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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  Comfort & Reliability at a Cheap Price - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By rrd - February 26 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 96 Cougar last June. The 1996 Cougar is very civilized. Power from the 4.6 L is excellent and smooth. I did buy a new 94 T-Bird in 1994 which I managed to total with only 500 miles. (I thank God Ford put in airbags starting in 1994, or I may not be writing this now!) I know these cars are safe first hand. It was in the winter and I was surprised how little traction these cars have in the snow and ice. I have a 4X4 for winter now, (but I am curious if this 96 Cougar can handle the snow and ice under very controlled conditions). If not, in the garage it goes until spring!

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  Great buy. Cheap insurance for a V8 - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By JayJay - February 25 - 12:53 pm

  Not a fast car, Im 20 and like to speed. Great big boat and roomy except the rear back leg room. The car really needs bigger rims 17 inches to help with the handling. The car came with a crappy sound system so I put a new head unit, speakers, and amp. Never had any problems with it. Im allways putting the gas to the floor. Driving it as crazy as I do, I still get 15 mpgs. I put 20,000 miles on it in a year and still running great!

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  GS Convenience with 2 tone package - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By GS Convenience - February 20 - 2:30 am

  Ive now owned this car for 5 months and love it. It is a very quiet, comfortable car and rides like a Town Car. My 2 tone package came with nice extras such as a hood ornament, brushed aluminum scuff plates that say Grand Marquis, the Mercury emblem debossed in the two toned leather seatbacks and body color door handles. The car seems rock solid and has decent fuel mileage for the all city driving I do (19- 20mpg). It handles like a much smaller car but has the big car ride without being floaty or wallowy. It is also quite a bargain for a full size car with a V8 engine. Id recommend it to those of any age. Im not a grandpa even though the car might be considered a "grandpa car".

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  636K on 2 - 2001 Mercury Mountaineer
  By mount4ever - February 17 - 11:32 pm

  Purchased my first 97 5.0L AWD off the floor. Had no idea how great it was to be. Drove it daily mostly hwy until I donated with 334K. Only major issue ever was a transfer case at about 200K. Normal wear and tear like rotars, pads and a couple alternaters. Changed the oil every 6 or 7K! Found a second 2001 model with 50K in 2005. Still using it as daily with 304K! Ford fixed the transfer case problem after 1998 so no issues at all with this one. Rotars, front barings one alternator and thats it. Better half got tired of looking at it so today I went out to look at F150s. Came across a 2000 model Mountaineer with 102K like new. Pick it up from the dealer in 2 days. BEST in snow and towing 2.

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  give me the old grand marquis - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By bernie moon - February 17 - 6:00 pm

  Traded a 95 Marquis with 98k problem free, quiet, comfortable miles. New grand marquis after 1 month needed a new air conditioner compressor. Wiper motor and blades are incredibly noisy,wind noise is worse as Ford went to thinner glass all around in 97, seats have much less support,and I am getting more squeaks with dry seals in the steering linkages. Considering how Ford has used the same platform for years they are profiting handily from cheaping up the car.

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  good vehicle - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By jkaiser - February 15 - 7:56 am

  car is excellent to drive but should have more room in the second row. i wish the seats were more supportive due to my post polio

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  Docs Mountineer - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Charles Chrencik - February 7 - 6:03 pm

  comfortable and functional.. ride is firm but good.. Some wind noise over 60mph.. Controls are easy to read..Sound system is adaquate but not exceptional.. Fuel MPG is 17.5 city and 21Mph highway.. V-6 has enough power but can sound rough when pushed into high speed acceleration or passing gears..I am 64" and find the leg room good..Fit and finish are good with no major noted problems

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  WHAT HAPPENED - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By K - February 7 - 11:16 am

  I bought my Mountaineer 10 months ago and I love it. It drives smooth and quite, but recently my car hesitates at stop signs and when shifting gears, so we know what that meant. I was hoping it would fix itself, but no. It started to make a loud vibrated jerking thud when shifting gears. I have 56k miles on it. In a matter of three days it became an inconveince to I wont drive and took it to the dealer I bought it from. The o/d light came on and was blinking. Not sure yet what the problem is but it is transmission related, whether electrical or hydrolic. I love the ride but I dont think I risk buying another Mercury:(

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  100,000 Plus Miles and Going - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Dave in Des Moines - February 6 - 4:56 pm

  I purchased the car with 77,000 miles and now have over 180,000 miles on the vehicle. It has been extremely reliable on the most important item; the engine. Just regular maintenance. Have had problems with temperature controls air/heat switching, check engine light always on, and recently the suspension but those problems occurred well past the 120k mile arena. Great car for my teenage son to learn on.

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  going strong - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By plybybunnie - February 5 - 6:40 pm

  ave had my cougar georgette for 5 years now, just turned over 200,000 miles, all original parts. very good running, reliable, just now starting to think about replacing the important parts. i LOVE my car and it has served me well. i dont see how anyone could not be satisfied with one. they must drive worse than me. ive taken my car cross-country several times, raced it, taken it camping. for a small car, it can hold and handle whatever ive dished out. thank-you cougar makers! i am one very satisfied customer!