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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  Great car - 2005 Mercury Sable
  By E.A. Gunter - April 9 - 3:06 am

  I actually have a 2003 but I realy enjoy this car. I recent moved and you would not believe how mucg it cargo it can hold. I drove it 750 miles filled to the brim with cargo and the ride was just as smooth as when its empty and the gas milage was not bad either.

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  No complaint, for what it when through - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Like to Driver - April 8 - 10:43 pm

  I bought this car new in August 2000, fully loaded except for leather. I have driven the car very very aggressively from day one. Except for an alternator problem 1 1/2 yr ago. Had no problem. I have driven this car everyday since new, I have no back vehicle. Currently have 340,000kms on the car now, and plan to keep it until I have to dig a hole and bury it. All I can say is "take it for what it is." It a nice inexpensive sports car that looks good. If you are looking for a Sunday afternoon drive car, this is not it.

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  marvelous machine - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Richard Barone - April 7 - 10:53 pm

  I was concerned abou the upgrade from the 1997 Mountaineer to the 2004 version as the size was larger and my initial reaction was that it was a moving living room. Quickly i realized the comfort, safety ease of handling and feel in love with this marvelous machine

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  1998 Mercury Mystique - A GREAT car!!! - 1998 Mercury Mystique
  By Wonderwall99 - April 7 - 10:00 am

  I am a new owner of a (used, obviously) 1998 Mercury Mystique LS... and though Ive only had it for a short time I have fallen madly in love with it. Its sporty enough for my friends to envy and sensible and luxurious enough for my grandparents to want to purchase one of their own. I love the fact that it has a V6 engine in it, and it is one of the most comfortable cars Ive ever driven in. I would definitely recommmend it to anyone looking to buy a used car.

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  Reliable, great buy!!! - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By JD - April 7 - 12:35 am

  Really comfortable car. Reasonable handling. Nice ride with Air Suspension (I know, the air scares some people). Have to watch for head gasket failure because of iron block and aluminum heads (different expansion rates). Proven reliable platform and 4.6 is rocksteady. Tuned for smooth power delivery and quite performance. Has no problem getting out of its own way. I bought this car with 50000 miles, put a little money in to freshen it up and I love it. Also put a new radio, being a 2000 still had a tape player(tape player in 2000?). The cup holders kind of suck but Im just nitpicking now. It now has 91000 miles, only costs are air conditioning and basic maintenance (oil, gas, tires). If you can get a low mileage gem with a good body its a good buy. If someone was looking at a car like this to pick up I would recommend. I still really like the car. I get some grief because its an "old mans car" but thats ok. Easy and cheap to fix. Not much changed till they stopped producing in 2012. They became more reliable and gas efficient. Its a real good car. No regrets.

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  52,000 miles and still strong - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By jammonit - April 4 - 12:13 pm

  cup holder sucks, but they fixed that. otherwise no mechanical problems. runs great, ~30 mpg with a light touch, put ZR tires and it sticks like glue, cargo for my skis, surfboard and a ton of junk when i moved.

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  Seat Belt Problem - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By croke - April 3 - 2:33 pm

  I like the car in every way. It gets 19 mpg city/hwy. One can only sit on 3/4 of the front seats as the seat belt receptor is solid and sticks up through the seat. It can not be moved. Without that seat belt reception problem, one could sit in the middle of the seat and get support on the right side of the cushion. As it is one sits on the left side support and middle of seat: extremely uncomfortable. It would be ok for a small person, i.e., 100 pounds or less could sit in middle.

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  Did they say we bought an Escalade? - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Astrophel M. Tejada - April 3 - 2:00 am

  We have the children quiet on long trips. Turn on the DVD..... It looks so stately with the pearl white color on it. It feels so strong and powerful!

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  Awesome Vehicle - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By amazonkarebear - April 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought this vehicle because my old car was a peice of crap and dying and I needed something quick. This car was a very good price and in excellent condtion from the previous owner.

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  Monterey - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By TJonesMfs - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Quite an improvement over the Mercury Villager. More features, better pickup and more comfortable.