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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  Five Years - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By chapel1 - May 10 - 1:20 am

  Still as much fun as when I bought it 4 years ago. Best Advice, get a power tune or a chip, Your transmission will shift smoother and your engine will awaken from its factory EPA settings. Big Black and Fast! And still nice enough to take on vacation or out to dinner. You can achieve 23 mpg fully loaded at highway speeds.

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  My two years with my Mercury - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By J. DeMaio - May 7 - 12:00 pm

  This car is the most comfortable and smooth riding car I have ever owned. It has all the bells and whistles and whats more important, it is a very reliable car in all kinds of weather. The trunk is huge and can hold my husbands walker besides groceries. And yes, it is owned by me, an old lady who dives too fast but it only has 24,754 miles as of today.

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  My Mariner - 2007 Mercury Mariner
  By Jamey - May 2 - 4:43 am

  Very sharp SUV! Love the interior design and chrome exterior accents! Smooth ride for an SUV, handles great and peppy when you need it. Leaves a little room for improvement on MPG. I get roughly 300 miles per fill up in the city before im looking for another gas station, give or take 20 miles. Havent tested hwy mpg. Overall, very happy with the Mariner so far.

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  Review of mercury marquis - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Chester McComas - May 1 - 2:00 am

  The car is very reliable, ita the second mercury marquis i have owned.Previously had a 1992 model with almost no trouble except with the power windows. I like the new features of this car, the remote control of the radio and air conditioning from the steering wheel. Its just the best

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  Trading my 2000 for a 2002! - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Misifer - April 29 - 10:00 am

  I bought the 2000 for a steal at the end of the model year and had a few problems right out of warranty, (about 40,000 miles). I needed a new fuel pump but my dealership replaced it as if I had the extended warranty. Im now at 52,000 miles in about 21 months and looking to trade it in for the 2002. No other major problems, just that now the Oxygen Sensor Light is stuck on, but it may be related to this fuel pump thing. I get about 32.6 MPG, love how the interior feels, and how the car handles. I could care less about speed but after about 50 MPH this little cat really moves!

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  Excellent Buy!!! - 2011 Mercury Mariner
  By joenavy1 - April 28 - 5:35 am

  I have to say the braking and maybe MPG are the only things that need improvement. I have the V6 AWD Premier model and it has plenty of power, the comfort is awesome, and it drives better than most cars. For all intents and purposes I LOVE this suv and just wish Mervury was still around because in 8-10 years when I drive this one into the ground I would buy another in a heartbeat!

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  Great Vacation Vehicle - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By John - April 27 - 1:06 pm

  My wife and I bought this vehicle in March 06 with a sign and drive lease deal. We have had no problems at all. We have driven to California and Washington State from Ohio. We had 22 MPG on the highway until we got the the Mountains but overall average 19.5 MPG for the trip. It had good power in the Mountains even as a V6. Kids like the DVD entertainment package however that is the only time we have used it. Excellent vacation vehicle with plenty of storage.

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  Cougar XR Type-S, Cosworth V-6 - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Heather - April 23 - 8:10 am

  While trying to research specs about my car, I never seem to be able to find it. It "doesnt exist" according to almost everyone. Even when I needed a few parts to fix my car the computers at the auto shop didnt have my car on their list and couldnt help me. Why is this? Obviously my car exist or it wouldnt be parked in my driveway. My car is a 2002 Cougar XR Type S. It also has a V-6 cosworth engine in it unlike the base models and it was produced/manufactured by Auto Alliance, not Ford. My car also has the special black paint, hood scoop, spoiler, XR badges on the exterior. The interior has black & red leather seats with the cougar logo and XR logo carpets. Cont. in favorites.

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  Love it, and so does my wife! - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By LaddDez - April 20 - 11:50 pm

  I did a lot of research including Edmunds before buying. Was looking for the hybrid, but decided on the 4 cyl. premier version. The price difference will never be made up in gas cost. Ride is excellent, quality great, and I like the new low roll resistant Michelin tires this year. And I got a good deal in addition to the $1500 rebate. Great comfortable replacement for our Town and Country with plenty of storage space, and the back seats fold absolutely flat. Great for the dog! Buy this car and you will not be sorry.

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  My "Little Lincoln". - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Happy New Car Owner - April 15 - 10:00 am

  I call this car my "Little Lincoln". After enjoying the comfort and features of a Lincoln Town Car for 9 years, I did not think that I could find a car with all of the features of the Lincoln for around $25,000. I have been accustomed to space, comfort, and power when needed and 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis has all of that and more. For safety reasons I have always preferred to drive a big car. I am extremely pleased with the safety ratings on this car, including the addition of traction control and side air bags. Although I have only had this vehicle a few weeks I LOVE IT. It is fun to drive and I feel good in it. And I have received many compliments on my new car!