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 Vehicle - 2005 Ford Excursion
  By Tom - February 2 - 11:50 am

  This is our second Excursion. First was a 2002. The first was so good I had to get a 2005 because Ford stopped making them. This is the best highway vehicle I ever had. Family vacations are wonderful. Plenty of room, comfortable and safe. We have driven thru some sizable storms and the stability of this beast is excellent. Performance in the snow and on dirt roads is flawless. This vehicle is so solid I hit a deer at 35mph and there was no damage to the car. There is simply no better or safer vehicle for my family. 90,000m on the 2002 without any significant repairs. 32,000 on the 2005 with no problems yet.

• 

  Pleasantly surprised - 2008 Ford F-150
  By TXRUNFX4 - February 2 - 10:27 am

  After having exceptional luck with my first F150 (98 4x4 that is still going strong), as well as after test driving a Tundra, Silverado, and Dodge, I decided to get another F150. I went with a fully loaded, every option (minus sunroof) 08 FX4 as I didnt see enough difference in 09 to warrant the extra $ for the 09. Ive read some reviews about poor power, and Ive always felt the F150 lacked the "get up and go" of the Chevy, but Ive been very surprised that this truck has loads of power and very nice throttle response. The interior (black leather) is really nice and the truck is super quiet. Very comfortable, great power, very solid! Other trucks were nice, but Im glad I got the FX4.

• 

  Sad but True....not worth it - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By PhantomrStang - February 2 - 10:11 am

  I have owned my car for 3 years. Wanted one since I was a kid. Very unhappy. Squeaks and rattles in the dash, window tint scratches when rolled down, spoiler comes lose constantly, vibration in front end that no one can seem to fix, new rattle in suspension, beginning to have trouble with the drive train, carpet and leather wear terribly, windows are beginning to leak when washed, more wind noise etc. This car was garage kept and babied, there is no excuse for this horrible quality. Though it was fun to drive and gets lots of look I will likely never buy Ford again! Go with the Honda, Toyota, Acura, Lexus or what ever else you are looking at!

• 

  Focus-love it! - 2000 Ford Focus
  By Jade - February 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car, my first new(used) car!Only problem was left brake light out. Got it fixed right away,have seen 1 or 2 with same light out...makes me wonder. Other than that I love it. It zips around and picks up when I need it to.

• 

  100,000 miles in 3 years - 2000 Ford Focus
  By Kurtdoubleday - February 2 - 10:00 am

  A great car with a few problems, most recalls fixed things that I had replaced already. Fantastic summer & rain handling but buy top grade snow tires for winter. Fuel pump needed to be replaced because of a design flaw that Ford fixed in replacement. Still have original brakes with no troubles. Be careful slamming back tailgate, you may dent the door like I did. Avg. 28 MPG with highspeed (79 MPH) driving and hauling more stuff than I should.

• 

  I love my Escape! - 2001 Ford Escape
  By Hanni - February 2 - 10:00 am

  My Escape is wonderful - it handles like a foreign car, looks cool, and fits all of my three golden retreivers inside with plenty of room to spare. Its comfortable on long trips, and the six-CD player is wonderful. I have a couple of small things to get fixed before my warranty expires (in 2,000 miles), but nothing even close to major repairs.

• 

  It Served me well - 2007 Ford Expedition
  By Birdman - February 2 - 12:03 am

  I had a 2007 XLT. Unfortunately, it was recently totaled in an accident. The Expedition took the full force of the impact when someone crossed over the line on a two lane road, after rear-ending another vehicle, and hit me. I was not injured. She gave her life for me, I have said to others. All the safety features did their job, as did the vehicle overall. I loved that vehicle. Over 30,000 miles, and not a single problem. Ford has improved in quality. It was so good, that it is the only vehicle I ever bought twice. After it was totaled, I replaced the 07 with a new remaining 08. By the way, I must say,if you get a large SUV, dont complain about the gas mileage. It is what it is.

• 

  Not too shabby - 2008 Ford Focus
  By alisajg - February 1 - 7:01 pm

  I bought my Focus to replace my nightmare VW Beetle. Overall I like it .Im at 14,000 miles. It does well in all weather. I find the seats to be very comfortable. The seat backs are high, which is great because Im on the tall side (for a female). The moonroof is nice, but cuts a lot of headroom in the backseat. The back seat is hard to get into with the coupe. SYNC is pretty neat, but hard to use sometimes. The brakes are terrible, and are very underpowered. The headlights are not very bright, and Im probably going to put in some HIDs. I have beige cloth that I have worked very hard to keep clean, but I should have gotten leather. I get better than estimated MPG. Nice, smooth clutch.

• 

  Im loving my 2015 Focus SE - 2015 Ford Focus
  By lamondjohnson76@gmail.com - February 1 - 1:04 pm

  I have read all the so call complaints about the Focus, now I have own Lexus,BMW,Acura and Honda this is my first Ford I wanted something not to big and not to small and thats great on gas and can move when 2.0 liter I have is good I mean Ive never own a 4cyl car, but this little car movies the Style on it is nice and I love the Sync works great with my Android and my IPhone on and gas mileage is awesome and it does break my pocket to fill it up. So with that being said I love and enjoy my Focus

• 

  Ultimate tow vehicle - 2003 Ford Excursion
  By c wallace - February 1 - 12:17 pm

  My Excurision is a 4x4 with the 6.0 diesel, as of Jan 2009 it has 83,000 miles with no major problems. This is the tow vehicle to have if you have a large family. We can put our three kids, all of their stuff, the dog, and all of me and the wifes stuff and trek out with no worries. This includes towing a holiday rambler 33 foot trailer. I have a few modification that I recommend for power and fuel economy. Because I put a two inch lift, 315 75 16 tires, and aftermarket front and rear bumpers with a front winch on it my fuel mileage decreased. I added a banks intercooler, cold air intake, power pda, and a magnaflow four inch turbo back exhaust. What a difference!