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 ride - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By vlmelm@aol.com - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Its been a good suv for me. For i have 5 grandchildren and they just love it. I had my daughter putrchase one also. She sold a friend on buying hers so she bought one also.I cant wait to but another in 2 yrs.

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  gotta try it - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By 5yr Cougarowner - July 4 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Cougar for 5 years now and I have no major complaints. I have had the alternator replaced and some computer problems with the dash, but overall I have been pleased and feel I have gotten my monies worth out of it despite some problems that needed to be fixed.

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  Long trip comfort - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Robert Miller - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Taking a trip from Florida to New Jersey ,to Connecticut, to Massachusitts, I found the ride very comfortable, and considering the load I was carrying, I averaged 20 miles per gallon. Upon returning I averaged 22 mpg on a trip to Orlando, and back. My wife and I found it a very comfortable ride.

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  Fantastic !! - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By wizard7 - July 3 - 10:20 am

  This is our stealth car. You really hardly notice it, not a flashy spot on it (except the headlights). But if you want Comfort, driving Ease, Plenty of Room, and a Quiet Ride, the Mercury Montego is Fantastic! Unbeatable! Quieter than our friends Jaguar - by far. And amazingly easy to park, although it is not necessarily a Long car, just Big. We added the heated seats and we love them. Standard sound system is OK, but most people will probably want the upgrade. Drive one. Check out the view. Ours is Satellite Silver, very nice.

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  I Love It! - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Lynn - July 3 - 2:56 am

  I purchased my car out of the showroom. I have not had any problems with it at all. It still looks great, love the leather interior and the style and 6 CD changer. It gives good mileage, is comfortable, handles well and has good pickup. Ive had my car now for 6 years and aside from regular oil changes and taking good care of it, I have no complaints.

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  2001 Sable - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By bluesky - July 2 - 2:00 am

  24 valve engine very responsive with good gas mileage...extremely reliable thus far. Very good manufacturing detail. Only problem was a brake pedal recall.

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  Cougars go Roar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By My First Car - June 30 - 2:30 pm

  I got this car used on October 20 of this year. I havent had many problems with it, other than my heater core on it is broken and it sometimes leaks transmission fluid. But other than that I love this car. The engine is so much fun to listen to. Its pretty fast for a 2.5 V6. Everything works fine in the car. It has a pretty decent sound system, but Im looking to put some 12s in it. The only problem is that I drive long distances sometimes and I worry about my engine over-heating with my transmission fluid leaking, but other than that Im very happy with the performance and stability of this car. And Im glad its what I got for my first car.

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  My Wifes Car - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By Mike - June 30 - 5:56 am

  My wife loves this car. Its stylish, comfortable to drive, and has good gas economy (32 HWY and 24city) The White Platium color looks great. It has as many accessories as a lincoln Hopefully the 4 cylinder engine will hold up. This is a great car for the money.

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  Love IT!!! - 2007 Mercury Mariner
  By ndcysyve - June 26 - 10:13 pm

  Just purchased today and I am thrilled. I was hesitant on buying American especially going from a VW to a Mercury but I love it. Very quick, full of pep and its an head turner.

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  5.0 AWD Common Problems? - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By MsDarla - June 26 - 10:00 am

  I have 26000 miles on the Mountianeer and there is a lower radiator hose leak,Transmission lines at radiator are leaking,Front drive-shaft seal at pigtail leaks,Door seal is falling apart,Rear wiper works half the time,Back-up sensors stay on in a clear area when backing-up which happens more in warmer weather,Radio sometimes does not work. I looked at several other Mountaineer & Explorers AWD V-8 and alot seem to be leaking at the front drive-shaft seal at the pigtail and also leaks at the lower radiator hose.The V-6 vehicles do not seem to leak... Paint is fading near the door edges. In snow/cold weather I get 10-13MPG.