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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  Love this car - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By J - October 20 - 8:16 pm

  I never thought that I would see myself at 27 in a Mercury. I went to the dealership to buy a Lincoln MKZ, and drove off very happy in the Mercury! The Premier Package is wonderful! I have owned 9 new cars in the last 10 years, and have not been satisfied with any of them. All ranging from Pontiac to Toyota. The Mercury is the first car that I can actually say, I love this car! I am very picky when it comes cars, and this car exceeds my expectations! I know it will keep me happy for many years. I would recommend this car to anyone! It handles great at all speeds, smooth & quiet, and very quick to respond. With the V6,you get power quickly & quietly! I have to say Fords quality is back!

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  EXCELLENT CAR - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By U-SAVE - October 19 - 2:00 am

  EXCELLENT VEHICLE COMFORTABLE NICE LOOKING BUILT FEATURES GREAT SEATING EXCELLENT MUSIC SOUND GREAT BACK SEAT COMFORTABLE FOR SMALL AND LARGE PEOPLE RATES WITH THE FOREIGN CARS VERY WELL IF NOT BETTER

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  Grand Marquis - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Kert Bradford - October 19 - 2:00 am

  The Grand Marquis is surprisingly stingy on gasoline while providing remarkable V8 power for any driving experience. Comfort, safety and handling are all a plus and I consider the Grand Marquis one of the best values for the dollar.

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  Mercury Milan - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Denise - October 11 - 9:16 am

  Love this car.Owned a Lincoln,& Grand Marquis,cant compare for fun and sport.Also had Mustangs,this is as much a car as the Mustangs with a better price tag.Its about time Mercury came out with a nice sporty good looking car.Really loving the gas mileage!I bought this carfor myself,however my husband is always driving it. It has more room inside than it looks,very,very happy with this car.I hope Mercury continues to design attractive sporty cars.The grill looks like the car is growling,and it does on the highways.But,I may be sticking with this baby.

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  Used Low Mileage Rental Fleet Auction - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Mark - October 8 - 6:36 pm

  Very good purchase, stylish, comfotable well built SUV. Test drove first thing in the morning after 2" sleet & Ice storm. We went to a parking lot drive with a 10% uphill grade, stopped and accelerated with no wheel slip, turned around came back down. Traction control, ABS & stability controls are great. This is not our first 4WD but this one impresses me. Mariner is appointed much better than Escape in my opinion and with identicle drive trains more bang for the buck is always better. Ice Blue exterior W/satin grill looks and blends well together. Enough said; Go out and get one.

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  Solid - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By don o - October 8 - 10:00 am

  Great all around SUV. A lot of car for the $ and great room. The gas milage on the V8 is not so good. Outstanding sound system

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  So far no probs....... - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Tamcam85 - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Purchased in Oct 02, b-day gift to myself(gift that keeps on taking haha). I am paying $350/month-mostly due to my own poor credit, I will be paying like $20k by the end of my 5/yr loan-(I hope it stays worth it for that long). It hasnt given me any probs so far. I dont use the cupholders. In fact, I dont allow drinking/smoking in my car-so the faulty holders are not an issue for me. Going through a bad winter up here in the northeast has caused some interior noise issues while driving over the bumpy terrain-I can only hope warmth will tighten it back up. Everyone that sees my car loves it. No issues with the remote door/trunk lock, or the stereo.

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  LOVE IT!!!!! - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By DEBBY EGOLF - October 5 - 3:30 am

  IVE HAD MINE FOR 2 YEARS AND PICKED IT OVER THE EXPEDITION - GLAD I DID. I WILL TRADE FOR A NEW ONE IF THIS ONE EVER WEARS OUT. BEST CAR IVE HAD IN 35 YEARS!

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  Love this Mariner Hybrid! - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By b hughes - October 5 - 12:53 am

  I did quite a bit of research before buying a new vehicle. I drove them all from Honda, Toyota, Kia, Saturn, Hundai, Dodge, Chevy and the Ford Escape Hybrid. It drives nicely and is very comfortable. I like the exterior and interior design. So far, so good! I give it a ten!

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  Milan is better than Accord and Camry - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By ALAN HEBERT - October 4 - 4:00 am

  This is my 2nd Milan Premier (the previous being a V6). I opted for the I4 and am extremely impressed with the 175 HP. This is a great car for the money. I test drove Accord and Camry. America, we have a winner. This car is extremely well appointed. The Tuxedo Black Metallic paint is paired with the standard Camel leather interior. I love the 9 speaker Sony sound system. The MicroSoft Sync is awesome. I am able to listed to my music via an Ipod or thumbdrive (via the USB port). The Milan is very driver friendly.