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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  Best American Family SUV - 2000 Ford Expedition
  By ghostrider8 - June 3 - 3:34 am

  The Ford Expedition is a well built SUV that has a nice interior layout. The rear climate control features are great. The 5.4L V8 is a very reliable engine.

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  Good acceleration, not as fun as Speed 6 or G8 GXP - 2011 Ford Taurus
  By costeld - June 2 - 4:33 pm

  I may be one of the few people who have owned a Mazdaspeed 6, a new Taurus SHO, and a Pontiac G8 GXP with manual. I lost the Speed 6 in a divorce, downgraded for a while to a police interceptor (fun to abuse b/c its cheap), then bought a 2011 Taurus SHO with performance package in october of 2010. Mine had most options, only lacking adaptive cruise control (I think). I got a good deal on it (had to cross shop 4 dealers from 200 to 1000 miles away), but walked out $8000 under MSRP. I loved all the luxury features (not a Lincoln after all) and fresh styling. Overall a good value. However, I regretted not buying the G8 gxp instead (was hard to find) and eventually sold SHO for the GXP.

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  My first Ford - 2000 Ford Explorer
  By atwizted1 - May 31 - 11:52 am

  Bought mine in June of 2008 with 84,000 miles on it. Im the second owner and take extremely good care of it. Maintenance is always done religiously on time. It now has 145,000 miles on it and the only thing it needed was the oxygen sensors replaced. NEVER has broke down on me. Only issue I have is the rear wiper motor is stripped out where the arm is inserted into it and the rear window hinges have stripped out at the screws. I have taken it off-road twice, once in sand, and once up and down some decently rocky short hills and it climbed like a champ...still no mechanical issues! Ill buy another one if gas economy is better. Its an XLT V8 AWD. Prefer to choose 2 WD or 4 WD

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  2008 Mustang- FUN - 2008 Ford Mustang
  By camustangguy - May 31 - 12:46 am

  I bought my 2008 V6 in 2010 with 60,000 miles on the car. The guy before me must have really abused the car because the clutch was gone and the tranny completely gone. I had the clutch replaced with a spec stage2 clutch and a new T-5 tranny and the thing runs like new. I recently lowered the car on eibach springs, and their pro damper shocks and struts.I have a 91 octane tune, K&N Cool air intake, BBK throttle body spacer, 18in AMR wheels from american muscle, Straightpipes exhaust dual conversion, Pypes X pipe, Steeda throttle body spacer. I had Super Snake Stripes painted and the Raxiom Sequential tail lights. Its become my own project car. Overall fantastic car. Its well fast enough:]

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  Outstanding - 2007 Ford Focus
  By greenpony - May 29 - 1:54 pm

  I am writing this review after five years and 120,000 miles of nearly problem-free ownership. This car is simple, inexpensive, reliable, and fuel-efficient transportation. Been in the shop twice, only for suspension-related problems. I blame Illinois pockmarked roads. Comfort is adequate for four people. Trunk is cavernous. MPG is outstanding! Post-2008 EPA ratings are 24/33, and Ive only had two tanks below 30 mpg (both 29.7). 40 mpg isnt uncommon in the summer. Reliability is excellent, should have no problem with ANOTHER 120,000 miles.

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  Great Car For Price, Poor Interior Ergonomics - 2012 Ford Fusion
  By scruffdude - May 22 - 8:46 pm

  I really liked my Fusion. I have as a company car and it replaced a Malibu. Better driving, more responsive, decent milage. And it looks good. My issue is the poor design of the seat/dash area. I drive an average of 2,000 miles/mo and after a year I ended up with shoulder issues. The seat does not allow you to adjust to sit upright and the bucket is too narrow, forcing you to round forward as you drive. Too bad, I liked the car. Moving up to an SUV.

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  So far... I LOVE IT!!! - 2012 Ford Mustang
  By david281 - May 21 - 4:00 pm

  Ive owned German and Japanese cars until last week. This is my first American car, and so far I LOVE IT. I LOVE the look of this car, as it looks like a throwback to the 60 - 70s designs, and doesnt resemble the Mustangs of the 80, 90s, or early 2000s at all. This is definately NOT the car I remember guys driving around in high school. The performance out of the 3.6L V6 is stronger than my Audi 2.7T A6, Acura RL, and BMW 328i. This car also handles tighter, and brakes harder than anything Ive owned so far.

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  Great Vehicle For The Price - 2012 Ford Escape
  By ffparamederek - May 20 - 7:13 pm

  Bought this car a few days ago so we could have a car to augment our GMC Acadia due to a growing family. It replaced a 1997 Escort so its definitely better. My dealers initial price quote was over $19,000. I was called a few days later and was told that that particular Escape was on sale for $13,995. For that price I would say the car is spectacular, being that it was less cash than a 4 year old RAV4 with 90,000 miles. Its quiet, rides smooth, is very quiet, and has ample power. The manual transmission is hard to shift, but I hope it loosens up. The interior is cheap and plasticky, but what should I expect for the price?

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  Explorer 2012 FWD good for the city but not for the snow - 2012 Ford Explorer
  By dryan865 - May 20 - 5:43 pm

  We are a Ford family and have owned at least one Ford car as long as we have been married. We purchased the 2012 Ford Explorer FWD 3.5L V6 Limited in March and have driven it on one long road trip (5K driven). We like the features and quality of the vehicle. However, in the snow it was very disappointing. We were misled when we purchased the vehicle by the dealership. (We were told chains were an option) After I got stuck in the snow and returned to purchase chains from the dealership, I was informed by the parts dept that Ford does not support any model of snow chains for the car. We are living in the Pacific NW currently and would not dare take a road trip in the winter with it.

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  Lots of mileage on this van! - 2001 Ford Windstar
  By philwil21 - May 18 - 10:58 am

  Our ford van has done us great in the past 11 years. Yes it had all the recalls on it but ford fixed each one. The reason we got rid of the van is at 298,000 miles it thrown a rod through the block. It was unexpected with no warning. Only major repair I had to pay for was the intake gaskets leaking and manifold needed replaced. I fixed & maintained the rest except tires. No transmission issues even at 298,000. We feel lucky compared to some other reviewers. Thank you ford