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 car for the money - 2002 Ford Mustang
  By Left Lane - January 10 - 10:00 am

  2002 Mustang GT Coupe

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  my shelby - 2007 Ford Shelby GT500
  By amar - January 9 - 8:06 am

  I car sounds ridicously good gets alot of looks, butits kind of hard to drive in the rain especially going up hill. Car bounces alot on rough surfaces, but on smooth surfaces this car is ridiclously fast. On a tank of gas i can get up to 480kms on the highway and in the city if i drive fast around 270kms out of a tank. The car has had a clutch break down and replaced transmission bearings which ford fixed for free it cost 7300 dollars just in parts. They said they wouldnt have covered it but since it only had 10 thousandkms People either love this car or just dont notice it. On cornering the car feels realyl front heavy

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  2001 5 speed - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Phil T - January 4 - 10:56 pm

  Overall a very dependable truck. Agree with postings on brakes going in short order. Also had a clutch slave cylinder go bad (under extended warranty). Other than that, no problems. Has never left me stranded. Exterior design still looks good after 4 years. Balance between crew cab and pickup capacity is perfect. Interior design on base model is very plain (yet functional), but what can you expect in a base model. Pickup bed is great for the hardware store/dump runs, but lacking when you go to get any 4x8s. Yes, this is a compromise, but an acceptable one when compared to cost of a crew cab full size pickup.

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  Expectation shortfall - 2008 Ford Shelby GT500
  By Hawk - January 3 - 12:06 pm

  I purchased the car about two months ago. I didnt test drive it prior to purchase and I will never make that mistake again. I have owned most popular sport cars in the last decade from a Z01 Corvette to a Porsche Boxster and everthing in between and this car has been the biggest disappointment. The NAV quit working after a week. The shifter buzzes in neutral with the cluth out and the whole car shutters when you shift into first gear and the tranny is hot. Took to the dealership and they produced a factory notice saying this is "normal" on some lucky owners cars. Not worth the money. Sad it didnt live up to the legend. Wish I still had my Mustang GT.

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  No transmission issues for me. - 2012 Ford Focus
  By bigbaby - December 31 - 3:24 pm

  After 3 months and 2000 miles driving mine, I think they fixed the transmission issues on the Auto,Manual with some kind of recall/patch. Mine is smooth, quiet, only issue is very slight delays backing out and starting from stop, but not so bad to be annoying. Have yet to have a problem with the car. Started off getting about 34 MPG but now closer to 30. Think its my mix of driving, summer gas, and non-stop a/c on now.

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  zx3 - 2000 Ford Focus
  By Deejinator - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Its a great car overall, handles well and gets great gas mileage. mine has a little over 80,000 miles on it and still runs like new

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  FANTASTIC DRIVE - 2002 Ford Focus
  By DEL323 - December 31 - 10:00 am

  This car is 2nd only to my BMW 3 series for less than half the price. The handling is great, steering feedback is excellent and power is adequate. Its been very reliable so far.

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  Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Saltnppr - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Great SUV, fun to drive, nice interior and great design for drivers wheel, with radio and air controls handy. Average milage between highway and city is about 12 mpg. AWFUL!!!!

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  A Great In-Town Truck - 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Scott - December 31 - 2:30 am

  I did all the research and test drove everything. Im on the road a lot with my truck for work. I wanted something that was comfortable enough to work in all day, but still have a truck that could carry garbage, branches and all the stuff associated with owning a home. This truck has been everything that I imagined. If you think that this is a full sized truck, youre wrong. If you want a full sized truck, go by one. But, if you want a great compact truck that is luxurious, eye catching and handles small truck jobs this is your unit.

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  Not a bad little 4-banger - 2013 Ford Fusion
  By spocklives - December 28 - 3:52 am

  First of all, this is a 4cyl, and its going to shift like a 4cyl. The difference is in the EcoBoost engine. When getting on the highway, this thing really has a lot of pep and get-up-and-go. The ride is so comfortable Ive had people say it rides like a Merc, very smooth, very nice. My one major complaint is with the SYNC and Bluetooth features. Theyre not 100% reliable and dont work properly all the time. Mine has a tendency to get "stuck" after reading a text message and I have to switch the radio on and off again to reset it. It doesnt always hear my voice properly when telling it simple stuff like, "call dad".... did you say, call vet? Call dad..... did you say, call Frank? I dont have a funny accent either... I speak perfect English. Defeats the purpose of hands-free when I have to stop and look at my phone to find the contact I want my car to call. Yes, were spoiled, 5 years ago this didnt exist. The transmission sometimes has problems finding the right gear to sit in on inclines, but its active assist on the descent saves your brakes and makes up for it. My husband is 61" and 250lbs, he fits in the front seats very comfortably, not so much in the back though. I feel bad when I have to stick him back there in favor of my mother. :) You can literally fit 9 bodies in the trunk, dont ask me how I know that. Im not 100% comfortable with an electronic parking brake, if thats one thing I could change on this car, that would be priority.