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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  Dream Car - 1995 Ford Mustang
  By redbaron - May 2 - 2:00 am

  I love my Mustang. Its the car Ive wanted for a long time.

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  Ford Edxplorer review - 1994 Ford Explorer
  By RWCRWC - May 2 - 2:00 am

  We had the car 6 years without problems except for needed shocks frequently and the air conditioner condenser broke twice in the last year of owning.Brake pads needed replacing often and the 4 wheel drive was not reliable.

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  A faithful vehicle-always ready to go - 1994 Ford Probe
  By Fertileground - May 1 - 2:00 am

  I put over 100,000 miles on this one in under 4 years, and with the exception of a couple of sensor replacements and some dings, this car could be counted on every single day to start up and run smoothly.

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  2006 GT - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By NRBMedia - April 30 - 5:23 pm

  Car has 18" wheel/tire option and 5 speed manual. Also have 88 LX 5.0. Quite different cars. New car is great looking and has a comfortable interior with great seats and smooth engine. Complaints are numerous: keys are too low and hit my knee, pedal pads slip easily, shifter is vague and clunky, engine lacks bottom end torque, rear suspension is jumpy and produces a choppy, busy ride on most surfaces, shocks are tuned for "Cadillac" ride and not performance handling, making for bad body roll. Gauges are buried in dash making for difficult daytime readability. Car is rather large and heavy compared with past Mustangs. Other than those items, a great, well built car.

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  New England Ownership after 1 year, 2 Mo - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By GuzziAlfa - April 30 - 11:56 am

  I will echo much of the positive remarks about this vehicle although the one thing that is inconsistent between reviewers is mileage. In New England the weather is so variable by season that I actually charted my mileage for each fill up. In winter months with heat and electric seat heaters I could get 22 - 24 mpg. In the spring I shot back up to 30 mpg. Max mileage reached was 31.5 and that was only 3 times. The economy mode button helps by cutting out the engine at traffic lights so blowers will still work but not AC or heat. Thats ok for short pauses. The one thing inconsistent is the HEV or hybrid display of mileage - it is always higher than reality by 1.5 - 2.5 miles.

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  2004 F150 Super Crew - 2005 Ford F-150
  By Herman - April 30 - 8:16 am

  Have 16,000 miles currently with brake problems. At approximately 8,000 miles in for service and required rotors to be turned on front. Now having same problems with bouncing when braking. Will have evaluated soon at Ford dealer. This truck is too new to have rotor/brake problems. Also had rear bumper repair due to rear end collision. Bumper flange on frame was cracked and dealer suggested replacing frame at $5900.00 for relatively minor damage. Reason being the metal the frame is made of cannot be welded on. May be a great frame, not sure about metal composition. Seems that the cost to insure will be passed on to the driver as more of these frames have to be replaced.

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  woohoo! - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By My stang - April 30 - 4:16 am

  I had no intention of getting a small car, I was actuallly looking at Xterras but when they introduced the new mustang I couldnt resist driving one. My windviel blue mustang is the best car I have ever owned. Head room in the backseat is not there if you are over 5. The shaker 500 is awesome. The interior is really cool only because of the interior upgrade package, w/out it, there is acres of black plastic on the dash. decent power for the price. I dont know how I will ever part from this car.

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  Maybe I was lucky? - 1990 Ford Escort
  By Jodenco - April 30 - 2:00 am

  The Escort we owned was a God send. Always reliable. We got rid of it when the light switch wiring developed a short and it would be too much trouble to replace the harness.

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  2000 Explorer Eddie Bauer - 2000 Ford Explorer
  By W Green - April 30 - 2:00 am

  Looked at everything in the 20-30K range at the time of purchase and nothing could beat the explorer for overall performance,handling,interior comfort and safety. Problems: Air bag sensor changed. Radio LED display stopped working.

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  great ... reliable . - 1994 Ford Aerostar
  By Sandro - April 30 - 2:00 am

  i work with the this van everyday about 10 hours driving each day and i am really happy with its handling and comfort i put over 50000 miles in 3 months and the only thing i had to change was its shock absorbers which were the original its great for saving money