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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  What a surprise!!! - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By FLASTV - December 20 - 12:13 am

  I was looking for space, but not necessarily for an SUV. I had always liked the Ford Escape but was put off by the interior. I checked the Mazda6 wagon and really like it and the Chevy Equinox and hated it. It was kind of weird arriving to my local Lincoln Mercury dealership, it felt like they wouldnt have anything for me. Was a up for a surprise. The minute I test drove the Mariner I know I had to have one. Felt classy and American. You feel intelligent driving this little SUV, especially knowing the price. Feels good, looks good, sounds good. After 1 week the good feeling hasnt faded. I miss things like the stereo controls on the steering wheel, but I love my Mariner a lot

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  Great car, whats with all the haters? - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By duby - December 19 - 2:00 am

  My 2002 Mercury Cougar V6 sport is one of the best looking cars on the road. I cant stand reading all the poor reviews on this car. Whats wrong with it? Its not as fast as a mustang cobra? If you want a fast car, get something else. Its not like the cougar is slow. I can hang with celicas and V6 stangs. PLus, the cougar looks better. What else can you ask for? This is a TREMENDOUS car if youre looking for a sports car for under or around $20,000.

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  Going on 180,000 mi and still going stron - 2000 Mercury Villager
  By Winder - December 17 - 4:00 am

  I have never had a Mercury product, and have been very pleased with it. Got it used in 2005 with 60,000 miles, and it was in like-new shape. I work in Real Estate, so I have put many miles on it, and it has been very reliable and fun to drive, and I have had lots of compliments on the look and comfort of it. I hope I can get another 50K miles on it, but if not, will definitely consider Mercury again. Would like something with a little better mileage, but I still get 29-22 mpg, so thats not bad.

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  One Great SUV - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By jtaylor644 - December 13 - 10:00 am

  A very tight vehicle. Rides great and handles well. The turning radius isnt something I thought I would care about - - until you make a "U" turn, the vehicle turns a very tight circle. I drove a friends V6 Explorer, if youre power hungry, spend the money and get the V8 (robust and very smooth). A little loud on accleration, but hey, its an SUV. This vehicle has plenty of room, the third seat comes in handy for the across town trips (I wouldnt recommend it for long hauls). We purchased the luxury version with power everything, the memory seat are a plus. If youre in the market for mid size SUV, consider this one.

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  jms review - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By billsRockAlot - December 13 - 10:00 am

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  What an improvement ! GES - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By GES - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Just traded in my 1998 Mountaneer V8 AWD, and the improvement in ride and on the road feel is immense. I even notice a slight increase in the interior width of the vehicle.The Body style is a knockout. I do believe that I notice a very slight improvement in Gas mileage over the 1998. It could just be my imagination because I like this one so much better.

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  The Best I Ever Had - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Trevor - December 7 - 6:50 am

  I have owned my Mountaineer for two years and NOT ONCE have I had a problem with it, other than the MACH radio screen going out, and that was quite minor. Mine is the Monterey edition (equivalent to Eddie Bauer edition of the Explorer). It has AMAZING acceleration, and gets decent gas mileage on the hwy, but not so much in the city. I plan to drive mine until the wheels fall off. Ive had a Nissan coupe and a Chevy Blazer, and this is BY FAR the best of the best. Contact me if you want to know anything about it.

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  Love that Cougar - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By shelkatt - November 29 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely love my car!! It is an XR and bright red. It is very fun to drive and in my opinion it is the sharpest looking car around the small town I live in.It is too bad that they are no longer made.

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  Love my Milan - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Sara Youngblood - November 28 - 12:10 pm

  The Milan is a very well-built sedan. It has all the most important features, like power windows, locks, 6 way power seat, remote keyless entry. An excellent radio, mp3, cd and speakers. A tilt/telescopic steering wheel with cruise and volume control. The gas mileage for in town is good. The air conditioning is exceptional. It really keeps the car nice and cool. I really like the message center where you can get information on you oil pressure, doors closed or open, brake fluid, are just a few of the items. Its loads of fun to drive and has more power than I expected for a 4 cylinder engine. Im very very happy with my milan. Also the price for the car is very afforadable.

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  Very Happy Customer - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By Maggie in Arkansas - November 27 - 2:56 am

  Had a Mercury Villager with 100,000 miles and no problems at all. Decided on the Milan and am very pleased with its performance. The Sync is just great, the stereo system awesome, A/C, as on all Lincoln/Mercury products is the best and the coldest! Love the moonroof, heated seats, the leather, the "get up and go" is as good as any vehicle ever. Overall, beats the Camry, Honda,Malibu and all the others in this price range as well as those higher, even some of the Mercedes!Good mileage, great looks and turns heads. What more could you want!