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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  2nd Time Around - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Grand Marquis Fan - March 5 - 2:00 am

  We had a 1996 Grand Marquis that we just gave to our son so I shopped around for a replacement and found myself back at the Mercury dealer. I was quite pleased with my first one: a safe and reliable car which I can entrust to my teenage driver when Im willing to share. After 116,000 miles in 6 years, it only needed brakes, tires and minor adjustments. Love the 2003 as well and it has even more convenient features than the 96.

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  Style & Comfort - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By turnerjim77 - March 5 - 1:56 am

  Great long trip comfort ride with respectable gas mileage, especially for full sized vehicle. Second such vehicle I have purchased, as 96 was totalled by red light-running fool. Was struck at 50 mph and both I and passenger came out of it OK. Believe me when I say I feel pretty darn safe in this car! Great style, comfort, safety and decent economy in full sized ride.

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  Best New Car Ever - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By pfoxcroft - March 2 - 1:33 pm

  I have owned Mercedes, Bmw, Acura etc. This is the best vehicle I have bought. No problems .Extremely quiet. Magnificent transmission. 21 mpg at 70 mph.Loaded with features . American cars are back. Why pay more for a funny looking more expensive smaller import? Have you driven a ford lately? Do your self a favor.

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  Excellent vehicle for the american road - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Phillie Dee - February 28 - 2:00 am

  In simply two words the car is "Bullet proof". Purchased used with 56K, drove it 90K on one set of tires with no need for wheel alignments and tire rotation. Acceleration is excellent and its quiet, roomy and comfortable. Now at 183K miles it looks and runs like a new car. You would never know that it has high miles on it. I average 21.9 MPG in combo driving and it can take a beating, being driven 100 miles every day to commute. Recently took it on a road trip 3000 miles in 4 days and it ran flawlessly at around 26.5 MPG.

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  Great Ride: Mercury for Touring - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By POSTBOSS - February 21 - 9:20 am

  This is my first Mercury. We love this large sedan. Ride is smooth and quiet. All our passengers rave on the comfort and great ride. Accessories are positioned for easy access. My wife is very short and enjoys the adjustable brake pedal. Our next ride will be another Grand Marquis.

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  2009 Mariner Hybrid AWD - 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By VR - February 20 - 3:00 pm

  Ive had this for over a month now and am getting great mpg for this sized SUV. Mixed driving, getting over 31 freeway driving at 78mph, getting over 27. The navigation/audio/info system is oustanding. Ive just started loading my music into the 10 gig hard drive - no more cds or tapes to take up space. I also used a thumb drive in the usb port to play music, this also worked flawlessly. I look forward to getting a bluetooth cell phone and linking that to the sync system. There was enough space for 3 adults and two 60 pound dogs and all our luggage to drive on an 8 hour one way trip comfortably.

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  Mountaineer Fan - 1999 Mercury Mountaineer
  By D Webb - February 19 - 3:40 pm

  I have owned this vehicle for over five years and it is one of the best cars I have ever had. The worse problem was a noisy alternator. Other than that just the normal brake, battery, and such replacements have been required. I would buy another except for the gas mileage issue and somewhat harsh ride quality.

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Keri - February 7 - 11:23 pm

  I traded in a 2005 Pontiac G6 for my Milan. Within a week I knew that I had bought the right car. I had test drove a Ford Fusion, Chrylser 300, Dodge Avenger, Dodage Charger, Hyundai Sonota and a Chrysler Sebring and nothing could compare to my Mercury Milan. The audiophile sound system is great. I love the jack for my MP3. Leather seats are so comfortable and I like the power driver seat. It has a a rich looking interior. Gas mileage is fabulous. I would purchase again!

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  Sable, 2004 - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By jerry6014 - February 5 - 2:00 am

  Well made car, fun to drive.

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  Mercury builds a winner! - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By Variseal - February 5 - 2:00 am

  Bought an LS premium with the Duratec 24V V6. The engine makes a nice subdued growl at full throttle and pulls strongly at all speeds, right up to a governed 110 MPH. Handling is above average for a large sedan but the ride is much more forgiving than the Regal/Grand Prix/Impala from GM. Interior is functional, user-friendly and comfortable, if not the most attractive Ive seen. The adjustable pedals are great for my 5 2" wife and I can easily find a good position for my 6 2" frame with plenty of head room. The Mach audio system has good sound and the 6-disc changer in the console is a nice touch. Heater/AC works great.