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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  Love my Focus - 2011 Ford Focus
  By breiser2 - December 9 - 1:12 pm

  Ive had my focus for two years now. I bought it used with 11,000 miles on it. Now Im at 50,000 miles and have still had no trouble. This is a car I would recommend to everyone. I did extensive research when buying my car. I narrowed my list down to the Focus, Fiesta, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Elantra and Scion XD. The Focus came at the best price, for the best reliability ratings, was the most fun to drive, and was the best looking. The Sync program isnt the most efficient system of all time, but it is a nice convenience. Occasionally it struggles, but anything electronic has its occasional lag. This car is great, I swear by it and plan to drive it for the next ten years.

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  Very good - 2004 Ford Taurus
  By johnny127 - December 8 - 3:30 pm

  Have had this car about 5 years and have found it to be very reliable. Corrosion resistance has been very good, as we live in the rust belt and on a dirt road. Car has about 130k on it. One weak point on this car is the rear coil springs. They sag prematurely even with no load in the rear and cause the tires to wear unevenly. Weve had no mechanical problems with the transmission, though I wouldnt consider it a top performer compared to others in its class. Gas mileage is adequate but, again, I think others in its class do better. The styling and road hugging ability is about as exciting as vanilla, but it gets you where you need to go.

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  Not bad but not great - 2004 Ford Escape
  By johnny127 - December 8 - 1:29 pm

  Only have about 98K, but the body is starting to rust out. Ive seen Escapes much newer than mine with similar corrosion problems. Engine has been reliable (aside from several coil packs requiring replacement), but it gulps fuel. Transmission has been reliable and shifts well. If we drove longer distances, we would add a separate transmission cooler due to problems others have reported. Car is peppy and feels sporty. Well weighted steering. Upholstery shows stains like theres no tomorrow. The 4 wheel drive is not the best, even when the part time 4x4 mode is selected.

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  2014 Fusion and the Fog - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By csfusion2014 - December 8 - 12:33 pm

  Purchased 2014 Fusion February 2014 and we absolutely loved the car. Great looks and loved the blacked out rims. Color is Dark Side. Summer was great. Come heating season the windshield constantly fogs up. Starts at the bottom and works all the way to the top. Ford Says this is normal. I tend to disagree. Completely poor answers from ford service advisors and regional service reps. The truth is I love the car but may have make a move to another competitor.

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  Epic Fail, Ford - 2012 Ford Focus
  By herman15fusion - December 7 - 4:04 pm

  I purchased the 2012 Focus SE Sedan in February, 2012. Horrible Mistake! Initial satisfaction was quickly replaced with the realization that I had paid way too much for something so poorly built. The engine is extremely weak, and the transmission shaked and shuttered with only ~5,000 miles on the vehicle. I had the transmission serviced three times. Each time, I was told "thats just the way this transmission is..." and then provided a computer update (the 3rd one I paid $150). I received a letter from Ford Corporate in mid-2014 stating they had extended the warranty on the transmission. The only positive to this was that I was refunded my $150 for the last software update.

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  Excellent Initial Quality - 2015 Ford Fusion
  By herman15fusion - December 7 - 3:35 pm

  Just purchased a 2015 Fusion SE last weekend on a great deal! After a week, I absolutely love it. It is comfortable, the ride is smooth & quiet, and it is so much better than the 2012 Focus I traded. I got the 1.5L Ecoboost engine, and it is fantastic. I do mostly city driving on my daily commute, and am getting 26-28 mpg. Not bad...The only negative is the sound system. Perhaps I could do some tweaking on my end, but the sound is fairly weak compared to the 2008 Fusion I owned a few years ago. Overall, I highly recommend the Ford Fusion!

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  First and last ford product - 2015 Ford Mustang
  By eco_bust - December 6 - 1:30 am

  I was in the market for a new car right around the time the mustang first arrived. If I could turn back time, I would undo the mistake I made by buying this car. Several things keep me from liking it cold brakes that squeal so loudly it literally hurts your ears, SUV/truck gas mileage, uncomfortable driving position, and the huge hood. I cant get more than 300 miles to a tank, unless its all highway, where mileage stretches to a whopping 29 mpg, best. As for the brakes, their answer after two days of "diagnosis" was, "they all do that." Its impossible to get comfortable, and hard to see over the landing dock of a hood. Theres no way I will keep this thing the full 36 months.

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  If I could have one car never built again this would be it - 2014 Ford Focus
  By mattyguru - December 5 - 9:52 am

  I wouldnt take the time out for this if it wasnt for the fact that everyone should know about how horrifying not only this car is but Ford for even letting this happen. The car has a recall on the transmission it stalls when driving and can even randomly shut off while driving. Ford wont even give you a rental tell they check what is wrong. even when it is under warranty and has a recall so they already know I am not at fault for this cars problems. Writing this while still waiting for a estimated time on how long tell they can even look at it.

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  Decidedly unimpressed - 2015 Ford Mustang
  By psgm - December 5 - 5:07 am

  So far had mustang for a week. Just cannot for the life of see what the hype is about! Sure it stands out in the car park but is that it? I expect performance - what I get is hardly better than any other car on the road! Fuel economy is a joke! - so heaven help u if the price of gas increases! Getting in and out is fine - if you are under 5ft tall otherwise you need to be a acrobat in the hardtop! doorway is tiny! and forget about using the back seats for people Im getting 20 mpg - in europe I would expect as a MINIMUM - 30-40 MPG. Basically if you want a striking looking car on your drive fine - but if you want something you can USE on a daily basis - forget it! AVOID!!!!!1!

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  Roller Coaster - 2014 Ford Focus
  By johnk1978 - December 4 - 1:28 pm

  The transmission is horrible. They said it wouldnt be so jumpy after 1,000 miles. Well...now that Im at 4,000 I feel like Im riding on a roller coaster. I work a lot and now I have to find time to take it back again and have them figure it out. If they cant figure it out, it will become property of Ford. I cant wait for my lease to be up.