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 vehicle ever owned - 1996 Ford Bronco
  By 1st Bronco - June 16 - 11:37 pm

  After always wanting a Bronco, I finally purchased one outright for $5,000. It had 140,000 miles on it. Ive now owned it for one year and 3 months and the only maintenance Ive done is an oil change. It is the best running vehicle I have ever owned, and I will never part with it. Gas mileage is awful, but the other benefits outweigh it tremendously. I drive down the road with my children and I feel safe. That alone is worth paying extra for gas. I love my Bronco.

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  Great car! - 2006 Ford Fusion
  By Adam - June 16 - 9:10 pm

  I love my Fusion. The V6 has good punch and great economy. The styling is also a big plus to me. The Camry and Accord were far too ugly for me to handle, not to mention boring. The Fusion brings a nice breath of fresh air to the boring mid-size segment!

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  Jacque Le Bleu - 2002 Ford Escort
  By amy - June 16 - 8:41 pm

  Graduation car- 2002 4-door sedan, gets 34 mpg, better than Moms 2001 ZX2 Escort at 32 mpg and dads 2001 ZX3 Focus bubble at 30 mpg. Medium pickup speed, but not quite as good as dads ZX3, and no match at all to moms Escort ZX2. Really fun car, but only had a stupid cassette, where I needed a cd player. Great starting in the winter and handled well. We are each hoping to eventually replace all of these cars with new Ford Escorts (we dont like the Focus with trash gray seats) and we like the better fuel economy and better pickup than the Focus. We sure hope tan or color- coordinated interiors are available soon.

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  Go Ford or go home - 2007 Ford Ranger
  By my_07_ranger - June 16 - 5:29 pm

  I have the 2.3l 5spd standard and I love driving it. It has good take off for a 4 cylinder truck. I have 21,000 miles on it and the only time it see the shop is for its regular oil changes. I get well over 34 miles to the gallon. Overall I like this truck and to think I was going to buy a Cavalier

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  Money pit - 1998 Ford Contour
  By John - June 16 - 4:18 pm

  We purchased this car with 98,000 miles on the odometer from a reliable individual wed dealt with before. Heres a short list of whats gone wrong with the car: 1st year: The fuse block had a meltdown and had to be replaced ($500). 3rd year: At appx. 120,000 miles the transmission failed ($1,000). 4th year: Battery coupling ($100) Theres other numerous repairs that have added up to over $5,000.These are not normal wear and tear items, just poor design. The worst thing is that we paid $4800 for the car and after all the repairs we couldve actually bought a good car.

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  Gas Guzzler? Not exactly! - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By Eric - June 16 - 4:14 pm

  The funny thing about the V8 GT is that it gets surprisingly good MPG on the highway and I routinely get 28mpg going back and forth between New York City and Lake George (250 mi). Around town and stomping on the gas from green lights I hover around 20. My Civic got 32mpg highway. One goes 0 to 60 in 9 seconds, one gets there in about 5. The biggest chuckle I get is when I stop the car at home, reach into the back seat where my sons child seat resides and pull him out, much to the amazement of passerbys and even more when I pull out his stroller from the trunk. This is a big, wide, safe feeling car and gas attendents routinely are amazed when they cant reach across with the squeegee.

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  Worth Nothing after 60,000 Miles - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By drmac - June 16 - 2:15 pm

  I bought my Explorer XLT brand new. I had "electronic" issues within the first six months. I had to have the instrument panel replaced twice. Afterwards, I was relatively pleased with the vehicle prior to 50,000 miles or so, but as soon as the Explorer was out of the warranty, everything went wrong. In the past 12 months, Ive had to replace all the seals on the transmission, replace the bushings, front hubs, alternator, keyless entry keypad, backup sensors, and the emergency brake. I have my Explorer serviced on the recommended schedule and still have had to have the vehicle towed three times, leaving me stranded.

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  Been good - 2000 Ford Expedition
  By rollnon - June 16 - 12:42 pm

  For all the hype on how wonderful the Toyotas and Hondas are I have loved my Expedition. I know these are gone with the rising gas cost but I plan to hang on to this SUV to tow my camper. Every day driving will slow down but this has been a reliable, comfortable family travel machine. Pulled my camper from Maine to Florida and does it well. From the beaches of the outer banks on NC to mountains of NC, VA VT, NH. This is one tough truck.. I love my American truck

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  Functional Freestyle - 2007 Ford Freestyle
  By SO Villar - June 16 - 11:25 am

  Ive owned my Freestyle for just about a year. It has met my needs nicely- providing easy access and egress for my elderly mother with severe arthritis on our many errands to doctors and social functions. Cargo space very satisfactory for road trips and for the possible need to evacuate in advance of hurricanes. Ive got the same or greater cargo capacity as I had in my Chevy Trailblazer but with more comfort for my aging mother and much better gas mileage. I also have better visibility in all directions with this vehicle. One thing I am not pleased with is the seemingly light weight construction of the ext. door panels. Very minor bumps in parking lots create very visible dimples.

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  It could be better for the money! - 2004 Ford Escape
  By I Got Suckered! - June 16 - 11:23 am

  This was my first brand new car I bought for myself. The excitement of it all jaded my common sense. This is a very loud ride! Even with new tires, a new alignment job, new brakes, and new rotors. $400 later at 30k its still loud and I have to blast my radio to hear it over the hummm. The interior is very cheap. My son sits on the seat and within the first month of owning it, the carpet where the seat and cushion meets was frayed and looked 4 yrs older. The sun/moon roof did not open & close properly from about 1 month in. The gas mileage is horrendous even with new airfilters and driving in overdrive! To top it off, I pay way more than I feel its worth.