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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  Rear End Defect - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Seastar - March 24 - 2:00 am

  With only 2300 miles on my top of the line Mountaineer, that new car feeling disappeared when the rear end developed a vibration during low speed turns. The dealer determined that the rear differential had a manufacturing defect and the entire rear end was dissasembled and overhauled. The 2- month old truck was out of service for 6 days. Were a little nervous about future problems, but otherwise we enjoy the many features, the good looks and the roominess of our Mountaineer.

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  Really Like This Mini-Van ... But! - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By SJ Piney - March 24 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I really like this minivan. Its very comfortable, well appointed and rides very smooth. We like the dash arrangement and the analog clock. We also compared this to a loaded Freestar Limited and the Monterey is actually about $2000 cheaper with the same equipment. Ok now for the BUT. For a $34000 vehicle the amount of plastic is mind blowing. A little leather on the sides of the doors would have been a nice touch and befitting a Mercury. The other thing is the lack of a lockable glove compartment. Even my Jetta has that! If you can wait, we recommend getting that power tailgate.

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  It wont quit - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By tsandy1 - March 21 - 7:58 pm

  210,000 miles and it wont quit. We bought it used with 38,000 miles on it. I was hoping for a major break down after a few years so I could get a different car. I hate having the same car too long. I like variety. Damned thing just kept going. We finally had to give it to our son. We thought if anybody could kill it, he could. Nope, its still going. I am amazed at how good of a car this thing has been. We truly have only done routine maintenance on it. Cosmetically hasnt held up as well as my 2001 Cadillac DeVille, but mechanically the Sable has been a champ.

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  Decent Car - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Dustin - March 16 - 9:20 pm

  The Cougar is a fun, sporty car, so it turns tightly, rides stiffly, and the 5 speed manual shifts smoothly. But I have been unimpressed with the build quality. I changed my grille, put a new driver side mirror on, and ran subwoofer cables, so I have taken apart a lot of the car. Almost everything snaps together! You know what holds the bumper on? Plastic pins. Most everything is plastic, especially the dash. And oh, what a noisy, squeaky dash it is, too. Drives me crazy. All in all, Id say the Cougar is a decent car, but the build quality worries me, and I am going to soon upgrade to something more reliable and better quality.

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  Great Family Van - 2000 Mercury Villager
  By amaroa - March 15 - 12:13 pm

  We drove this vehicle as our primary travel car for 5 yrs excellent with kids. No major issues, car currently has 126K, just had to replace the battery and a/c compressor.

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  Love it - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By ann - March 13 - 5:40 am

  Love driving it!!! Its a smooth ride and I love the size of the vehicle. Its a sharp looking car!

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  My favorite ride so far... - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Tidbit - March 10 - 2:00 am

  I started out with my mind set on an Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer, and the salesman showed me this, and I am happy that he did. Im up to 128,000 miles and the only substancial repairs Ive had is with the heater flap motor that just went out. The dealership wanted $800 to repair it, but Ive gone with an individual for about half. Ive enjoyed the comfortable drive, being in sales - I practically live in my car, it is also good for the long trips for vacation. Im looking to replace it now, and am having a hard time finding something different with all the bells and whistles.

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  Be glad its gone! - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Big John - March 10 - 2:00 am

  I thought Id give Ford one more chance, but I should have bought Japanese car. Rough engine performance, tires vibrate, no low-end torque, squeaks, hood needed to be painted, and now CD player giving me trouble. Looks are deceiving and you get what you pay for. A lot of car for money, but want to trade out now and get a quality vehicle with some performance. Way down on horsepower compared to other V6 sport coupes.

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  This Cats a Dog, but I Love it Anyway - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By B. Grimms - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Some owners seem anxious to complain about their Cougar; maybe Ive just had good luck. Other than the Duratec leaving something to be desired, I couldnt be much happier. After test driving a Celica, Eclipse, and other coupes, I decided on this domestic V6. Ive been impressed by its handling, comfort, and interior design. The pick-up is tepid, however, and I felt compelled to replace the obviously fake scoop. I chose the Zn, but customized most of the special features anyway. Im not sure Id go with yellow again, but its easy to spot in a parking lot. Until I have my midlife crisis, kids or both, Im planning on enjoying this car for awhile.

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  2001 Mercury Grand Marquis - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Frank1938 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  After 18 months have had no problems at all. I have had screws to come out of door handles & various small glitches with interior hadware Overall a very good car