 2008 V6, with much better fuel consumption (or should I say conservation). We average 24 mpg with mostly city driving, and almost 30 mpg on our last all-highway road trip! It does great in the snow and handles the bumpy roads and potholes with ease. The 4 cyl. doesnt have the fastest acceleration but the mpg more than makes up for that shortcoming (and is to be expected). Nice amount of storage space and cup holders, plenty of room for all your stuff. SYNC is awesome - just plug in your iPod/mp3 player and use your voice to control it!

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By Me - June 30 - 2:46 pm

  (Note: I have the automatic transmission which isnt listed as an option) Dont listen to people complaining about how this vehicle is Mexico this vehicle simply exudes build quality there are no squeaks or rattles over rough pavement, and no misaligned panels. Acceleration is good enough for highway usage. The car is quiet on the highway however, the engine gets a bit loud during acceleration. The car has a Good and balanced ride considering the short wheelbase You may think the trunk is useless and small but, it has a larger internal volume than the civic and corolla. All in all I can see why this is the second best selling new car in Europe

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  all around great truck - 1990 Ford F-150
  By johnie tyler - June 30 - 1:33 pm

  i bought my 1990 f150 lariat with the 5.8 (351) windser it is the best truck i ever drove has lots of power fully loaded. Everything is stock fixing to put a throtle body spacer and cold air intake on in. Truck is quick at getting to speed and great for pulling boats and campers and you cant eveb tell its back there most the time smooth riding and will roast them for about a block all stock if anyone wants a great truck i would get one of these there is only 12% of these trucks made with the 351 in it best old truck you will ever drive.

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  Awesome concept but I must have gotten a lemon - 2015 Ford Explorer
  By Eddie - June 30 - 8:04 am

  I test drove a bunch of SUVs in this class during my search and I must say the overall design and appeal of Explorer captured my attention and made it stand out. I test drove a fully equipped sport edition first and while I absolutely loved the performance of EcoBoost, it lacked some safety features such as lane assist or blind spot monitoring and only came in AWD, which here in Phoenix area isnt needed much. So I opted for Limited Edition for its safety/equipment/price and settled for the somewhat mediocre performance of the regular 3.5L V6. Purchase process was smooth and I drove off the lot at Bell Ford in Phoenix same day. First few days were fine and I bragged to everyone I know how much I love the vehicle. Engine performance was nothing to write home about, but brakes were great, instrumentation and sound system were great, the vehicle was very roomy even with 7 in the car. 3rd row is one of the most spacious in the class for sure. Overall ride quality is very nice. Ride softness could be improved as during otherwise very quiet operation one could feel every crack in the pavement. But that stiffness gave it very stable ride, which is a great plus on highways and in tight turns. My whole family loved the car! Now the bad - At around 700 miles things went south and have been deteriorating since. I spent years working on cars when I was younger, and bought / sold many in the last 25 or so years of driving. So I may feel the car a bit more than an average driver but I dont consider myself picky when it comes to overall performance of any vehicle. I dont normally look for perfection but what I started experiencing is something completely off. The transmission began slipping from second to third gear, pretty badly at that too. It felt like the definition of slippage. Torque was almost completely lost while shifting from second to third gear, RPM would shoot up another 1000 or so, and then the gear would re-engage a second later. Im not heavy footed either, by any stretch of imagination. And the tranny would do this at any level, higher or lower RPM, gunning or taking it easy. I brought the car to Bell Ford for inspection at 800 miles and after a day in the shop was told that no issues were found. I drove off and given that its all under warranty continued driving as-is. Things, got worse with milage and soon more symptoms of trouble were apparent. Transmission would jolt and jerk shifting during very easy driving shifting from second to third, and even later in the stack from 4th to 5th. Slippage still occurs to this day although a lot more prominent while cold and less when hot. Jerking and kicking happens at any temperature. I took the car to another dealer at 10K - Peoria Ford, after leaving the car there for two days while paying for my own rental, I was told the specialist could not re-create any of the issues I mentioned :(. This was the last draw as even my 10 year old could sense the abnormal, unpredictable behavior with the tranny while riding around with me. My wife refuses to drive the car now altogether. Im afraid to drive it long distances. I just drove to Denver and back and after couple of hours on the freeway if I got off to get food or gas, the transmission shifting issues were more pronounced than ever. The slipping, hesitation, jolting got worse. Im not sure where to go from here but I would hesitate to ever buy another ford given the dealer support and expertise I received so far. This is actually my second run-in with Ford transmission issues as I had problems with a 2011 Taurus I owned before with very similar issues but at around 55K miles. But all that is for another review. Update 10/27/16 with 26K miles: Transmission issues persist but two different dealers could not identify it, so were still driving it around until it completely dies, which seams to be the only way for Ford to "look into" it. Im really starting to dislike the Sync system as its getting slower and less responsive with age. Every touch takes one to few seconds to respond, and since 95% of all function manipulation is through Sync touch system, it really gets to you after a while. I know on 2016 models they improved instrumentation with more real buttons for stereo, climate, seats...etc, but the 11-15 gen is all touch. A very recent new development (havent had a chance to have our dealer look into this) - every once in a while Ill start the car, and as soon as gear is shifted to R the moonroof opens, literrally slides back by itself with no input whatsoever. I just close it and move on with my life for now, but its certainly one of the weirdest things Ive experienced with this car. Now the good - milage per gallon is still great, around 21MPG mixed driving, which is awesome for this size vehicle. It is still very comfy for long drives. Mountain driving in steep hills is a bit challenging still due to engine performance, but overall our long drives to CA, northern AZ, CO, NV, NM were all fun.

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  I was duped - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By Michael Torbett - June 30 - 2:56 am

  This car is a fair car fell very short on mileage 15-17 on the V-6 in town. I am using good gas also, and driving habits. I was told by the dealer the mileage is figured out on a flat surface at 35-45 mph it says 20-29mpg on the sticker, not so on my vehicle. The good things; 6 speed auto very good. Sound system is good, AC is great. Noisy brakes on parking lot maneuvers - again I was told thats normal. I drive other cars and do not hear the brakes groan. I regret ever buying it. Oh I have to admit the dealer was great when I complained about the mileage; checking alignment, tire pressure and engine codes and they gave me a car to drive. Not a happy camper here.

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  Nice Car! - 2009 Ford Edge
  By Ralph - June 29 - 6:15 pm

  I grew up with Ford trucks and station wagons. I currently own a 1997 F350 crew cab. The Edge is a totally new experience for me and my family. I cant get my wife out of the car, shes always on the road! My kids who normally think that their parents are "old" love it! Their computer Geek friends love SNYC and the other features. We love the ride.

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  2000 Windstar - 2000 Ford Windstar
  By Skip - June 29 - 9:38 am

  To many repairs as it got older. Hard to find a reasonable repair shop and dealerships sometimes try to sell more services than needed.

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  New 07 - 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Dave Bransky - June 29 - 6:50 am

  Traded a 99 F-150 for this vehicle. So far I am very pleased with the Sport Trac. The Sport Trac has a glass smooth ride with outstanding handling, and the motor is extremely quiet. I am not really sure how the fuel mileage is going to be, I have only owned the truck for a week, but compared to the Triton 5.4, anything is better.

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  worth the money! - 2006 Ford Escape
  By jeffc - June 29 - 5:43 am

  Just bought my Escape and my wife and love it! Its replacing a truck; and with fuel prices highly recommend so far! Decent gas mileage, plenty of pick-up.

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  Transmission Cooler - 2008 Ford Escape
  By CT - June 28 - 9:38 pm

  Ford knows that the transmission coolers on this particular SUV are failing prematurely. If you are lucky, it fails before 36k miles. If not, you are stuck with the bill. They will not recall. They will not stand behind the product. No more Fords for me.