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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  AN OUTSTANDING CAR - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By RT CROWLEY - May 28 - 10:00 am

  NEEDS LARGER GAS TANK

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  Safe - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By 99 Merc - May 26 - 2:33 am

  Bought "my baby" new in 1999. Still not a scratch on her. Waxed many times and looks better than new. For long distance driving, this is the way to go. Smooth and quiet, and so safe. Riding in other cars now,feels so choppy and harsh. Great to get back into my Grand Marquis. Will never buy a smaller jolty car again.

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  Proof in the Pudding - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Jim Wells - May 23 - 7:06 pm

  I finally got to take a 3000-mile drive through Wa, Idaho, Montana and Oregon with my 2005 Premier AWD. This is a great long-trip car in the Ford tradition. Comfort and 27-mpg over every type of rural and urban terrain with the CVT tranny. The Duratec V-6 performed more than adequately throughout the trip. Its a little slow at the get-go, but is fine at higher speeds, so dont be put off by hot rod auto magazine editors. A very civilized car with great content, quality and comfort for the money. Nothing so wrong with "modern maturity" as one reviewer wrote.

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  Great Mountaineer! - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By bob341 - May 23 - 10:00 am

  I have had this mountaineer for over 2 years now and never had a problem! i just love the exterior design! Great car recommended to anyone!

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  My Comments - 2005 Mercury Sable
  By a. cOLARUSSO - May 23 - 10:00 am

  Very pleased with the all around performance. A great ride for a mid size car !

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  Actually a Great Car - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By Mike OMeara - May 23 - 10:00 am

  The Sable LS with the 24-valve engine is a great performing car. I have the leather, power package and CD and basically this package provides you with just the right amenities without overkill. This is my second Sable, and the last one I drove 152,000 with no problem, then let my teenage daughter have it. The 200 hp 24-valve engine is a solid performer, but I wouldnt mind seeing a more powerful engine as a future option -- somthing like the 260 hp offered in the Lincoln LS. Overall a real solid performer.

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  Cougar XR7 - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By joe heineken - May 23 - 1:43 am

  Best car Ive owned out of four new cars. Nice looking, big, powerful, dependable. Great gas mileage on highway, on way to Ohio, only filled up once in Indianapolis. Not good on gas in town however. Had a few trim problems that were fixed by dealer. Now need work after 127,000 mi, but still runs great.

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  The name says it all GRAND MARQUIS - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Laura - May 21 - 11:50 pm

  This car is absolutely fabulous it rides awsome smooth as silk and quiet as they come its like riding on a cloud compared to my 01 Avalon which i traded in on this this Mercury is the best i love it the engine has great pick up it can it to 85 in about 8.5 seconds when you really floor it and i like the way when you floor it pushes you back in the seat and speaking about seats the are extra large and as comfortable as a pillow on this car is great on long trips and i love the overhead console and lights in the back seat they come in handy when you have passengers who like to read on long trips at night and i love that beautiful wood grain and chrome door handles they look great....

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  So Far So Good - Part III - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By 04SableDriver - May 21 - 9:16 am

  Nearly 12,000 miles and still rolling along! Not much new to report with my Merc, save for what I think will be usual (and on-going) praise and dismay. To the former; a spacious and comfortable interior, smooth ride (whether city or highway), and myriad amenities for the buck. To counter; (relatively) poor gas mileage (no more than 21 mpg overall), a dysfunctional starter "repaired" now twice in 11 months, and a generally unrefined feel throughout (poor interior fittings, rough idlying/revvving motor, random creaks, etc). Sables are no longer constructed as new, yet still abundant as wholly reasonable "pre-owned" buys. Despite stated shortcomings do I recommend the ol Merc? You bet!

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  GREAT CAR!!!! - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By phil m - May 21 - 8:03 am

  This is my second Mercury Sable. Both have been very reliable. Howevwer the 2008 is far more comfortable and luxurious than the 2005 I replaced. High seating, great visibility, huge back seat and trunk make this a perfect family car. I also own a Lincoln Town Car, but the Sable is the preferred car for trips. Build quality is excellent. I would highly recommend the car to anyone of any age. You will not be sorry if you buy one.