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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  Drip, Drip, Drip...but oh well I love it - 2007 Mercury Mariner
  By aingel - October 4 - 3:06 am

  This was my first time buying an SUV. Good gas mileage, fun to drive. I bought the black with the black/cream interior. Although it looks sharp, I imagine it will be tough to keep clean even without kids. Roomy, and easy to manuever.

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  So far So good - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By Aaron Lowry - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I have had this van for only a year. Bought it with only 36K and now has 46K. Has not been in the shop and dont plan on it. IMy wife drives it daily for basic around town errands and hauling kids. She loves it for what we use it for. It would be a little cramped for adults in the back for long trips, but great for small families and hauling small ones around. Just took the familiy on a trip and covered about 1,000 miles, the van was a solid performer. I would have to say that I would rather own a Sienna or an Odyseey, but these are both well overpriced. Overall, this van is the best bang for your buck as far as price, ride quality and reliability.

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  Gone for a reason - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By j_rob82 - October 2 - 9:44 am

  I write this tonight as we have just sold our 2008 Grand Marquis LS. Its pillowy ride can lead to car sickness if you drive it on a curvy road. It wallows and bounces up and down like an ocean liner in a bad storm. Speaking of storms, it does horrible in adverse weather and to top it all off, we had a few quality concerns, though the drivetrain has ran flawlessly. Our previous Mercury, a 97 Sable, was the exact opposite experiance. The ride and handling were ballanced well and traction was never a problem. It also seemed to have more leg room which is why we sold the Grand Marquis and are purchasing a 2012 Taurus tomorrow. The quality of the leather alone in the Taurus is 10X that in the G

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  Best boat on the road - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By ernest underwood - October 2 - 4:25 am

  Great bang for the buck. It asks for nothing but takes good care of you and the family. Best used car value, for big cars, in the market. I live in New England and search for the Gmarks in Fl as they are usually low mileage one owner automobiles. When the big northern winter storms arrive, I stay home as should everyone so rear wheel drive is not an issue.

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  love the car - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By charwv4char1@aol.com - September 30 - 10:00 am

  I am a first time buyer of mercury, great car, love the body style and interior.

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  Everyone needs one! - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By piglet - September 27 - 10:00 am

  Traded in my very reliable Toyota 4Runner on this beast. It is so comfortable and the ride and power are excellent! Dont bad mouth this car unless you have not driven it.

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  The Mercury Villager - 2002 Mercury Villager
  By Jeff Purdy - September 27 - 10:00 am

  The Mercury Villager is a great minivan. We have owned three, a 1996 GS model, a 1998 Multi-Sport model, and now a 2002 Estate model. They have been good to us. It is too bad Mercury is going to stop making them.They are comfortable, quiet, and kind of neat- looking. Nissan did a good job of designing them.

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  Good Mini-Van - 2002 Mercury Villager
  By kcowboy - September 27 - 10:00 am

  Excellent mini-van with all the bells and whistles that wont break the bank. You can get a great deal on one because its the last year their making it. Its the type of vehicle that you dont have to pay sticker on! unlike some brands. This is our second Villager our other was a 93 and it never had any problems.

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  2001 mercury grand marquis ls - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Juan Valdez - September 27 - 12:40 am

  Great car to do the open road in. Gas mileage is better than you would expect from a car this large.The only problem is the rear shocks/spring set-up. If you do not want the rear of the car to sit low in rear loaded, you need to put overload shocks on it. With these on you still have a great ride, with no sag. Climate control is a must have option, now that I experienced it. Also do the cloth interior, no cold or sticky leather. If I had to buy another car right now, it would be another Mercury Grand Marquis LS.

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  06 Premier- loaded - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By jsp - September 26 - 5:03 pm

  Great car overall. 500 miles and it is quiet, responsive and good looking. Would like to see more HP. Did 80+ with no problem. Heated, leather seats were great. driver seat could be softer like my ex-camry. Very sporty looking, lots of looks from friends. This is a must consider car. Ford is finally getting it!