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 Large Car - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By Dad Fey - January 26 - 4:33 am

  Best large car I have ever owned. Get with ALL options. Limited, AWD, Navigation, safety coupe, etc. There is no longer any excuses not to buy a large American sedan. For under $30,000 this is an unbelievable bargain.

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  Just plain fun - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By perry10063904 - January 25 - 8:40 pm

  I have a 06 GT Mustang, use it on weekends and its a ball to drive. Handles well, dont really like the fly by wire throttle, it just feels slow to operate and slow to close when shifting. I had the dealership lower the car and install 18 inch cobra wheels; it made the car handled a lot better, plus gave it more the racecar look. I think Ford made a hit with the retro looks and the larger track. Im overall very happy with it and think anyone thinking on getting a sporty new car should go test drive the Mustang. The car will sell itself.

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  peteys mustang cobra S/C aniv. edition - 2003 Ford Mustang
  By petey1107 - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned mustangs all my life and ive got to tell you although nothing compares to my "65" (mint condition candy apple red white leather all original with 52,000 original miles)the 2003 cobra with the 390!! HP and the supercharger has just about as much Guts as my "87" grand national GNX (not quite but close)and is by far the most exhilerating drive you will ever have DO YOURSELF A FAVOR!!, what an escape from you know who:)(no pun intended) This car eats the 911 and the ZR6 my friends have them and they would tell you the same (with there heads down of course)MUSTANG POWER!!

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  ZTS not too bad! - 2003 Ford Focus
  By Kurt S - January 24 - 10:00 am

  After driving an SUV for the last 5 years, I had forgotten just how much fun a small car can be to drive. The suspension is softer than i expected, but the 4 wheel disc brakes (part of the advance-trac package, are superb, and the Zetec motor, while a little short on horsepower is fun to rev out and has a really wide powerband. the gas mileage has been astoundingly good, despite driving it quickly up in the winding mountain roads west of Denver.

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  the best - 2003 Ford Escape
  By ice1202 - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I love my car. Every year I make two trips to Texas and its an easy ride.

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  Ford Escape, a good buy? - 2003 Ford Escape
  By HeatherC - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Escape after having my daughter. I needed a bigger car & a car that was good in the snow. I liked the look of the Escape so I looked into it & ended up buying one. I am pleased with my purchase. I did however have some problems with it. A couple months after buying it, the gears wouldnt shift properly. I brought it in & the computer needed to be updated. Then my tires needed to be replaced. Overall, the Escape is a nice, reliable car, but if you are looking for a car that is great on gas, this may not be the car for you.

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  Good Choice - 2003 Ford Escape
  By Turnerpj - January 24 - 10:00 am

  This is a great vehicle for a young family. We have enough room for small children, plus all the cargo we have to hall around with them! In addition, since it is a smaller SUV it is great for parking and easy to handle. It is a really sturdy vehicle though. The only aspect I would change is to make the doors a bit more solid. They are safe, but very light and sometimes you have to really slam them to get them to click. Overall though, a great purchase for us!

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  The worst vehicle I ever owned - 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Jim in Fla - January 24 - 1:40 am

  My 2005 XLT has had a vibration in it that you feel in your rear since the day that I picked it up. Dealer tells me that its not their problem, to deal with Ford. Ford tells me to take it back to the dealer. Truck has been in the shop 7 times in 8 months and is just as bad as at the time of delivery. 10 new tires, drive shaft indexed, front end alignment, spin balance multiple times. I am applying for the Lemon Law as Ford told me that they were unwilling to even send a Field Engineer to look at the vehicle and they suggested that I take it to a different dealer. When Ford files for chapter 11, I will have a party. Its no wonder they are in such bad shape. They could care less about quality

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  700 miles, so far so good - 2005 Ford Escape
  By Stevewa - January 21 - 6:46 pm

  Purchased this vehicle just over a week ago and so far am very satisfied. Mileage is near double the 2000 Volvo V70XC it replaced. My other vehicle is a 2002 Toyota Prius and the Escape Hybrid feels very comfortably familiar.

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  Fly-Away On The Highway - 2005 Ford Mustang
  By JESSE - January 21 - 4:43 pm

  The Mustang GT has a powerful v8 and positive handling in turns. It feels great and gets a lot of head turning from spectators on the highways. It is still exciting to drive even after 5 months of ownership.