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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  Bought New! Love it & its 2018! - 2003 Ford Escape
  By Sarah T - April 15 - 9:37 pm

  Bought my V6-Escape new in 2003! Wrecked 3xs; it is protected me; had to replace trans & 3 catalytic converters 2 yrs ago. It still handles well at age 14.1 yrs. It is my pickup for antiquing & gardening. At age 72, with arthritisI love the pullup handles & running boards. I use Mobil One oil now due 198000 high mileage.., its expensive but only change oil once/year & engine runs smoothly. It runs noisy on road. But, I may put Michelin tires on it & give it to my 16 yr old grand daughter. Ill buy another one new!

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  Bought New! Love it & its 2018! - 2003 Ford Escape
  By Sarah T - April 15 - 9:37 pm

  Bought my V6-Escape new in 2003! Wrecked 3xs; it is protected me; had to replace trans & 3 catalytic converters 2 yrs ago. It still handles well at age 14.1 yrs. It is my pickup for antiquing & gardening. At age 72, with arthritisI love the pullup handles & running boards. I use Mobil One oil now due 198000 high mileage.., its expensive but only change oil once/year & engine runs smoothly. It runs noisy on road. But, I may put Michelin tires on it & give it to my 16 yr old grand daughter. Ill buy another one new!

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  Runs great! - 1993 Ford Explorer
  By kornkid010 - April 15 - 8:24 pm

  I bought this truck about six months ago because I needed something that does not get stuck in the snow or mud.I put some Dayton Timberline A/T tires on and it gets thought the snow and mud great. We had a freak snow storm that gave us two feet of snow and I was able to pull several people out of the ditch, including another SUV. No, the 4.0 does not make it fast, but she is able to tow what I want and go where I want. Half the door handles are missing and some of the windows dont work, but I dont care. There was also an added tow package when i bought it, which is an added bonus.

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  8000 miles down - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By dad2dlj - April 15 - 6:20 pm

  After 8000 miles in 3 months, I continue to be truly pleased with my Ford Freestyle. Gas mileage has been very good (20 mpg with very heavy stop/go traffic); comfort has been great in all seats on long trips; and absolutely no problems/defects/issues experienced to date.

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  2009 GT 500 Convertible - 2009 Ford Shelby GT500
  By gparker - April 15 - 6:06 pm

  This is great modern muscle car. Plenty of power and a loud, cool exhaust sound. The vapor metallic exterior color is unique and looks great with the black top. The wheels and wide tires are are well sized for the car, unlike many of todays sports cars.

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  Go for the Platinum-BUY AMERICAN! - 2009 Ford F-150
  By dvick - April 15 - 2:50 pm

  Looked at everything on market- saw the competitive videos that Ford did, that, plus the fact that it is an IIHS Safety pick made the decision-even tough I liked the looks of the Dodge better. Go for the Platinum, you get the deployable running boards, infinitely adjustable tilt wheel and much more for less than $1G more than the KRanch. Others talked about the headrests, they can be bent back out of the way w/out hurting the seat. Only have about 275 miles, all in town, getting about 12mpg, about as expected. This is one ritzy truck, rides like a Caddy, hauls like a Superduty safe, strong, well built- cant go wrong! Will update later when I know more about MPG over long haul.

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  Love my new Explorer - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By sandiegoexplorer - April 15 - 10:00 am

  I cant believe the negative comments on this site. Did some of you buy your Explorers in Afganistan or something? I just got my new Explorer XLT and love it. Granted, my mileage is under 5000, but I just cant see this car suddenly falling apart and becomming a repair nightmare. The new styling in great, and Im so glad I got the V8 - great power and torgue. My only minor complaint is that there seems to be too much road vibration traveling up the steering column and into the steering wheel. Has anyone experienced this? Seems like there should be some more dampening in the steering column.

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  Very pleased with my selection - 2002 Ford Focus
  By urlacher_fan - April 15 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my car for a month and I love it. I like the style of my car. When you drive a focus you can feel great control of the road that you possess. My only after thought is that I should have looked at a hyundai elantra, for the price I paid I probably couldve got a loaded elantra gt. My only problem with the elantra is that in my opinion it didnt look as nice as my Focus. Also I went from a 90 grand prix w/3.1 v6 to this focus and ive noticed the difference in power. However compared to the cavalier and the zx2 my zetec is much better. All in all the focus is fun to drive and comfortable in the inside.

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  They dont build em like this anymore.. - 1996 Ford Explorer
  By NMR - April 14 - 10:23 pm

  I bought this SUV with 150,000 miles. I now have almost 180,000. The only major repair I have had is with the transmission...a solenoid that cost $200. Other than that, I have experienced only typical maintenance issues: exhaust, brakes/rotors, O2 sensor, plugs/wires...which most can be done by the average DIYer. To the poster with 240k+ miles: if you have that MANY miles on a (American) suv and you arent happy, then you will never be happy with any vehicle. I have been looking to buy a new vehicle for the past year and based upon reviews, I will be sure to keep this one as a backup. I cannot say much bad about this SUV...IMO the Explorer is an A+ concept that ended when Ford redesigned.

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  STAY AWAY FROM THIS WITH 5.4L TRITON V8 - 2002 Ford Expedition
  By smileeeintiffin - April 14 - 7:27 pm

  I loved my expedition up until it left me stranded on a major highway due to a spark plug popping out!! And it is not an easy fix let alone how costly it is. Ford is aware of the major defect in these transmissions but will not correct the problem. To correct the problem the entire head must come off. Also if it is #4 spark plug than you must remove front of vehicle body to get to it properly. What a Joke!! Stay away from these vehicles. It will happen to you. They say the average mileage when this happens is 95000 miles. Mine has 94500. Imagine that. It is junk! Buyer Be Ware!