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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  Great vehicle - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By rogerd - November 1 - 8:53 am

  Traded a new Cadillac in on it. Mercury ride and quality put Cadillac to shame at less than half the price. Grand Marquis handles superbly, very agile and responsive. I love to drive it. Super smooth ride. Quiet interior. Great gas mileage: 29 hwy/20 city. I have owned Lincoln Towncars recently and like them also, but like the handling of the Mercury better.

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  Great car! - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Mark - October 30 - 5:40 pm

  We were looking for better mpg in our vehicles, but dont like to compromise comfort and options. We found a dealer demo Milan and loved it from the test drive. Great highway mpg 31-35. Love the interior, very roomy and comfortable, and stylish with two-tone leather seats. No problems with this car and it really stands out from the crowd with great exterior styling. 4 cyl. engine has plenty of power for our driving needs. Looks like we will have this car for a long time. Quality and options make this a great value for your money.

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  96 XR7 is the Best car I ever owned - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By mike - October 28 - 5:23 am

  I bought my 1996 XR7 4.6V8 in Oct. 95 and it has 224,000 miles on the original engine and still runs like new. I average 19 mpg in town and 23.5 on the freeway. The only real problem I have had is the Air-con gave out at 200,000 miles and it will cost too much to replace ($900).

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  Wonderful Surprise - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Alisha - October 27 - 11:13 pm

  I owned a 1998 Ford Taurus SHO and recently graduated nursing school and was looking for a new car. Im very price conscious and had looked at and researched many many cars at many lots. I went into the dealership to test drive a 2007 mazda6. Needless to say I was a little unimpressed the backseat was way too small and it just seemed okay at best. I also test drove two other cars I was almost going to "settle" if I got a cheap price or leave till one of the guys that worked there mentioned the Milan. I immediately feel in love. It was perfect from the aesthetic looks interior and exterior to the feeling of the drive. Very smooth. Plus, with a lifetime powertrain warranty. I knew it was it.

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  Mercury has another winner - 2007 Mercury Montego
  By MANNY B - October 26 - 7:36 am

  Our new Montego, like the previous 6 Mercs we have owned does not disappoint. The car is comfortable, good looking and comes with all the bells and whistles. The AWD feature is very welcome in a family sedan. The ride is soft, but that is precisely what makes it so smooth and comfortable. Acceleration is adequate, although far from being a speed demon.

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  Everyone loves my Mercury! - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By clintondee - October 26 - 2:33 am

  I picked up an 07 Milan leftover and Im amazed no-one bought before the model year end. I bought the 5 speed with the 4 cylinder base model and I completely enjoy the car. Im getting 35 mpg on the open road with the 5 speed. I couldnt get that with my last Corolla or Focus. The Milan dwarfs those cars and is amazingly comfortable. Its great to see that American car companies are once again designing nice interiors. This Milan along with the new Malibu are light years ahead of the models that they replace. My Milan has great thick seats and all power options standard. Side curtain air bags add safety to all riders. We have to support American Companies & the Milan makes that easy!

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  Stealth Car - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By Idaho Spud - October 25 - 10:00 am

  So far everything is fine. Runs great handles great. The suspension is a little stiff for around town driving but out on the road it is just fine. People just dont know what it is when they see it, when I tell them a Marauder most have never heard of it. That is part of the fun

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  Best Car Ive EVER Owned - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Derek Robichaud - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Greatest car EVER .. Fun to drive, sporty and quick .. She loves to hug the road around curves and growls when riled ..

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  What you see is what you get - 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By joe_168 - October 24 - 5:47 am

  Lots of bang for your buck with this one. Even though its a throwback to the 70s (same platform since late 70s) and the sheet metal is virtually the same for the last 15-20 years; the simplicity of owing this vehicle, the reliability and comfort that comes with it cant be matched. If youre looking for a car that rides good, is big and comfortable, this is your car.

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  Love my Montego - 2007 Mercury Montego
  By Paulie - October 21 - 3:40 am

  Have had my Montego for almost 7 months & bought as certified pre-owned from dealer. This is a terrific car. I have AWD & am getting an avg of 22 MPG 60/40 highway & city. The CVT transmission and engine combination make for a good value with respect to gas consumption. The V-6 is a bit underpowered however. If it were 250-260 horses vs the 205 with the CVT tranny it would be perfect. (Nissan did this with the Murano- why cant you Ford?) Its adequate but you dont get the "jolt" when punching the gas.