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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  Nice Car - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Clyde - January 18 - 4:40 am

  Like the styling, inside and out. Decided to buy it before actually seeing it by reading the reviews. Fun to drive, and the wife really likes it! Got it in red and black leather with the wood simulated dash - the only way to go. Looks great! Price was great. Great power for a 4 cylinder automatic. Contrary to some reviews, the acceleration is quite adequate. Wish it had a garage door opener, an electric passenger seat, a tighter turning circle, and fold away side mirrors. Tough to handle in tight spots when parking. Overall this car is the one of the best kept secrets out there. Dont see very many yet. A great buy and a lot of fun to drive.

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  The perfect car - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By old78chev - January 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car for my wife and we have driven it everywhere. We drove it to and from the state of Washington and Oklahoma. You want a great gas car that looks good this is your car.

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  Fun to drive - 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By marquislover - January 15 - 12:16 pm

  Even though the Marquis is viewed as an old-school car, it is fun to drive. Handles well around corners, stops on a dime (for a big car!) And give you a sense of safety. Currently getting 23- 25mpg, and room enough for 5-6 people. Ok 4 heavy ones! I am so pleased. Does Detroit think that size doesn’t matter? Big cars rule! Look at the number of SUVs on the road. I want a car and the marquis is the only one that fits the bill! Thanks Mercury-never touch it!

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  LOOOOVE IT - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By namllitsdad - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Great style Fun to Drive Faaaaaast

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  Poor gas milage - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By kyle - January 13 - 4:56 am

  i have had my mercury for 2 yrs. Ive had the fuel pump go out on it twice. For those of you who have to change the pump, change your fuel pressure regulator that caused the pump to over work. it a great highway car. but, the mpg is poor. Im getting a Buick. i love mercurys. they have poor mpg. the 3.8 n the buick has a intake manifold problem. ive changed it in my merc,

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  Great little car - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By RF - January 11 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned mine for 2 years now and still enjoy driving it. It handles like crazy, has a decent amount of power, and looks great. Everything has worked flawlessly - Ive only performed routine maintenance. I replaced tires early due to finding the cars handling limits. It sticks like glue!!

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  Most Reliable Car Yet! - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By shane52sk - January 9 - 4:57 am

  I have owned this car for 3 years and I cant say enough about it. I have had very few minor problems and absolutely no major problems. I am the second owner and Ive had it since it had 44,000 miles. It now has 110,000. No Problems! The car drives great and I average 25mpg city driving. The car has good pick up for a 4cyl SUV. Its very comfortable and is fun and easy to drive. I have received nothing but compliments since I have owned it. If you want a vehicle that is reliable; impressive; and wows others...This is absolutely one to look at!

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  A Rock-Solid Ride - 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By CapnHawk - January 6 - 2:43 pm

  Bought my first Grand Marquis in 1992. Ran it for close to 350,000 trouble- free miles. My 2009 model seems to be no different than the 1992 model. Rides like a dream, great power from the V-8 engine, and more room than you could ask for. The segue from a 17 year old model to a new one could have been accomplished while blindfolded. Fit and finish is outstanding. I hope they never stop making the Grand Marquis.

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  I see why these are so popular. - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Jacque Montague - January 5 - 8:12 am

  I purchased one of these used, from the original owner, the car currently has 125,154 miles on it and still is in excellent shape both cosmetically, and mechanically. This car is very simple to maintain, and everything is simple to use, no fancy things like on modern cars, but isnt completely in the dark ages. Instrumentaion is plenty, and easy to read, stock radio is very good, and cassette deck is still working fine. The leather interior has also held up very well for being 15 years old and has no holes or tears, trunk space is absolutely massive! A perfect summer home rental for tourists! The 4.6L V8 is an excellent motor, and can get out of its own way when asked to, and I personally get about 18.5MPG in town and 26MPG out on the highway on 87 octane. Its been an excellent car, and I can see why they last so long, one of Fords highest reliability cars/platform! I would recommend one of these to anyone whos looking for a smooth car, with excellent reliability, cheap to service, but still doesnt kill the pocketbook on gas.

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  Really nice American Company Car - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By DeDe - January 4 - 2:50 am

  I just got this car and drove it some 1300 miles . The car ran very well and did all of the things that I expected for less money than some other AWD vehicles.This car is smooth and quiet on the road and comfortable to ride in. I bought this car to replace my AWD SUV and Im very pleased with the quality and performance.This car is very nice looking and has lots of eye appeal. I ordered the sport package with spoiler.