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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  Only one complaint - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Monty - October 24 - 7:26 am

  Overall a roomy comfortable car. Mostly older men buy them, but good for young, big guys too. Lower lumbar support and power seats were great. Smooth ride

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  Magnificent Mid-size - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By falsesmall - October 16 - 3:36 pm

  Bought this car with 100,000 miles on it and couldnt be happier. Runs like new. The Duratec 6 is responsive and quiet. Flawless shifting in all gears. Loaded with luxury and safety features that make this car a steal..leather, alloy wheels, sunroof, traction control, adjustible pedals, heated mirrors, 6 cd mach audio, ABS, side air bags, etc.,etc. If you want to buy American, here is where you do it. Much more for less. Ford did this one right.

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  Very good all around mid size suv - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By 2000MMountain - October 14 - 10:00 am

  I bought this vehicle when my puppy grew out of my car and it is very nice. Hard to find aftermarket parts for except for the fact that most 2000 explorer parts are interchangeable. Drives well, handles well, and good pickup for a heavy suv. It does not absorb bumps like your independent rear suspension luxury suvs but its american built tough truck handling makes for a go anywhere kind of ride. Hit a curb..no biggie, off road..not a problem. OEM tires are kind of crappy. A nice set of Pirelli scorpion A/T and its all good. All in All a 8 in my book.

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  Good Car - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By 631rob1991 - October 13 - 5:16 pm

  Had bought the 96 GM second hand for $400. Great investment. Drove smooth as can be. I enjoyed the spacious interior. The V8 gave it good pep.

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  Great Griswold Wagon - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By r_berkhei - October 13 - 7:47 am

  My brother asked to help him find a reliable family car. This car would have been at the bottom of my list, but he insisted on checking it out. It had 135k, and looked kinda rough (nothing a good detailing couldnt solve). However the test drive, and a little research sold me. Ive driven it quite frequently on long distance trips. The car is an absolute pleasure. It cruses like a Cadillac and I love the sound system and 6-disk changer. There are some obvious electrical problems, and little glitches with power options and I find the climate control confusing when driving. None the less it is a safe, sophisticated family car that I feel absolutely comfortable with my niece riding in.

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  Overall nice car - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By rick - October 12 - 4:53 pm

  Bought new in 02 for wife who is tougher on cars than I am. Only mechanical issue in five years has been rear brakes and coil pack. Its got decent power for a 2.5 litre V6 and still gets around 27mpg. Rear visibility isnt good and took some getting used to and it has a killer blind spot. Turning radius is terrible when youre used to foreign cars, but it handles and rides very well. Seats are comfortable and head and shoulder room are more than adequate for me (6 feet tall, 210 lbs.) The tach has no redline and with the 5 speed stick and the engine being so quiet, thats an issue. Not surprised that Ford made this nice car and almost immediately discontinued it.

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  Looking for another - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By edmunds rules - October 11 - 10:00 am

  We like our villager so much, we are looking for a deal on another. Has 112,000 miles. Engine and trans have had no problems. Has been on 1400 mile (round trip) 4 times. Perfect every time. Side glass rattles were fixed by replacing the hinge on the glass. Most expensive repair was radiator fan. I did learn that most dealer parts can be bought cheaper from Nissan. The fan I mentioned earlier-- Mercury $264 Nissan $179. Getting ready to buy a newer van. After looking at and driving a few, (Chrysler, Chev, Olds, Toy, Hon) we decided another Villager will give us the best "bang for our buck"

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  Love this car - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Schreineri - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Love this car. Absolutely no maintenance other than normal We followed the more stringent maintenance religiously, particularly 30000 and 50000 suggestions. Replaced tires and battery once and always used premium fuel.

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  Nice Kitty - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Rocketman53 - October 7 - 2:00 am

  For you Fast and Furious types, the 2000 Cougar is a much better car than most reviews lead one to think. Yeah, the steering feels a bit heavy, but its a subjective observation. I dont find it objectionable. The power of the 2.5L V-6 is more than adequate, 145 mph top end, while the four wheel disc ABS brakes strong enough to stop you in a hurry. The interior is sleek, and all business. The New Edge look makes the Cougar a real chick magnet. Ford blew it when they discontinued the model line. The prices are a bargain compared to other similar vehicles.

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  Unrealized potential - 2000 Mercury Mystique
  By Another1ofhis - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Noisy engine. Vibrates at 70 mph. Brakes perform below norm. Replace twice w/in 60,000 miles. Irregular acceleration w/entry on expressway. Mechanic reports cracks in chassis that need repair. Knocking on extreme turns of the steering wheel. Interior molding below winshield curled up and getting worse. Same thing w/rubber door trim. Interior lighting shorts in dash, overhead and gear shift.