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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  mercury montego - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By jim - August 31 - 8:00 am

  nice car but the engine makes too much noise. it has toomuch road noise.

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  new montego v. old sable - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By pod - August 31 - 5:06 am

  Visually a successful modernization of the Sable. Solid feeling chassis. Larger wheels. Excellent, though conservative, body lines and exterior materials. The interior is improved over the Sable giving a superb seating position. The few new electronic readouts are helpful. The seats are disappointing in that there is inadequate lateral bolstering, although this car isnt going to generate much g-force on turns so it may be academic. I wanted to remain loyal to mercurys value oriented products but the engine/transmission combination and the added weight make this a sluggish, underpowered car. I prefer my Sable in that regard. Overall an impressive redo but fatally underpowered.

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  It lives up to its name..Mercury Mistake - 1998 Mercury Mystique
  By E - August 29 - 8:20 am

  I bought this car with 40,000 miles on it and now its at 113,000. I have mixed feelings about this car because it has lasted me this long and has great gas mileage but Ive put in more then what I paid for in repairs. Its just constant little repairs that cost big bucks! And not to mention my transmission went out shortly over 100,000. It seems that once you hit 100,000 the car goes to crap. I know others who have had the same problem. I will never purchase a Mercury again even though Ive heard the Mystique was the worst made model. I just dont trust Mercury

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  Very Good Quality, Low Maintenance - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By JAJ1957 - August 28 - 2:00 am

  This car has been quite reliable overall. With a couple of exceptions, it has been nearly maintenance free, other than normal wear items. It gets terrific highway gas mileage and rides very smoothly over most road conditions. I highly recommend this car to anyone needing affordable, reliable transportation!

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  great suv - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By vincent l. - August 17 - 10:00 am

  a very good suv for its price a little on the low side for gas mileage but besides that i love my mountaineer

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  Great Value - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By DGM - August 8 - 4:16 pm

  Bought this SUV for my teenage daughters. The 4 cyl is a good choice for young drivers. the optional side and canopy airbags are worth the extra money to protect them. A great value for the money and also looks great.

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  A great car to take to work - 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Jon - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car to take to work (90 miles a day), to tow with, and to lug family and friends in. Also to stop putting so many miles on my baby, my Mustang. As far as performance, Im used to the power of my GT, though the power is nothing like my Mustang, its very powerful for what it is. A full sized sedan. I have only one problem with the car, and thats the interior. Only two cup holders (The car can seat 6 people). Also the front arm wrests should have storage, along with the back arm wrests (If the car had rear arm wrests). Oh, and the car needs a posi so both rear wheels spin. As far as mileage, I get 25-28 hwy, 20-23 city. It burns no oil with 105,000 miles on it.

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  Bought used - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By j-dool - August 8 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle had most of what I wanted and it had very low miles when we bought it. the car is comfortable on long trips and the heated seats are great on the back. I cant believe weve put over 15,000 miles on it already. Weve had no issues what so ever and while going on 4 years old it looks new. The ride isnt the smoothest but its not the worst either. I like the 17" wheels and I think it handles very well for this type of vehicle.

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  my car - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By dic - July 31 - 10:00 am

  this car is an attention getter. It is slow on takeoff but it goes pretty good after that. I use mine to pull my jet- ski and have had no trouble dropping it or pulling it out of the lake.

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  Great Value for the $$$ - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By virge - July 31 - 10:00 am

  This is the automobile for the person who wants a large comfortable car with power, comfort, and will not require a second mortgage on the house. An agile handling car in town and a smooth, quiet, riding car on the highway, this car provides the space and versatility of a large car with the ease of handling of a medium sized automoblile. Quick off the line and powerful enough to pass most of its competition, it gives confidence to its driver. I have had no reliablity problems and will continue to buy future models if Mercury stays on its present course. Highly recommended.