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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  Montaineer 2006 SUV - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Lou Gayoso - August 3 - 5:30 am

  Love this SUV, which is my first SUV vehicle. I have been a passenger in several luxurious suv;s. this one is special, Mercury has a winnier competing against foriengn suvs; I have driven this suv on highways and city traffic, both of these esperiences were wonderful comfortable rides. I love the handling, especially, the six cylinder which has enough power and gas savings for my taste. Although, gas is an issue these days, the Mountaineeer you can live with and its reults of gas mileage - remember you are driving a truck - that is certainly a surpise and im pleased that i own a Mercury Mountaineer. Linclon vehicles are luxurious an American product you can be proud of. Buy One!!

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  great veh. except beware - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By boogieman - July 29 - 2:00 am

  everything is perfect except the starter motor. at 60,000 i have had to replace the starter motor twice.

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  Safe, Secure & Comfortable - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By DMStickling - July 28 - 5:23 am

  I had a 1985 Grand Marquis LS and it was great until a 16 year old drunk driver smashed into the drivers side at over 50 mph. The car was totaled, my life was saved. I now own a 2002 Grand Marquis LS Ultimate, purchased new, and I couldnt be more satisfied with an auto. Gas mileage in town is 21 and on the hwy its 26, great for a huge engine like the Grand Marquis sports. I feel so safe and comfortable in this car. I just wish the newer models had the same comfortable headrests that my 2002 has in place. I have 90,000 miles on the odometer and the car still drives like it did when it was brand new...still looks great too! A tremendous car for the money!!

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  Great ride! - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By efonte - July 27 - 7:23 pm

  I havent had it long, but I love the vehicle. Im averaging about 30.5 mpg on mixed driving. Acceleration, has plenty of power and the ride is very smooth.

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  Love my car - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By artg1954 - July 27 - 4:31 pm

  I just bought this car its a 2004 and only had 53400 for miles. The car looks and drives like new and should it was a one owner bought in Florida and came here to new England in 2010. I have worked with cars all my life and this is one of the best to own.

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  Full size luxury, handling, performance. - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Don - July 22 - 5:23 pm

  Grand Marquis LSE, more rare than originally thought. Ever see a grandpa car with buckets, floor shift, dual exhaust, front & rear stabilizer bars, six shocks, 3:27 selectable positraction or standard rear wheel drive, power assit rack & pinion steering, 4 wheel ABS with power assist disc brakes, 25mpg that looks good, fun to drive, 5 star crash safety ratings, leather, power, cheap full coverage insurance and will seat five adults and room for luggage galore in the trunk. This vehicle was bought new, now has over 50,000 miles on it and Ive had great reliability from it. No regrets, only wish Mercury would bring them back again.

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  Quality - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By MD - July 18 - 2:06 pm

  Comfortable to drive and ride in. Lots of room for luggage and passengers. A really good car for everyone seeking safety, economy, comfort and dependability. I have owned several town cars and this car is equal or better than the town car. The size is perfect for driving and parking in heavy traffic and mall parking lots. I can not understand why mercury has not promoted this car the way it deserves. I will recommend this car to anyone.

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  good value and reliability - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By thomas - July 18 - 2:26 am

  I am a used car dealer with access to all types of suvs and I like the way the escape and tribute look and perform. I choose the mariner because of the upscale style and it had more options available. I bought a fully loaded premier with every option and drove it out for 25k. It had a msrp of 29k so I felt the value was there. The mileage has improved to about 21mpg average for the v-6. It feels very peppy and fun to drive. So far, nothing has broke or not performed as designed. Nice stereo, great style, pretty leather, great seat heaters even though here in Texas, the ac is more important! Now i am waiting to see if the resale value even gets close to my acura tl.

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  Easy Driver - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Rick D - July 15 - 9:13 pm

  This car is easy to own and drive. Minimal pit stops required for both gas and service. Happy with our decision to buy this one. Comfortable, fun and ease of getting in and out. ust the right size.

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  Mercury Milan...who knew it was so good? - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Bill - July 11 - 7:13 pm

  This car was a real surprise to me. I thought I might lease an MKZ. I drove the MKZ and was impressed. Then I drove the Milan! What a difference! The Milan is a better car for the money. Its equipped with a audiophile system, moonroof, heated seats. All for under 26k. The price point beats Honda and Toyota all to heck!