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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  Great vehicle overall beware dealer transfers! - 2011 Ford Flex
  By prjklass - January 2 - 1:57 pm

  Overall the flex is great however I was disappointed with missing paint on bumper (where bumper meets sheet metal), some squeaks in ceiling air ducts and undisclosed minor hail damage to my vehicle. I will never do a inter dealer transfer in the future. Further my dealer (Maclin ford) also told me the vehicle had no break in period. After I received the vehicle I was disappointed to read that there is a 1000miles break in where the engine speed needs to be varied. Unfortunately the dealer tranfer involved a drive of almost 1000m. Seems to me like ford sales either does not know the product they are selling or they were dishonest in order to fininsh the sale.

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  Windows stick, really??? - 2012 Ford Taurus
  By fordguy20 - January 2 - 10:15 am

  Only had my Taurus since October 2011. Seemed to be a pretty good car and was looking forward to winter driving now that I have AWD. Only problem is that the first cold morning after I had the car outside all night, the windows were stuck and I couldnt get them open! Finally, one window in the rear opened, but the other three were still stuck. Is this a feature I glossed over and its actually designed to keep the cold out??? Really Ford - what genius team of engineers is responsible for this flaw??? I cant wait to see what it takes to get this fixed. Also, the cup holders are so tiny I cant find a cup small enough for these crazy things, except maybe a dixie cup. Strike tw

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  Happy - still learning - 2011 Ford Edge
  By airdalechief - December 30 - 10:44 am

  Buy 1wk ago. Not expert, but fairly tech savvy. Fun learning MyTouch etc. Love it. Works like a charm. After 3 years driving Rav4 (V6) its a pleasure to feel solid vehicle under me again. Two complaints: 1: GPS gives only 1/10mi verbal advise of turn. INSUFFICIENT! This is a dangerous thing. Its accident waiting to happen. They need to fix this. Example: An aftermarket Magellan that I had in Rav4 gave verbals at 2mi 1/2mi & approaching. Thats how it should be done. 2. To change active phone for Sync must acccess account in PC. Not the same as Primary phone for MyTouch. You need to understand the system to know what Im saying. Simple cure, make changeable from vehicle. See Fav Features

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  OK (at times) - 2001 Ford Escort
  By homerrocks2 - December 30 - 7:29 am

  Awesome to drive! I like the zipping around feeling from the little car and the manual transmission is the only way to go! Bought the car about 2 years ago and it is not aging well...found numerous times we have had to put patch work on it. I will say Im not sure about safety, it doesnt seem like it would hold up well in a collision but i dont know.

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  Better than my S10 - 2010 Ford Ranger
  By kwuerfl - December 23 - 1:53 am

  Love the stiff suspension and handling. I love driving this little truck lots of fun in the dessert.

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  Recommended - 1992 Ford Ranger
  By tabbies - December 21 - 6:24 pm

  This is my dads ranger. He fxed it up so its like new, had an enourmous amount of problems(refused to start, worn everything, severe loss of fuel efficiency/performance etc, etc, etc, etc,) Now the brakes work like a charm, brand new engine, trans, tires, etc. main problems=BODY ROLL IS INSANE, my dad could not drive it after a short drive, he had a bad knot in his neck and I drove him home. fuel economy is on avg. 17mpg. you have to keep in the 2-3k rpm band for tiptop perfor/fuel effici. It has decent power. Its a bit loud but I like to hear the engine. overall, if you can find one, and fix it up, buy it. Its a good choice, unless your old and experience frequent joint pains. -_-

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  almost luxury , beware of goodyears - 2012 Ford Taurus
  By kyle26 - December 21 - 3:12 pm

  I have put 2,000 miles on this car and still dont know what to think. From the beginning the goodyear eagles 19" have been a joke, it took 10 tires to get 4 that would balance, huge disapointment however dealer was great and made it right. The ride seems to be quiet at times and real noisy at others, road, wind, tires?? i dont know. however the ride is soft the seats real comfy and all the amenities top notch which leaves me to wonder why the crappy tires. anywho a gtreat car to short lease but that maybe it, still its better tan a cadillac cts.

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  Nice surprise from US brand auto - 2008 Ford Fusion
  By bruceocala - December 18 - 10:11 pm

  I got this car in May. I thought Id buy Camry again, but got this Fusion w/automatic trans. It was cheaper than Camry and frankly fit me - a big guy - like a glove. So far, smart move. It has some dumb little design annoyances, but the conveniences outweigh them. Its as economical and reliable as a Camry, offering more space in leg room, overhead, front area storage, back seat seating, and a huge trunk. The handling on turns is like a race car, yet the turning radius getting into a parking space is poor always an extra maneuver for a tight spot.

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  2011 Edge SEL gas mileage - 2011 Ford Edge
  By oscar001 - December 18 - 3:19 pm

  I purchase the edge new in April 2011. With only 1300 miles on the car we took our annual trip from Florida to Seattle WA. on the trip of 4218 miles we averaged 24.98 mpg. On our return trip of 4065 miles we average 26.87 mpg, which is exceptional in my opinion. This was the reason the Edge was purchased. The car is quite and very smooth to drive, the six speed is great when going down grades it automatically downshifts to maintain cruise speed. I drive at interstate speeds but do not use jackrabbit starts, is probably the key to the good mileage I get. The car now has 14000 +miles and the more I drive, the better I like the for Edge.

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  Free Vibration Included :-( - 2012 Ford Escape
  By vikings2417 - December 16 - 5:10 pm

  I purchase a new 2012 Ford Escape 3 weeks ago and have been dealing with a strong and annoying vibration while the vehicle idles in drive, reverse, and low. Its fine in park and neutral. If you want to have the new car look with the 30 yr old junker feel, buy this vehicle. Per Ford, "this is a charateristic of the vehicle" and there is nothing wrong. The two techs that sat in it, agreed that it was very noticable but since there werent any service lights or codes, there must not be anything wrong. Buy a Rav4 or CRV (Ive owned both) if youre looking for a small SVU. Skip the Escape!