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 Truck all around - 1997 Ford Ranger
  By vand - September 20 - 6:03 pm

  I bought this truck in 2001 with 60K on it. It was an excellent, excellent truck. I replaced the alternator around 100K and did normal maintenence on it other than that. It started up every time, fun to drive (although the rear-wheel drive could be a little tricky if the roads were slick), used and abused it. The light bulbs behind the display went out slowly over the years--no big deal. I loaded all kinds of things in this truck over the years. It got great gas mileage. I had owned it for 10 years and put 90K on it when I was rear-ended and the truck was totalled. It could have been a much more serious accident, but the solid construction of this little truck saved me.

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  SE Automatic 6-speed (review didnt have that option) - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By groksurf - September 17 - 4:42 pm

  Have owned the SE for three weeks. The Transmission prefers a very light touch when starting from a stop. It shifts 1-2-3 rapidly up to about 25 mph if you do it that way, very smoothly and quietly. Then you can push the accelerator more for nice quiet power. It will switch awkwardly if you give it heavy foot at low speed. You definitely need to learn how it wants to be driven once you do its a pleasure to drive. At higher speeds very quiet engine (although at 70 the rpms almost reach 3K--Id prefer 2300 at that speed), and minimal road/wind noise. If you do push the rpms, the engine sound is throaty and not at all unpleasant. Great mileage so far, about 33mpg at 60% city/40% highway

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  170000k and still going - 2002 Ford Taurus
  By powemicj - September 15 - 8:46 pm

  Title says it all

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  Great Truck - 2000 Ford F-150
  By snyderjam - September 12 - 8:00 pm

  I bought this truck new in 2000. V6 5speed. Its now almost 12 yrs old and what a ride. I will have 200,000 miles on it this month and the only things that I had to have had to fix, besides routine maintenence- Fluid changes, Brakes and Tires- are the water pump and the ignition coil. The v6 with the manual tranny has plenty of power and dose great on the highway. If you need a good dependable truck, this is the one.

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  performance - 2011 Ford Escape
  By llf2 - September 12 - 9:39 am

  My 2011 now had 1800 mi. From the time I took delivery until now it has a vibration when idling in drive waiting for a traffic light. Ive had many 4 cyl cars and never had this problem. I dont know if its a wrong idle speed or maybe a transmission problem. Ill be seeing the dealer soon. I pointed this out to the dealer when I took delivery and he said give it awhile. If he can solvethis problem then Ill be happy.

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  A nice place to spend time. - 2012 Ford Fusion
  By rich416 - September 9 - 10:47 pm

  So this is a very early review as I only just purchased the veheicle a few days ago. No oter reviews for this year so I figured Id at least get the ball rolling. I purchased the car based on two very positive rental experiences. The interior has very good build quality. Soft touch dash and very comfy seats can be expected. The interior quality is much better than Camry and at least as good or better than Accord. The ride is VERY quiet. The quietest car Ive ever owned and one of quitest cars Ive ever rode in, seriously! Engine is still breaking in so mileage has been about 27-29mpg in mixed rural driving. My rental with 20,000 miles got 35-37mpg on the highway and 29mpg in Yosemite!

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  Nice Car - 2000 Ford Escort
  By 00menace - September 9 - 12:53 am

  Bought it in 2005 with 25K miles. 5 years laters at 85K miles I had the transmission rebuilt, and replaced clutch while I was at it. Now the ignition key lock broke and I cant get the key out! oh well, no one steals Fords anyways. Rubber fell off gas, brake and clutch, plastic off both seats levers, trunk lock sticks in low temperatures but those dont bother me. But that is it, Ive had no engine trouble so far, first battery lasted 9 years!

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  Happy Overall but beware of possible tranny problems - 2006 Ford Escape
  By bayport24 - September 7 - 4:03 pm

  I bought this Escape from Carmax in 2008 with only 38k miles. I was aware that it preciously had been part of a rental fleet. The 4-cylinder is a little noisy but was so much better than my previous 2001 Honda CRV. The looks and toughness of this SUV is GREAT. My minor gripes are that the accelerator pedal gets sticky" during cold weather here in Texas and that occasionally the A/C fan makes a shrieking noise that sounds like something is stuck in there. This noise happens mainly in cold weather too. Finally, at 67k miles my transmission had to be replaced. Luckily I had a good extended warranty. I attribute it due to previously being an abused rental vehicle. I have 76 k on it now.

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  Impressed! - 2011 Ford Expedition
  By rlamascus - September 5 - 10:12 pm

  Thought I would never buy a Ford again but buying a travel trailer and needing the perfect tow vehicle made me check out the Expedition. Am I glad I did. Roomy, comfortable, great features, good ride, and drives like a big, solid hunk of metal on all road surfaces. Stable in wind, good on wet surfaces and in the mountains. Get the 3.73 rear end if you want to tow and get better acceleration with no mpg penalty. The nav system is quite good as is the sound system and flexibility of options. So far, I could not be more pleased. Oh yeah, folding power 3rd seat makes for easy loading and extra passenger space. Perfect tow vehicle.

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  Ford does it again - 2006 Ford Taurus
  By ericgdenver - September 4 - 10:08 pm

  06 was a good year for the Taurus. Bought mine with 24K four years ago from a Dealership. I am at 118K now. It has received all the scheduled Maintenance services, including synthetic oil and Motorcraft filters. Typical brake/fluids/tire replacement. Just put on a new set of tires with alignment and had the AC serviced. The car performs as good as the day I bought it. The ride is still comfortable and the handling is tight and responsive. Great in the snow. No leaks of any kind that I know of. Edmunds has the TMV at $7,697.00, which I would agree with. It has been a very reliable car that has held its value. I plan on driving it to at least 150K. An excellent production year for Ford.