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 Value - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Great Value - February 23 - 5:13 am

  Shopped Honda Pilots, Toyota Highlanders, Toyota 4Runners, Ford Explorers, Subarus, and some of the smaller SUVs as well (Rav4/Mariner/Escape/CRV). Finally came across the Mercury Mountaineer. Really liked the exterior styling of the Mountaineer over the Explorer and it seemed to offer more standard features. Compared to the Honda/Toyota counterparts, the Mountaineer offered far more for the money (about a $6k - 8k difference for the Honda/Toyota equivalent). Really like the smaller SUVs but was able to pick up the larger Mountaineer for about $1k - 2k more. Once again, a great overall value. Gas mileage is on par for a SUV of this size.

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  200k miles easy! - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Feralcat - February 21 - 2:20 am

  This vehicle was passed onto me from my parents when I went back to school, and it has been the most reliable that I have ever owned. Comfortable leather seats, awesome stock stereo, moonroof, and some serious balls on the road. About to hit 200k miles with nothing but basic maintenance. Unfortunately a cross-country move made it angry and the transfer case is has gone bad, but its still drivable, just getting a lot of clunking from the chain connecting the AWD. The back bumper rusted out from the MI winters but other than that this truck still runs like a champ.

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  Shame on Ford Motor Company - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By budgie - February 20 - 1:50 pm

  I bought this car used for my daughter for college. It was fun to drive, sporty and she loved it. Two years later while on an internship 1500 miles away from home in Texas it stopped working. What a dissapointment! It started with a bad alternator, one month and three alternators later, we traded the car in at a significant loss. No one could fix it, not even experts in automotive electrical systems. Dont buy this car, and if you have one, trade it before you experience this problem; it is a safety issue. Bottom line, last Ford product I ever buy, too bad, I love the new Shelby Mustang!

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  Reliable if not exciting - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Keith - February 20 - 9:30 am

  We have had eight Grand Marquis since the mid-eighties. I can honestly say that they have served us well with most of them getting 120000 before trading. Our current 2005 has 140000 with minimal problems, electrical control module and catylic converter. We get 22 mpg on two lane roads and up to 27 on long trips.This is not a flashy car but it is comfortable and reliable.

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  Great car! - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By JRW - February 18 - 2:00 am

  Although this is a large vehicle, it handles nimbly. Acceleration and passing are spritely. The transmission shifts crisply. The engine is powerful, yet very smooth. The engine develops substantial torque at low engine speeds - making acceleration seem effortless. The Alpine sound system is very good. I really like this car!

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  ITS AN OK CAR, WEVE HAD BETTER - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By T MILLER - February 18 - 2:00 am

  WE HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR 13 MONTHS. ITS AN OK CAR. WE HAVE HAD BETTER.

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  A great family mover ! - 2000 Mercury Villager
  By dnugget - February 13 - 10:00 am

  If youre looking for a best "used" reliable van for the money, consider this and you wont be disappointed. For well under 14K now, you get style and reliability from both American and Japanese automakers. Owning it is just like finally getting that Bose stereo you wanted...at 50% off!

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  One too many repairs - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By Neil B. - February 10 - 9:33 am

  Cool car, but its been more than 20 years since Ive owned a car that so many things have broken or failed. Most are odd and surprising: lower A arms at 70,000 miles, rear axle seal at 80,000, failure of headlights (needed new Light Control Module at $400 just for the part), rusted lower steering column at 104,000. Also, a number of the interior lights (headlight switch indicator, power window buttons, heated seat buttons) no longer work. Vacuum leak in the vent system disables controls. Now it is in shop, likely needing an $800 fuel pump replacement. I love the car but Ive spent $3 or 4 thousand over the last 3 years fixing things that Ive never fixed before in any other car Ive owned.

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  fun but some problems - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By dom - February 8 - 3:16 pm

  Car is ok to drive but some minor problems have come up 1. Sun roof broke and some times leaks from rain 2. Driver side window doesnt always go up 3. Alternator die a year ago. 4. The counter for how many miles you have left is way off its died twice on me when it said it had 23 miles left its ok but I would Rather have a Ford mustang and I will be selling this car

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  Mercury minne van - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Lloyd Staveteig - February 8 - 3:16 am

  This van is very nice to drive but there is more road noise than I expected but operates well both on the road and in town how ever it is at the present time making poor gas milage, they tell me it will get better with more milage, will wait and see on that.