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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  Best Vehicle I have ever owned! - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By giftofgod - January 9 - 4:26 pm

  This van has been great for me and my wife. It does seem to average 22 mpg, but this is through the hills in north-central Arkansas. It seems to have plenty of power for zipping up and down the hills. The reviews about lack of power seem unjustified. I also love the cupholders in ours. They adjust to fit any size drink. I do not understand the complaints there either. As far as drivability, this van corners well, and has no squeaks or rattles yet, even though it is now 7 years old. The engine runs like a top and does not miss. All of the features work great. Cruise control is a little jumpy for this area, but works well on the highway. Overall, I would say this is a great vehicle!

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  Awesome - 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
  By carl - January 8 - 9:43 pm

  One week into ownership I could not be happier. My white Mercury Milans profile reminds me of a C Class Mercedes. Gas mileage is phenomenal. I expected a drop from my Focus, but no. Some trip numbers have been so astonishing, not sure I believe them myself. First fill up will verify - or not. I should add, I am a totally disciplined hypermiler. So many systems to go wrong. Still, they are all working as advertised. My luck cant last on flawless performance. Considering getting the Extracare Extended Service Plan, as repair on some of these systems, especially the electronics, must be very expensive.

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  great family car but after 10 years swap - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By KT - January 8 - 4:23 pm

  I have loved my Villager ever since we got it used ( with 17000) miles on it back in 2001. But this year has been a nightmare.It has 89000 miles on it now. Everything has gone wrong & we have dumped over $5000.00 in it over the last 8 months ( towed 4 times) and thinking that "hopefully this will be the last repair". My advise...when any car first produces a $1500. repair bill...sell it & get something else because chances are it will be the beginning of a long line of repair bills. cant afford it anymore but cant afford anything else either-ha !

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  1996 xr7 - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By lakeland fl - January 8 - 1:50 pm

  This is my 3rd XR7 i had a 1979 and a 1986 and now i have a 1996 and love it .There great cars and for the money what more can you ask for . There nice driving cars and ride great and look great and there very very safe cars .The XR7 looks like it should cost you a lot of money to buy one thats how good they look on the road .My XR7 looks and drives better then my Town Car .The XR7 is a great car to own !!

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  Great but expensive car - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Brad - January 7 - 7:36 pm

  I got this car a few years ago, and while I absolutely love this car, parts for this car can be very expensive. For a headlamp assemble, new was $400 and used was $450, due to some national back order of parts. A windshield was $500, four tires $290, and radiator $350. E-Bay though has been my friend with this car and has saved me hundreds. An alternator at Advanced Auto Parts cost $120, but on E-Bay I got one for $45 and that included shipping.

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  Good and Bad - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Paulyzz - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I love this car, the way it looks, and the way it handles. I have had nothing but problems with it though. Already on the third alternator, have had 2 shorts in the radio (which still doesnt work right), and the car would not start on me on several occasions. There are too many problems to list here. This car has been in the shop in excess of 25 times, and Ford had to give me a premium warranty because I was threatening to declare it a lemon. Love the car, but would never buy another one, which is a shame, becasue you dont see them all over the place.

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  Great Vehicle - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By rjsindy - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I traded in my 1995 Grand Marquis which had 120000 miles on it and never gave one bit of trouble. The new car has been excellent. I travel a lot with my job 30-60000 miles/yr. This is a car that is built to take that type of driving. The cost of maintenance is negligible, after having owned a few Swedish and German cars it has been a very welcome experience. The car has 32000 miles on it and has never been back in the shop except for normal maintenance. This is not the most exciting vehicle in the world, but its very safe, comfortable and durable.

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  Many Improvements - 08 Best One Yet! - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Mark Robison - January 5 - 8:00 am

  Had an 06 Escape, but the 08 made such great improvements. The Mariner offers more deluxe features over the Escape. Cup holders are a major improvement, as is the ice blue dash lights and the dash-top center display. Exterior appearance looks tough, yet elegant, and the ride is finally smooth and comfortable. Passengers compliment the feel of the rear seats and from the front, it feels roomier and slightly "bigger."

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  Cool Car Dad - 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Cool Car Dad - January 5 - 7:13 am

  I needed a reliable, safe, affordable and clean family car. The LS meets all of the criteria. My 4 year old son likes the car and his review was “cool car dad”. My 7 year old daughter and wife are caught up in the small car preference but I explained the values of the car vs. paying for a small car with a higher price. Many of the repairs that others mentioned as negatives were fixed before I purchased the car. I found the car at an estate sale and looked for such a car for about 3 months. We paid $1,000 for it and it’s the best money ever spent on a car. The previous owner, an older man, took great care of the car. I also like that I am driving a US brand car. A great value!

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  Nice Car - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By jlat - January 3 - 1:20 pm

  I have owned this car for almost 2 years and have no issues. I have 38k miles so far. The engine has great performance. I usually average about 22 MPG city\hwy. I can get 30 mpg on long trips with a car load of kids,dogs, and suitcases. The car is very quiet and drives like a large American sedan should. I would by another if given the choice. No squeaks rattles or other noises.