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:

• 

  Great except for front seats - 2015 Ford Edge
  By mpstanley - May 12 - 8:24 pm

  The new Edges is a great vehicle except for the plastic base of the front seats. Bolstering is good, but the plastic base sides prevent flexibility in the seat bottoms and prevent comfort on extended trips. Big miss for a great new design

• 

  I usually dont give 5 star reviews - 2008 Ford Edge
  By djscotec - May 12 - 7:22 pm

  Bought my Edge at the beginning of 2009, was a demo with 9000 miles, to this date i just went over 52000 miles. Knock on wood ive had very little problems with the vehicle, mechanically or electronically. the rear tail lights burn out unusually fast, should have a recall on this. the sockets appear scorched. other than that its been basic maintenance on the vehicle. i changed the transmission oil at 50000 miles just to be safe. I also change the oil every 4000 miles with full synthetic mobil 1. the oil still looks good after 4000 miles! the front end seems to be riding hard as of late but it may need some gas struts replaced, most of my miles are city driving and joy riding

• 

  My 3rd Focus - 2015 Ford Focus
  By sanfla52 - May 12 - 11:16 am

  This is my 3rd Focus. I decided to buy "new" this time, having bought used before and the cars were great. This one is great also in most ways. However, I do NOT like the transmission. The hesitation felt on acceleration is a big issue for me. Both of my previous Focus vehicles had quick acceleration. This one will too...but if you push past the "hesitation" then it REVS up to 3500 rpm and goes back down again, which I also do not like. When I bought this car I thought with it being new and the fact that I dont drive much that this might be my "last" car, now it will depend on how much I can tolerate that hesitation issue. No option to choose 4 cyl auto transmission which I have.

• 

  One Year In and Very Satisfied - 2005 Ford Focus
  By fcaruso213 - May 12 - 8:10 am

  I bought my Focus in February 2014 with 66,000 miles on it. So far, I havent had any issues with this vehicle at all. I am a rather large individual and Im very comfortable in this car. The interior is very spacious and the Focus fits 4 comfortably. So far, I have only had to perform routine maintenance on this car. The gas mileage averages around 32 mpg and is an excellent choice for a daily commute.

• 

  Love this car - 2015 Ford Fusion
  By zanderman1 - May 11 - 3:23 pm

  This is my second Fusion, i had a 2013, and now i have a 2015, love the car. I have never had any problems with my old fusion or the new one. I would 100% recommend this car to everyone, great on gas great daily driver, my only two things i dislike is it could have a little bit more power under the hood, and my out side color is black and it is one of the hardest cars Ive ever owned to keep clean, i wash it about 2 to 3 times a week, the black color gets so dirty, but it really shines when it washed up and looks great.

• 

  Horrible car!! - 2014 Ford Focus
  By nick4118 - May 11 - 10:07 am

  This car is nothing but awful. Our model was equipped with leather, sunroof, etc. but it was junk. There was not enough room, it was too small, poor viability, and the engine was horrible. It has very little power, and it shakes, shutter, and sputters CONSTANTLY. It has been doing this since it was drove off the lot. We checked with the dealer, but other people who bought the car from other places had the same issue. I give this car two thumbs down. We now have a Dodge Dart and it is so much better!

• 

  Extremely satisfied with EcoBoost Premium (A/T) - 2015 Ford Mustang
  By mojo_mike - May 11 - 5:43 am

  Im thrilled with the EcoStang. Nice power / torque as delivered. Have tuned the Mustang with the Cobb Accessport, and its now even more fun. The car rides / drives great for this segment. Shopped the Mustang vs. the Camaro and Challenger. The Mustang BY FAR gives you the most car for your $$$. Have heard lots of complaints about the noise the turbo makes. As delivered, its not great and could be improved upon. I know that in-line turbo 4s can be tuned to sound like something special. Highway cruising nets me an honest 33mpg, and 27 combined. Like having the variable drive modes as well as variable steering. Lets you customize the cars behavior to your mood.

• 

  DCT is not your regular Automatic Transmission - 2014 Ford Focus
  By gentle_coconut - May 10 - 8:12 pm

  That being said, Ford and its dealer network should do a lot more to explain to future owners what DCT is. The regular swish-style gearbox is simple in that one bears down on the throttle to go fast and eases to slow. DCT requires one to drive with a manual gearbox mentality. To quickly get to 4th or 5th, stay below 2500 rpm and then once on 4th or 5th one can push beyond 3000rpm to get some speed - I suspect thats when the turbo kicks in. Ive found 6th works best in the range between 2200 and 2600rpm. To accelerate, use manual mode but at 160hp from turbo, I dont think this is the horse for that race.

• 

  The Green Monster - 1996 Ford Taurus
  By anthonypavone - May 10 - 11:26 am

  Bought this car as a replacement to my 98 Suzuki . Got it from a friend for $600 with about 140,000 miles. Needed a new battery, catalytic converter, ball joints, and AC system. Through all this I got the car and loved every second of it. Only thing I ended up fixing was the battery, all others were too expensive a repair. In the time I had it the left front turn signal burned out probably twenty or thirty times. But this car drove like a dream. I drive 50 miles a day and only had to fill up once every week and a half. Sadly I hit a deer after 6 months of having it. Tiny deer hit the airbag sensor at 40MPH and to fix would be $1,000, on top of the other fixes. But now Im looking for another

• 

  Driving in the Edge - 2015 Ford Edge
  By ridgedrive - May 8 - 9:56 am

  I test drove the Edge and loved it right away. I have the SEL V6 and most of the packages. I test drove a Toyota Highlander but it was noisier and I did not like the steering feel. I wanted to test a V6 Outback but there were none within 75 miles. This is my first vehicle with electronic steering and I liked it better than a CRV that I drove. The vehicle is quiet, smooth, comfortable and has plenty of headroom (Im 6-02). I cant rate reliability. Ive owned four Fords with no major problems. The Edge drives like a heavier sports car with a nice solid feel. Ford has stepped up their game when it comes to refinement.