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 car! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By darb1991 - March 5 - 5:30 am

  I got this car as a first time car, no major issues. Fixed neutral safety switch ($100), getting new motor mounts ($450) New cold air intake, getting cat back exhaust, new tires, car runs great, tight steering, great grip. I have 167,000 miles on it. Runs great still!

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  For those who value, a value - 2002 Mercury Sable
  By johncandy - March 5 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car for the money, especially if you buy used like I did. I paid 10,900 for a 2002 sable with 16,000 miles and two years left on warranty. It is a 6 cylindar car, not a 4 cylinder like you would get for that money, on most other cars. The ride is good, the power sufficient, styling European, milage decent, safety rating excellent. Oh yeh, the hondas and toyotas are perfect. But are they really perfect as consumer reports indicates. The sable is now a recommned buy for consumer reports.

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  I Love the Cougar Xr7 - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By Jesse - March 4 - 2:03 pm

  My dad handed down this car to me. I always loved how it looked. When i actually got around to driving it, i was blown away. I love the V8, its great for just having fun. I also love the ride itself. Its surprisingly quiet for having a V8, and it has lots of leg room. I hope i can keep this car forever

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  Great van - 2001 Mercury Villager
  By joe cobra - March 2 - 6:43 am

  I bought this new. Now have 111,000 on it with no major problems. Very reliable. Took many long trips with the family, never let me down

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  Update for Our 2006 Mariner - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By NZ - February 26 - 3:00 am

  The Mariner has been a very practical vehicle with its roominess and reliability. We already have 16,000 miles on it and were finding that the more miles it has on it, the worse road noise gets. Also, theres not many places to store things. Theres two small overhead bins, a small in- console "cubby", and two cupholders up front. Its an average vehicle. Im sure there are better alternatives.

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  Palm Beach! - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By grand - February 23 - 12:10 am

  I purchased the 08 Grand Marquis LS palm edition and love it. The special touches really look good. Love the huge comfy seats. Eeasy column shifter feels solid. Great silver birch. Smooth and quick performance

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  great car - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By broncobilly1111@aol. - February 18 - 3:46 am

  great car

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  Transmission out in just 2 years! - 2007 Mercury Montego
  By Cindy - February 16 - 3:03 am

  The transmission went out on my 2007 Montego! The car is serviced every 3000 miles and babied! I was totally shocked by this unexpected issue!

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  pricing vehicle - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By john doe - February 5 - 10:13 am

  nice vehicle to ride on bumpy roads with.

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  Perplexed - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By Kevin - January 25 - 5:06 pm

  Purchased used from local dealer with 68000 miles. The gas pedal sticks and the headlight harness burned out near the lite socket. At about 85,000 miles on a hot summer day about 200 miles from home I experenced a sudden loss of oil pressure. Indicated by the light and noisy lifters. Continued to drive as I had no other choice for 200 miles with intermittent oil pressure. Changed to a heaver oil and no problems for 1 year then the same story. Changed to a heavier oil again then no problems. Now have Over 111,000 miles. I do not understand what is going on with the oil pressure but the vehicle has been very reliable and uses no oil between changes of 12000miles.