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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  A much needed improvement - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By RocoMano - February 24 - 10:00 am

  What a pleasant change from my last Mountaineer! The comfort and handling are vastly improved. I am glad my old lease was up.

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  There but not quiet there stock. - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By Steven J - February 20 - 10:43 am

  *Note, I am the second owner of this car. I bought the car with 32,000 miles on it. Original owner had to have some warranty work done it. The radiator had gone out as did a window door switch. So far, the only problem I had with the car was a dying car battery. In stock form, the car is slow to get up to speed and I dont care much for the stock 3.55s. Ford could of done much more with this car. Ive done a SCT xcal tune, coutersy of alternative automotive, to the car and switched the rear gears out to 4.10s and it is much faster. Makes a great daily driver. Very reliable, gas mileage is modest if you can avoid stepping on the gas all the time.

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  Looks like new in 2004! - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Lucky in Texas - February 20 - 2:00 am

  I cant tell you how much I have loved this car! At first I was a bit apprehensive about upgrading to an SUV from a 93 Saturn SL. Once again I was one of the few that was able to get a 2000 with a V6. Condsidering all things the gas mileage is great! Only problems I have is the radio display has gone out (a common problm in Ford products I hear) and the sensors for the Transmission are causing it to miss a little bit. Other than that I cant tell you enough good things about it!

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  2000 Mercury Sable LS Premium Sedan - 2000 Mercury Sable
  By CamaroSS - February 20 - 2:00 am

  I purchased the car after selling my 1997 Mercury Sable LS Premium. The Sable has not went back to the dealership for anything which surprised me considering all the recalls other Sables have had.I ordered my car in Royal Blue. The color really looks nice on the car and looks good with the alloy wheels. The interior looks very upscale for a $25,000 family sedan and looks alot better than cartoonish dashboard of my previous Sable. I had to have the Duratec V-6 after I test drove a GS with the Vulcan motor. It is such a huge improvement over the OHV 3.0 motor. Im thinking of trading up to a 2004.

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  I HATE my Cougar - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Lyssa - February 19 - 6:10 pm

  I bought my Cougar with 62k miles on it. Ive had nothing but issues since I got the vehicle and have spent thousands fixing it. Now at 84k miles on it me engine is knocking and ready to go. Nothing but Engine problems since Ive had it and other misc. things. The gas mileage is horrible. Everyone Ive known that has owned a Cougar has had issues with the engine or transmission. Take my advice, buy a Honda.

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  A good 2nd car - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By JEFFtheGodofBiscuits - February 19 - 1:00 am

  Bought at 90,000 miles and drove for 4 years. Pretty good experience overall, although we did get the clogged carb/sticky throttle problem that some have complained about. A simple $40 fix at our local mechanic. Removable pilot seats were great, as was the 6 disc CD player. The fuel economy was not great, at about 17- 18. Have sold it due to age and impending repair bills being more than the TMV.

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  I love this car - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By dpjtax - February 18 - 10:46 am

  I bought this car right before Thanksgiving last year. Aside from the fact that it drinks gas like theres no tomorrow, I love it. Big, powerful, and it looks like an unmarked police car! People get out of my way on the interstate! I have had unbelievable good luck with Mercurys, and this one is no exception. I think this car has been discontinued, which is a shame. It is one car that does it all.

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  I like it. - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By jetskeemama - February 15 - 10:00 am

  I have put 100K mi on this van since purchase in 1997 ($32,000 when purchased). I have replaced a fuel pump, sliding shoulder harness belt twice and just repaired ac ($350) Otherwise, it has been perfectly reliable and trouble free. Lady ran a red light last night and totaled it. Im not happy about trying to find a replacement. I would have kept this car for as long as possible.

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  I love it - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Geir81 - February 15 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my volvo s80t6. I love the Mountaineer. Drove to Florida on my 2nd day owning it. NO PROBLEMS at all. Very comfortable leather seats. V8 is smooth and strong. Stearing tight. Radio not super, but acceptable. Very smart design inside. microfiber good touch. steering wheel control so conv. very sharp all-round. I love it!

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  Doing it and Loving it! - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By MARK O - February 15 - 10:00 am

  Safe,comfortable,power! Around town or on the highway this has been a dream. Had a minivan before leasing this SUV and glad I did.