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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  Excellent SUV - 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By cedar70726 - November 30 - 4:23 pm

  This car features extremely nimble handling. This is strengthened by strong low-end torque provided by the electric motor. For a small SUV interior space is surprisingly large. Seems well made with a rigid body structure that makes it feel very safe. Excellent visiblity in every direction. Hybrid components work flawlessly together.When willing to drive the speed limit (city or highway) I consistenly get around 30 mpg. Very careful driving will do even better in town. Unfortunately the car invites a heavy foot which drops the mileage to 25 or less. Still this is way better than our 05 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

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  Great van - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By baseballmom - November 30 - 2:00 am

  Bought this van in 98 with 54,000 miles it has been very reliable. It now has 126,000! Very few repairs have been needed. I dont like the cup holders though!

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  Great Marquis - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By John Lunn - November 27 - 3:48 pm

  This is my third Grand Marquis in a row, and Im trying to get another before the 2011 model, the last. Im truly sorry this model has been discontinued.

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  Lovin it - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By milaning - November 25 - 9:40 am

  This car is by far one of the BEST values in the mid-size car segment. Forget Honda Forget Toyota!!! nice cars but WAY over rated. I drove the new accord (had a 00 accord ex) and the 06 Toyota. Great point A to B cars but if you want to LOVE being in the drivers seat you have to test drive this car!!! If you do, I bet you will buy it!!!

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  Too Much Hype - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By jAcK nAPIER - November 25 - 1:46 am

  When I test drove the Milan, the dealership did not have a model I wanted; AWD w/ a moonroof. When I got my car, I noticed that the moonroof cost me 4” of head room. Consequently I hit my head on every little bump. The design of the back window is poor. You can not tell where the end of the car is and you can not see 3-5feet beyond the back bumper. God help any of you who have children or pets around when you are driving in reverse. You would think that engineering would see this risk a mile away. I hope pregnant women or people who can not stand strong fumes do not buy this car. The plastic they use in the car is still giving me a sore throat. Steering is loose at highway speed

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  Made on a Monday - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By Poppa Bear - November 24 - 2:00 am

  We decided to spend a little more and get a higher quality mini-van. Unfortunately, this particular one must have been assembled on a hangover Monday morning. We had oil leaks, coolant leaks, power steering leaks, two blower motors, and the rear AC/heater went out. On its good days, it ran well on the highway. Nice ride and easy to handle, and back seats that kept fussy kids apart.

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  Pretty Good a 140k - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Viper Guy - November 23 - 10:20 pm

  Yes, Ive had problems, but overall its been good. The transmission was an issue, as is common. Mine went out at around 60k miles. The bill was about $2k, but Ford covered all but $500 and gave me extended coverage of the entire drive train to 100k miles. Okay, so my rear axle started leaking and i had to repair the clutches and bearings just recently. Also, I had to replace the front bearings last year. At over 100k miles, Im not sure what people expect. It doesnt bother me that those problems came up at that point. I also had a couple of oil leaks. The paint is still in great shape, as well as the interior, the AC is cold as ever, engine runs great. It looks as good as new SUVs.

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  Last of a dying breed - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By ionosphere - November 23 - 8:13 am

  Ive had my car for 6 months now and I love it. Others can complain that this car is old fashioned, but Ill take this car anyday over any Honda, Toyota, etc. The front bench type seat leaves this big fella with terrific legroom unmatched in other cars. The trunk is great, with the trunk organizer and all the space. Okay, so its not the greatest in handling around sharp turns and staying in lane. Big deal; Im not going to race it.

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  A Great Car for the Money - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Brian Wilson - November 22 - 8:36 pm

  Performs very well. My only complaint is that it didnt come with a retractable antenna as an option. I guess if thats my only complaint, it must be a good car!

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  Lots of Mileage - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Sailor - November 19 - 9:53 am

  I have had my Milan for 9 months and have put on 37,000 miles. No problems but even the dealer does not have brake pads in stock yet. The lumbar in the drivers seat broke but other than that, I love the car and will be trading her in for another in a year or so.