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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  An excellent car - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By WarrenM - December 29 - 3:16 pm

  I have owned this car for 1 year now. No problems at all. It handles well, is very quiet and comfortable and gets great gas mileage. Had not intended to buy a Mercury but I am very happy I did. It has been a pleasure to own this car in comparison to the troublesome and expensive to own and maintain Volkswagen Passat that it replaced.

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  Great acceleration - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Eddie Barrios - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Great handling and superb comfort.

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  A good buy! - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Jay van - December 29 - 2:00 am

  If you want to buy an SUV with all of the power and features this is the one. I purchased mine after testing several different models including the Explorer. For the money I could not find an V-8 powered, all-wheel drive that was comprable in price. The third- row seat was also a great asset. I can tow a boat or a trailer with ease and the performance suprised the heck out of me. Zero to sixty is like a blink for this big SUV. I am glad I made this decision.

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  Mercury Ultimate- Better than Lincoln - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By CharlieT - December 29 - 2:00 am

  The Ultimate edition has same features as Lincoln - Air ride,& more features than Lincoln, such as Digital Dashboard, full size spare tire, etc. I have driven new Lincolnsevery two years from 1984 through 1998. In 2000 I bought a Ford Expedition. I was looking to trade in my 1998 Lincoln for a 2004 Lincoln. The Dealers in my area would not give me the NADA or Kelly Blue Book Wholesale or trade in price. Instead they quoted the Gail Auction prices.

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  97 Mountaineer Best Vehicle Ive owned - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Ram Fan - December 27 - 10:00 am

  I have enjoyed the comfort and reliability of this vehicle so much that its hard to justify spending $35K on something on something new with comparable features. What can I say, nothing will tear up. Other than an AC overall for $700 in 1999, nothing has broken. With 92000 miles you have thought the starter or alternator or fuel pump or transmission would have broken. But no.

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  Great Car - 2005 Mercury Monterey
  By Jay Fleming - December 26 - 9:16 pm

  I love this car! Although it doesnt get the most amazing fuel economy it is like driving first class around town. It has everything you could possibly want in a mini van. The leather appointed seats, with heat/air conditioned features is especially nice. It drives smooth and has lots of storage. I would recommend this car to anyone who is looking to drive in luxary!

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  Its a good car! - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Regs - December 22 - 1:30 pm

  Very solid quality, good size, huge trunk. Two-tone leather command seats are very comfortable, nice view in all directions, back-off sensors work well. Good sound system. For the size, fuel economy is not bad. Hope Ford can bring the GDI 4-cylinder engine soon.

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  Great Cougar - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By Rayro - December 20 - 8:10 am

  We have owned this car for 6 years. Most maintenance has been done at home. Intake manifold problem at 50K miles-dealer replacement. Computer replacement at 66K miles by the dealer- my expense. Service was great. Its a great, reliable car based on a proven chassis. I would like to see Mercury use it as a base for a new rear wheel drive model to compete with the Charger/Chrysler 300C. Lets get with it !

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  Merc Marc - 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Elnino - December 18 - 10:00 am

  Headlamp lens were coroded inside lens,both front lamps. Dealer replaced, N/C. aLSO left rear door window was faulty, would go down using drivers door wdw.operation,but would not go back up. Dealer replaced door switch.N/C. Vehicle does not drive as smooth as I thought it should. Although I had a complete inspection of car by an independent mechanic, checked out 100% satisfactory. In town mileage 18.6 mpg.

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  I love this big solid car - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By Cashfan - December 18 - 10:00 am

  My main concern when buying a car is safety and the Sable ranks as one of the safest on the highway.Safety aside it is roomy inside with a spacious trunk.It has a good clean body style that is easy to wash and wax.The dashboard is laid out well and easy to see.And I cant imagine not having the mileage counter that tells you how many more miles you can go before needing to stop for gas. The inside is comfortable and nicely done.For my money Ford offers the best paint job of any car maker and the paint and chrome make this Sable an eye catcher as you ride safely down the road.