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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  best Ford ever - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By photomiked - June 28 - 6:59 pm

  Owned Mustangs, Tauruses, Windstars, Lincoln MKX.....this is it. Best Ford ever. If you live outside of big city, have kids, dog, cargo, love adventure, travel to ski country and back, want high tech mobility, connectivity plus+ for all your devices, travel in peace and quiet on highway or back country twisties, look no further. Golden Bronze metallic with pecan trim is a killer for looks. Enjoy

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  Off-Road Machine - 2009 Ford Ranger
  By jonno11 - June 27 - 9:44 pm

  I bought the truck brand new in 2009, in a little over two years of driving I have put 43,000 kilometres on it. Just finished a road trip of 1800 kilometres through the Rocky Mountains, and it performed flawlessly. Only anomaly was the tire pressure sensor going off during extreme altitude changes, though that is a sensor issue that most vehicles have. I have used the vehicles for construction work as well as daily commuting and weekend warrior duty off-road. It has hauled ATVs, trailers, and a 6000lb camper and done s without complaint and with decent mileage. I generally average above EPA mileage, especially now that the truck is broken in. I recommend it as an inexpensive workhorse.

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  Good Car - 2001 Ford Escort
  By hoffman2 - June 22 - 10:40 pm

  This was the fisrt car i bought it had 120,000 miles on it and had been sitting for a while when i got it but with a charged battery it cranked right up and drove amazingly all ive done to it was regular maintainance to it and ive had it for 3 years and have 188,000 miles on it now and it still runs beautifully i plan to drive it untill it dies. very good investment i would recommend to anyone.

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  better than expected - 2005 Ford Taurus
  By maaky - June 21 - 5:22 pm

  The taurus really hasnt had a good name in quite some time.The 05 that i bought used in 05 has certainly changed my opinion of ford and the taurus.While it is not a flashy sporty ride by any means it has provided the reliability that I needed from a vehicle.Just rolled 90k 2 weeks ago without any failures.The only time it didnt start as back at 20k took it into ford they reprogramed it have had no problems since outside of basic maintenance.Averaging 25mpg per tank the ride is smooth (even at 80+),fairly quiet and accelerates smoothly as well. I must be lucky to have gotten one of the good ones off the line. Cant wait till the wife lets me get one of the new ones.

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  Year 4 with my Freestyle - 2007 Ford Freestyle
  By taxiatmmom - June 21 - 11:41 am

  After 4 years, I am still very satisfied with my Freestyle. No major repairs needed except brakes which were very reasonable. Roomy for my family of 6 and great for road trips. Im not bothered by the "low power" issues, and it is actually better than most at uphill accelleration. My only gripes are the road noise and that fact that the rear lift gate doesnt close automatically.

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  Research the transmission before you buy the 09 - 2009 Ford F-150
  By testagrande - June 21 - 9:33 am

  I absolutely love my truck, except for the transmission. I developed a leak in the tranny case within the first 1500 miles of owning it. Also, I dont believe Ford worked out all the bugs with this new 6 speed. I have hard shifting in the first 4 gears (anything below 35 mph) and a stuttering downshift from 2nd to 1st. The dealership keeps flashing the transmission computer, because it is supposed to be adaptive. I have had mine flashed 4 times, and I still have the same problems.

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  MySync killing a great SUV.... - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By drvenkman - June 17 - 3:32 pm

  Weve had our 2011 Explorer for about two months now. From the start we had multiple issues with the MySync system. As I write this review, the Explorer is yet again in the dealer for repair. Weve already had to take it back three times. This time the car over heated due to a cooling fan that shorted out. Making the issue worse, though, was the fact that after the car over heated, the MySync system crashed. Weve had two updates to the software and we are still experiencing issues with the phone, climate, navigation and audio. We had iSync in our previous 2008 Edge (IT WORKED FLAWLESSLY). Somebody rushed MySync out the door. Its ruining the other outstanding features of this SUV!

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  Great car - 2010 Ford Focus
  By nrudolph - June 11 - 9:51 pm

  Follow up review. 9 months, 26,000 miles later. I replaced the OE Kumho tires with some Continental Extremecontact DWS, and that further improved the already good ride, gave it better grip in the corners, and a quieter ride as well. Ive had zero problems since Ive owned it, and its fun to drive, with the A/C off it has plenty of power, and the transmission is responsive and the gears are well spaced for a 4-speed unit. It has tons of grip, and very little body lean in the corners, it just grips and grips. However, with the A/C on, and passengers in the car, the little 2.0 gets a little overwhelmed when getting up to speed. At WOT, the A/C shuts off anyway, so no big deal.

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  Everything we expected - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By carvil - June 11 - 5:31 pm

  My wife an I purchased a white hatchback (we tinted the windows) about 20,000 miles ago. Taken a trip from Detroit to NC and one to Fla. In the city we are getting 32.5 mpg. On the highway with just my wife and I (no luggage) we get 45.0 mpg. The car is quiet with little noise from without. could us a little more room for my right leg while driving. Other than that, we have had no dissapointments with this car. Glad we bought the standard shift..lots of fun.

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  I bought the wrong SUV! - 2011 Ford Escape
  By laobunlee - June 11 - 11:30 am

  I got the V6 Limited FWD model (2 weeks old). The power is bad (quickness) especially the 1st and 2nd gear that you really have to step on the gas just to feel the power. I think its just a bad gearing ratio on the 1st - 2nd gear. I think my 06 Nissan Altima 2.5 (4 speed AT) has a better power (quickness) and better gearing ratios. Id really love to trade this SUV to a GMC Terrain.