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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  Cant kill this truck - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Owned since new - February 4 - 7:13 pm

  I bought this brand new off the dealer lot. It has every option you could order. Ive never driven anything better in the snow. Ive only had to replace a front all wheel drive part and it has been hard on dash lights for some reason. It tows a boat twice the size of the truck. Expect about 13 to 14 MPG in the city in the V8 and about 18 MPH on the highway at 70 MPH. Ive seen several in crashes and they hold up like a tank. The AWD model gets 65 percent power from the rear wheels and 35 from the front. When slipping or in the snow the computer adjusts for traction. It rides like a truck but if you can find one in good shape you have a good truck for as long as you want to own it.

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  I thought I would miss the Chrysler 300 - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By SpiceUmUp - January 31 - 9:46 am

  I picked this car up just three days ago and I already am sold on it. It rides very well though I feel the expansion joints more than in the 300. the seat are very comfortable, the controls are where they should be and working them is intuitive. The climate controls are set too low in the dash but the steering wheel mounted controls make that mostly a non-issue. The engine has plenty of power and when you whomp the Go-Pedal, it GOES. It is VERY quiet inside with little road noise & little engine noise until you really nail the accelerator. This is good because the sounds system is great. 6 disc CD with MP3 capability and 8 speaks. The open moon roof has very little wind noise

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  If shes happy, I am REALLY happy! - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By RWB - January 27 - 10:00 am

  My wife is a glass half full kind of person. Dont get me wrong, I love her to pieces but, trying to please her can be a challenge. In 10 years of marriage I can count the things that she is completely satisfied with on one hand. Her new Mountaineer is one of them. She is a deposition court reporter, and drives to different destinations every day. She now feels safe and comfortable and is very, very happy. Needless to say, I am estatic!

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  LS Wagon - 1998 Mercury Sable
  By scotty5484 - January 27 - 10:00 am

  Everyone laughed at me when I traded my 5 litre mustang on this wagon, but everyone now wants to borrow it. It has become the neighborhood mule.

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  Great First Car - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By rr16 - January 24 - 12:06 am

  I just turned 16 and i wanted to buy a car that i would love but a car that wouldnt completely drain my savings. The 99 cougar was perfect. It rides nice for a small car, it is fast and it gives you a feeling of security when your in it. All of the controls are easy to access while driving, and the heating and air conditioning work in seconds. If your looking for a car that makes peoples heads turn, you need this car. The great thing about it is you cant tell its 11 years old.

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  Sleeper - 1998 Mercury Sable
  By ya kiddd - January 17 - 10:00 am

  This car is a sleeper, with 200 hp and dual exhaust, its pretty fun to drive and also suprised me when i stepped on the gas. It has great acceleration with lots of toys & options : outside temp, sunroof, auto climate, spacious interiorm and a great sound system. I had my Sable for about 4 years with no major mechanical problems....until it got totaled

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  Love the looks - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By EP1 - January 15 - 1:43 pm

  The style & looks caught my attention right away my previous car was the Buick Lacross. The Milan handles better and rides tighter than the Buick and corners like its on rails but is just as quite on the inside on the highway! The looks are so much nicer than the Accord and Camry!

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  What Is The Mileage Expectancy? - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By Jocelyn - January 15 - 1:46 am

  Ive enjoyed my Cougar. I replaced the transmission at about 60,000 miles but it was my fault it messed up. Im more interested in the mileage expectancy of a 2001 Mercury Cougar? Mine has 96,500 and Im having to drive from Tennessee to Ohio about once a month and wonder how long that will last?

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  Best bet as a Ford by-product - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By montaingirl - January 12 - 10:00 am

  Now this is a suv! Also, if the Aviator & Navigator are a little out of your price range this is the next best thing. I would change one thing -the gear shift should be on the lower console & it should be a digital dash -other then that & I Love this vehicle & will be re- purchasing when It is time . good luck shoppers & maybe by the time 4 a trade in the gas consumption will be much better. Then this would be the number 1 car -as far as I would be concerned.

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  great value - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By BigAl - January 10 - 3:43 pm

  Bought 2004 Sable GS with 24,000 miles for $9999 on 11/19/2004 from local Ford dealer. Rental fleet return. Wanted something quiet and comfortable, not disapointed. Bought extended warranty for $1500, covered to 5/75 miles. This car is an excellent value. Buy one a year old and save BIG on depreciation! You feel SAFE in this car, not a hint of a squeak or rattle. 155 HP is enough for me with 3.0 Vulcan engine.