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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  Never Again - 1998 Mercury Mystique
  By shortntall - May 9 - 10:00 am

  I fell in love with the looks of the sporty LS with the alloy wheels and spolier. The V-6 was very peppy and it handled suprisingly well. But my pleasure has not lasted long. My disappointment started off with samll things. First my head lamp brackets cracked. Light in my dash burnt out. My dome light fell out. os2 censor went out. Water pump went out. Cellunoid on the transmission went out. Then the whole transmission went out. The only thing that hasnt went wrong is the muffler bearings and blinker fluid. All this before I reached 100,000 miles. I still love the looks of the car and the performance. But it has cost me a bundle to keep up.

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  Big Cars are back - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By carguy1ok - May 9 - 10:00 am

  I like large, safe powerful vehicles. People are overlooking these American luxury sedans and settling for gussied up compact imports with 1/2 the room. SUVs have outlived their lifespan,fuel and insurance is far too high and one can get as much space, comfort and far better mileage than a suv. I think the Marauder is a great option for a large car with many luxury comforts and true V-8 power.

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  One my best buys ever! - 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Bill from Westlake - May 9 - 10:00 am

  This was my first Ford product purchase and I could not be happier. I have 136000 miles on the car and have had literally no problems. I still have the original exhaust system on the car. I have taken care of the the car exactly by the book with 3000 mile oil changes and regular maintenance per owners manual. I love it. I am considering a new Grand Marquis but hate to part with this one.

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  Great Car for the price. - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Broadus - May 7 - 8:16 pm

  Ive owned many cars. The Mecury Grand Marquis is a great car for the price. Although not a car for everyone, for long distance driving its comfort, speed and handling suits me.

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  Great First Time Car - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By cougar1 - May 7 - 8:40 am

  I am still young and this car was purchased as my first car. it has done very well drives nice and very reliable. on the downside the "sports car" look and the fact that my car is red attracts the police attention.

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  Not So Great, But Not Terrible - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By patrick.168 - May 7 - 8:30 am

  I have had my Cougar for two years now. I am very ready to sell it. The transmission is slipping, the struts are going bad, the passenger window is breaking, its rusting, and the radio is poor. I have had to do quite a few repairs on this car. I have had to get new tires, whole new braking system, new shocks, like a few different, expensive things done to the motor. My service receipt pile is quite large. My car is currently in the shop for a blockage that isnt allowing coolant to get through so its over heating. I have heard worse stories however. I guess maybe mine is just getting old. Its a 99 with 122,222 miles on it and it had been wrecked previously.

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  Disapointed - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Jim D - May 6 - 12:53 pm

  We have a 2003 Crown Victoria that we have loved. We just bought a 2008 Grand Marquis with the new 17 inch wheels and I hate it. The car seems to have a mind of its own when you are on the open highway. This is where the 2003 Crown Vic. is the most fun to drive but the 2008 Grand Marquis wants to drift all over the road. I think the problem may be that the front end is set up for the old 16 inch wheels and with the 17 inch wheels you are getting a wider bite of the road which causes it to want to drift. The high beams are also pretty useless. They do a great job of illuminating signs and trees but dont put much good adding light to the roadway. This may also be a 16" vs 17" setup issue.

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  Not a bad choice dependable comfortable - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By G Man - May 4 - 7:53 pm

  I got this low mileage car with fears of why it was available, but I must say it has really performed. The interior is nice, has lots of extras and the ride itself is smooth. This is a very dependable car and I would recommend it to others. The key is getting one with low mileage and was well maintained. The trunk space is huge, and stereo system very good. The engine and transmission are solid with the exception of the hidden radiator and no way of checking it. Suspension is fine. Not the best on gas however. There are really no complaints here. A good investment.

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  Henry Ford Would Be Proud - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By John Dixson - May 3 - 9:56 pm

  With 1500 miles on this car, I can report that it performs exactly as the sales literature proclaims, and isnt that a rarity. I routinely average 34.8 mpg around town and 31.4 on I-95 here in South Florida. Handling is stable and predictable, cruise control is tight in terms of holding speed, and the nav/audio/energy flow displays work well. Nav system is certainly superior to the nav in our 2006 E-Class Diesel. Only 1500 miles, but zero discrepancies on this vehicle. Delivery quality control was excellent: for example, upon driving the vehicle home, I checked all tire pressures, and each one of the four was exactly 35.5 psi.

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  Yucky steering - 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By WALT - May 1 - 10:00 am

  Totally disappointed in the steering characteristics of this automobile in its present state it certainly isnt intended to be a highway car. Its like a car with a poor caster setting. Requires full-time grip on the steering wheel to ensure a straight ahead track. Perhaps there is an adjustment that can be made but mechanics in my area are unaware.