Overview & Reviews

Mercury was a division of Ford Motor Company marketed as being somewhat more upscale than Ford. Throughout the latter part of its 71-year history, Mercury's vehicles were essentially Fords with unique styling details and special features meant to enhance their desirability relative to similar Ford products.

It all started in the 1930s, when Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's son, saw an opportunity to create an additional brand within the Ford hierarchy, one that would exist between the everyman Ford Deluxes and premium Lincoln Zephyrs. To achieve this, Edsel felt the vehicles of this new brand should offer distinctive styling along with innovative features and better capabilities. He named the new division "Mercury," after the Roman mythological god. The 1939 Mercury Eight was the division's first car. It distinguished itself from similar Ford products via a 95-horsepower engine that offered 10 more horses than the Ford V8.

The Eight proved to be a hit, with more than 155,000 sold by the early 1940s. Production stopped during World War II; after the war, the brand was realigned more closely with Lincoln. The company grew from strength to strength in the '50s, establishing itself as a maker of vehicles offering style, performance and cutting-edge technology. A dash of glamour was added to the automaker's image when James Dean appeared onscreen in a Mercury in the film Rebel Without a Cause.

The 1960s saw the introduction of Mercury's Comet and Meteor vehicles. The Comet featured diminutive dimensions and luxury accoutrements, while the Meteor was a midsize family car that followed the trend toward more reasonably sized cars. Racetrack wins boosted awareness of the Comet and helped the model make a big splash in terms of sales. By the end of the decade, the iconic Mercury Cougar, a variation of the Mustang, had been rolled out, its Eliminator version taking its place in the pantheon of legendary early muscle cars.

Hit hard by that decade's oil crisis, consumers during the 1970s were hungry for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Mercury responded with a new, smaller Comet and the Bobcat, the former a fancier version of the Ford Maverick, the latter a fancier version of the Ford Pinto. The brand's sales grew during a decade that was filled with turbulence and uncertainty for many competing marques. Mercury further expanded its lineup in the '80s, this time including the small, Ford Escort-based Lynx. Mercury enjoyed success with the 1986 launch of the Sable, a fraternal twin to the Ford Taurus whose sleek, aerodynamic lines and futuristic "light bar" front end styling set it apart from the Ford.

Mercury's sales hit an all-time high during the 1990s that would never again be matched. Minivans and SUVs were a big reason for that as Mercury introduced its Villager minivan and Mountaineer SUV. Late that decade it introduced a new Cougar, which differed from its predecessors by being a front-drive sport compact that also holds the distinction of being the last Mercury that wasn't a rebadged Ford.

The years following the new millennium were challenging for the brand, as changing consumer tastes and a lack of differentiation between Mercury and Ford vehicles hurt sales. Pundits often proclaimed the end of Mercury was near, but Ford kept stating it would keep Mercury around despite offering no hope for any unique future vehicles from the brand. Finally in 2010, Ford pulled the plug on Mercury, putting an end to more than 70 years of car-making heritage.

User Reviews:

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  2006 Maercury Milan approaching 400,000 miles - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By MIchael DeVito - February 14 - 10:51 am

  By far the best and most reliable car I ever owned. I plan on going to 500,000 miles.

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  13 YEARS LATER STILL 33MPG!!! - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Kenny Brooks - March 9 - 9:50 pm

  Im from Oklahoma and couldnt find a 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid anywhere with low miles. People keep these cars once they get them because theyre so great. Finally found one in San Diego California with 90,000 miles. It was a one-owner garage kept with all the paperwork from the beginning. Didnt have any scratches or dings on it...absolutely perfect I would give it a 9 out of 10, and Im very critical. Gas mileage still gets 33 consistently combined. Glad I bought it in California because it has never seen snow or ice until here this past winter in Oklahoma. Ive seen these things with over 350,000 miles on them and still going strong with original hybrid battery ,transmission ,and powertrain. if youre thinking about getting an older car with great reliability you cant go wrong because this things gas mileage is through the roof... plus its spacious and roomy inside. Next year Im going to slap some 20-in rims on it and ride it out until the end. The heat is dual climate control and is very strong in the winter at 90° and ice cold during the summer months. The only thing I wish it had is that it should have had some sort of converter to keep the air compressor on once Im in hybrid mode. I think they fixed that in 2010. Absolutely love this vehicle!!!

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  Awesome Mariner - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By S.B. - June 25 - 2:35 pm

  My Mariner is now at 175,000. Best vehicle I ever owned. Regular maintenance only. Tire changes & oil. Running like a champ! Wish they never discontinued!

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  This car is a beast - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Michelle - September 13 - 11:56 am

  I bought my 2006 mercury Milan 3 years ago. It had 92k on it when I purchased it but I only paid $2500. I think I got it so cheap bc its a manual and people these days dont know how to drive a stick shift. Anyways it now has 165k and I have not had ONE mechanical issue! Just regular oil changes/tire maintenance. Best car Ive ever owned! I also was involved in an accident where I hit a deer. My airbags deployed and windshield shattered. The front grill took a little damage but After replacing the air bags the car STILL drives perfect. I call this car my bat mobile. Its been through alot and Its a beast lol.

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  Great car but plan ahead - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By leylandauto - December 29 - 2:00 am

  I have now owned three Taurus/Sable wagons and will buy another for many reasons that make the car work for me. Comfort, Great roadholding, safety, and the ability to hold a ten foot long piece of wood or pipe from Home Depot. The cars almost never need any work on them but can be expensive to fix as any new car can be when the do break. The big weakness to these cars is the transmission is very weak and will generally require a rebuild around 125- 140k. The rebuild is not expensive as trasmissions go (between 900 and 2k depending on the shop).

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  Underated handler - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By DW2 - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car used with 65,000 miles on it. It cost $6,000!!! The car falls off a cliff in resale. With the standard 3.0 engine, it is destined to be a stylish, comfortable, reliable car that is a deceptively capable handler. Lost of wind noise from the windesheild, and brakes seem to be a Taurus weak point. Buy used and save BIG!

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  Villager by choice - 2002 Mercury Villager
  By alanstern - December 28 - 8:53 pm

  My second Villager. Editors think this is a junker, I like it better than the Sienna and Odyssey plus a lot cheaper. Seating configuration works for me..Im a musician. Power and gas mileage are more than adequate. What about the falling rear window wiper blade? Mines the fourth one Ive seen. Shouldnt this be a safety recall Issue? No serious problems.

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  Id buy it again. - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By nice kitty - December 27 - 1:13 am

  First off this is not a drag car, a good number of the newer cars will stomp this one in the quarter. This car does however love carving the curves. Feels pretty solid on the road. Does well in the snow, sits a little low so watch the ice boulders in the road. Seat holds the passengers well. Back seat is made for small people.

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  Very good vehicle but..... - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By TFR - December 25 - 7:10 pm

  Car gets great comments on the looks. Interior and trunk is very spacious and well laid out. The driving view from all sides is good. smooth ride. The transmission and engine output needs work.

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  Hot Car-Couple BIG problems - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Lois - December 22 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my 99 V6 just under 4 years with few problems. But a couple repairs would have been costly had I not purchased the extended warranty. I LOVE the look, the drive is Great! It corners tight. It is the best car I have EVER driven on ice and even snow. The biggest problem is the seats. All of the seats are tremendously uncomfortable and you could not take this car on a long trip. Because of the low-slung design, the blind corner in the rear side is larger than other sport cars. The remote trunk hatch did not work for 3 years - was replaced many times. My headlights did leak water and had to be replaced.