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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  Never Again - 2014 Ford Escape
  By huns8 - April 29 - 11:29 am

  I purchased a 2014 ford escape and within the first year the car was was hesitating while changing gears at 40km and also something in the morning would stick and would accelerate up the street. We would go from 0km to 50km.They tried to fix the issue 3 times with no success. They had to rebuild my transmission. Nobody at Ford wanted to help except offer free oil changes. never again will I buy a Ford a big piece of junk

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  2011 Fiesta falling apart - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By jackflaq - April 26 - 6:24 pm

  Ive run into problem after problem with this car. - The front passenger door latch spring broke so that the latch mechanism had to be replaced. Ford sent out a recall for certain vehicles about this, but mine does not appear to be included. - The engine stalls out when coming to a stop or going up a hill (has died in stop & go traffic on the highway). - The clutch misbehaves and causes the car to engine to shudder/sputter. - The turn signal lever broke so that it does not reset after making a turn. - The steering wheel media control buttons fell off after minimal use - Sync has random issues with reading ipod media. The build quality is just poor.

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  Best car Ive ever driven - 2015 Ford Fiesta
  By jrazem - April 26 - 5:06 pm

  I only drive fun cars. I used to drive a 06 Audi S4, my wife drives a BMW 335i with the sports package, and after reading so many glowing reviews of the Fiesta ST, I decided to give one a spin and then easily decided to replace my Subaru WRX STi. The Fiesta ST is not only better than all those cars but also far cheaper. There arent many instances where you can replace something more expensive with something less expensive and have a better product in the end, but this is one of those times. The Fiesta ST actually does live up to its hype - it is that good. If you enjoy driving and love fun to drive cars, there is no more fun that can be had in any other car - no matter the price.

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  Escape the Escape! - 2014 Ford Escape
  By escapeescape - April 26 - 4:42 pm

  Worst purchase ever! True lemon! Bought Jan 2014. Day 1: passenger headlight out. 3 trips to dealer, got it replaced. Then back to dealer for: rear lift gate out of alignment and sometimes doesnt close at all(4x tried to get it repaired), exterior lights periodically flash by themselves, SYNC wont display txt msgs (did once), door seals are horrible (TONS of dust), abnormal lag when accelerating to highway speeds, AC failed on first use, windshield wiper hits drivers side upright, 14,000 miles-lots of rattles, rear shocks just replaced, drivers window has mind of its own, headliner sagging in rear, driver presets do not return, poor performance of AC when it does work, etc.

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  Great Car So far - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By grisd1969 - April 24 - 10:34 am

  I put about 20,000 miles a year on my cars and I wanted something comfy and big Im 67" so no sunroof but other wise I fit just fine in the car. I had a 2007 Fusion with the 4-cyl and a manual trans and compaired to this car I get 2 MPG better and gained about 70 Hp...Id say that was a win for Ford. My 07 never broke just kept going and going. Hopefully my 14 will do the same. I almost allways had manual transimissions and this it the first auto that I like. Love the down shift when slowing down and having the paddles to take over when I want to.

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  One week in - 2015 Ford Focus
  By dredd_tac - April 24 - 7:27 am

  Just read the elderly gentlemans review from march and felt compelled to respond. Im one week in owning a 2015 Focus SE Hatch. This is my second Focus. Had a 2012 that I traded in on the current one. Heres what was explained to me about the transmission by service and salesits actually a manual transmission that has 2 clutches. The chattering sensation is the clutches engaging against the flywheel and is normal. If youve ever driven a manual pedal clutch car not all but most make a similar chatter. Now when I say chatter this is very subtle and I test drove two 2015s and they both did it. My 2012 also did it and had 76,000 on trade with no tranny problems.

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  Best Midlife Crisis - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By rbmidlifer - April 23 - 6:46 pm

  I was shopping for a Corvette, came very close to buying a C4. Looked at many C5s also. I just couldnt find one that I thought was the right car. My brother-in-law suggested I consider a Mustang GT. Im very thankful he did, I found a 2007 GT/CS with 22,000 miles on it and couldnt be happier. I bought a much newer, lower mileage Mustang compared to the Vette. I realize many Corvette owners would cringe the thought of even comparing them but the bang for the buck cant be denied. My grin gets larger every time I drive it. I don regret my decision for one moment.

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  Great Car if you drive oil roads - 2015 Ford Fusion
  By mamanep - April 23 - 6:05 pm

  This is my first Ford Ive owned, weve always been a Chevy family....but Ive heard rave reviews on the Ford Fusion and quite frankly I dont feel Chevy has mastered their midsize sedans quite yet besides the Impala, but I didnt want another one of those. I am very happy with the features on my Fusion, however after driving on my gravel roads, which I drive at least 6 miles a day, I have found that the doors do not seal well. I actually thought someone had not shut their door all the way, dust was rolling in. This car actually seals worse than my 2002 VW Beetle. I will be calling my dealer to see if there is something simple that can resolve this problem.

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  DO NOT BUY - 2015 Ford Focus
  By twv - April 23 - 9:08 am

  I have had nothing but trouble with my 2015 Ford Focus. The transmission is so jerky, that you can not drink coffee without it landing in your lap. If stopped behind another car and you go to take off, it hesitates and then lunges forward. Had it in the shop five times, written Ford, and all say the same, "it is within Fords acceptable allowance". I guess it is okay to make a lousy transmission, as long as you also make lousy allowances. Ford does not care about customer satisfaction. I have been buying Fords for 45 yeas, but this will be my last.

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  OK truck but beware of the 5.0 engine - 2012 Ford F-150
  By f150nottafan - April 22 - 8:28 am

  Just my opinion from my experience, I have 29K miles on my 2012 F150 XLT 4X4 Super Crew 5.0 and so far am not impressed with the quality. Between the wind noise, rattles, engine ticking,and knocking along with oil consumption issues there is no way in the world I would do the F150 5.0 over again. Google 5.0 Coyote knocking or ticking. And check out any Ford truck and F150 forums online and look it up even the Mustang forums are lit up with concerns and complaints about the new 5.0s. I been wanting to get a F150 for a long time but now that Im here Im going back to a Tundra as soon as I can. Again this is just my personal opinion/experience.