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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  Member of the Family - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By 4010diesel - January 29 - 9:54 pm

  We have had our Mountaineer since the middle of 2008. We could not be more satisfied. I have utilized every feature and function of this vehicle. Including the roof rack, Class II hitch, AWD, cargo area, child seating, etc., etc. We have 3 children all of which are able to fit in the second row, leaving the rear cargo area available. The stereo is strong, the power is sufficient, the gas mileage is fair for an SUV, it easily tows my boat, powers thru 12" of snow, is smooth on the highway, and is a joy to drive. Although our V-6 is far from a performance engine I find that is provides all the pep I need and is relatively quiet considering the size of the vehicle.

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  best for the Money - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By bystander - January 29 - 2:00 am

  You can buy a better auto but you cant buy a better auto for the same amount of money. Comfortable, smooth, powerful engine and a car design delight for the eyes.

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  No Regrets - 2010 Mercury Mariner
  By ernie - January 28 - 6:43 pm

  Being that dad worked for FORDS, I figured it was time to get rid of the Honda Odyssey and downsize into the Mariner. It is a great vehicle and coming from a minivan I was impressed, I dont feel like I am missing anything. The quality is outstanding, and I simply have no regrets!!

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  I hate this car! - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By brittlya - January 28 - 1:36 am

  I truly hate this car! I am always having some type of problem with this car! Every year since I have had it there has been something that breaks down on it! Its truly ridiculous! I would not recommend this car to ANYONE!! Its the biggest waste of money thats ever been spent!

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  New Purchase Observations - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Ray - January 27 - 5:16 am

  Weve had the Mountaineer a little over a week now and we are very happy with our purchase. I got all the features I wanted: luxury with towing power, but not a huge SUV that is unweildy to handle in city traffic and a problem parking. I particularly liked all the luxury features being "standard" on the Mercury vs. optional equipment on the Ford Explorer. I think I got a great value for the price.

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  Great ride - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By C.Brooks - January 27 - 12:10 am

  Was a little skeptical of anything Mercury, but this car really caught my eye. It has the V-6 which is fine for my family needs, but still has a lot of power. This is a beautiful SUV for sure, was a little put off by the low resale value, but look at it this way, I didnt want a car payment, and to buy a Tahoe with twice the mileage it would have cost the same. Everything works great so far, and I can say this, having owned two S-10 Blazers, a Dodge Grand Caravan, and a Ford Windstar, the Ford products have been better rides, the electrical has certainly held up better, and the cars have seemed all-around sturdier.

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  Ultimate - Not really! - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Ham - January 25 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my Ultimate new in March of 2003. When I picked it up, the fuel gage didnt work right and it took until August to repair this - 3 different times. Then, the instrument panel "flashes" and that has been worked on 6-times now! Still flashes! And, had a sound like I was dragging a tin can. Turns out that the starter wasnt completely disengaging and the starter and flywheel had to be replaced! All this and not a year old and only 7400 miles! What next? I am not a happy camper!

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  Awesome Mountaineer - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Jberezo - January 24 - 10:00 am

  It definitely has a few more options than the Explorer, like an underseat storage area in the second row. So when Ford announced a 2250 cash back rebate, my wife and I went looking. She likes the styling much better, I guess Ford would like that, it was suppose to be designed for women. There were WAY more Mountaineers around than fancy Explorers too, which helped us get exactly what wanted. We got the Premier Edition, which has dual exhaust, satin nickel luggage rack, 17" wheels and tires. She calls me several times a day to tell me how much she loves it. She did NOT want an SUV. She is so surprised at how much she likes it.

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  I love the Cougar!!!! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By acearley - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love this car! Its everything I ever wanted and its affordable!

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  Nice Ride - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By ChipDale - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Very nice to drive, alot of power when you need it. Good on gas when everyday driving.