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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  Sonic Blue Beauty! - 2002 Ford Mustang
  By Caseyla - February 21 - 2:00 am

  I purchase my first 2002 Ford Mustang and it rides like a beauty. Though the back seats are useless and the glove department is way too small I am completely satisfied with the power my car has. Every where I go people always starring and giving me compliments about how astonishing my car looks. I think Ford has done a excellent job

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  good vehicle for the money - 2002 Ford Escape
  By Rcruz - February 21 - 2:00 am

  After shopping for 3 months and reviewing all of the SUVs in this class, I decided that relaibility, power, and affordability was the route to go. The Escape is not as fancy as the Tribute( same exact Mazda engine) or the CR-V, or the Santa Fe but for the money its the best in its class. I think Fords only shortcoming with the Escape was they should have spent a little more money with the build quality and intierior- I personally would have paid for it. Overall I would suggest this SUV to anyone in the market- the 6cyl. 3.0 201hp- 4 dr.

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  Overall Opinio - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By TracN Nelson - February 21 - 2:00 am

  Though we have had issues with front disk/disk pads squeeking. This seems to be common problems with all Sport Tracs. The dealer replace rotors and and pads twice, but after 4000 miles the squeek came back. Now I use different disk pads and now no squeeks. I replaced the original shocks and sway bar to more obsorbent shocks that reduces the rear of the Sport Trac from bouncing and the rear sway bar increase vechicle stability in turns and in hard braking, though the ride is much stiffer -

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  Lots of great couple not so good - 2016 Ford Mustang
  By NIck Minneti - February 21 - 12:56 am

  Fit finish are great. Features are impressive, especially the telemetry and endless things to monitor on the dash. Back up camera is awesome...and this is the lower end one. The v6 has power to spare and the ride is awesome. The wife loves the adjustable steering response. The Bluetooth has been a pain but it works. It would be nice if the delivery of the vehicle included a checklist of features on the vehicle...there seems go be a lot of confusion as to what we do and dont have installed. Also, moving the seats is clunky, folding them to get access to the back seats is clumsy. Overall, this is a very cool car!

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  190,000 miles later - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By drew - February 19 - 12:10 am

  tTansmission took me to 168,000 miles. Vehicle brought home garage doors lumber, tvs, bicycles, well you get the picture. Son now has it at school. Not a rattle or a hitch except the lousy gas mileage. Love this thing want 400,000 out of it. Very little maintenance

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  5 Months with the 06 XLT - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By Katz - February 18 - 11:23 pm

  Ive had this 06 XLT for almost 5 months now. I had an 04 before, and I can tell you the 06 is a vast improvement. The ride is better, interior comfort is better, and the build quality is much superior. There are some quirky features on the interior that you have to put up with, but I understand that some of these (the door handles for one) will be corrected on the 07. My highway gas mileage (21.5) is substantially better than the 04 (17.5), although I think my 04 never did run right.

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  Rattle cause by BAD TIRES - 2003 Ford Expedition
  By Bessie84 - February 15 - 10:00 am

  I LOVE MY EB EXPEDITION. The tires SUCK!!! If you have rattle go to your ford dealership and get your tires tested for "road force". I was getting the rattles and I took it in to get them balanced and said I had "road force" That meant my tires were not wearing properly. So I have had 3 new set of tires in 6500 miles!!! CRAP TIRES. I am fighting with ford to get a different brand of tires...BEWARE!!!!

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  Not bad...but not completely happy - 2009 Ford Escape
  By 1leftygolfer - February 11 - 11:46 am

  Like most consumers, I shopped around at competing models. The Escape - I like the looks, gas mileage (averaging 26 hwy and 22 city), and especially the ergo layout of the drivers position. At 64" I need to make sure the vehicle fits me, and other brands (Toyota, Honda) just didnt fit me correctly.

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  My Stang Experience - 2003 Ford Mustang
  By Jacquelyn1981 - February 10 - 10:00 am

  I love the car. I mean, its my 4th mustang. Teehee. The sound system definitly improved. The comfort level, I am not so excited on. The back seats are so small either make it bigger or just get rid of them all together. The car gets almost 300 to a tank, if you let it run super low. Driving it though is fun. It handles well. Over all I like the car. The a/c doesnt blow that well either. I would recommend it to someone if they wanted a sporty car that handles well, and inexpensive too.

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  Giddy up !! - 2004 Ford Mustang
  By GHEDEUP - February 10 - 10:00 am

  A thrill to drive. Tremendous torque (3:55)This is an all American muscle car. This car is capable of being one step ahead of any pre 2003 SVT Cobra. I should know; I have owned a 1999 SVT Cobra. Its not about how fast you can go;its about how fast you can get there.