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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  Love the new Merc! - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By saleen #182 - May 2 - 4:36 am

  I love the new Merc. Mountaineer. It is a ceramic white Premier w/every option available. Took it on a 2300 mi. trip, performed great. My family loved the truck & DVD player, kept them entertained & even made a fan out of my "chevy loving" father. The truck gets lots of posotive feedback from almost everyone I meet. I got a really good price on it as well. Overall, very happy with the truck.

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  Best looking design in years - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Harold - May 2 - 3:33 am

  For my money this is the best looking car produced by FLM in years. What captured both my wife and myself was how clean it looks on the inside. I got a Premier with an automatic and loads of options for $22k with a 4 cyl. engine. The ride is very comfortable and quiet. If the price of gas ever comes down I would suggest the 6 cyl. engine as that would provide some needed power but after owning a 6 and getting terrible gas mileage during the summer in San Antonio, A/C season is from March- November, the 4 fits me just fine. Only had the car a week, will return with more info after Ive driven it a few thousand miles.

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  1996 Mecury Cougar - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By 96cougar - April 30 - 2:00 am

  Weve had our cougar coming up on 7 years now, and its been a great vehicle. 108,000 miles and still runs and drives like the day we bought it. The V8 has great power with out screaming muscle car. Handles well, rides nice and is wonderful for long trips. With the traction control and snow tires, we drive it year round in New England.

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  Dons 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By dlpeters - April 30 - 2:00 am

  Great car. Great styling and everything that you get in a Lincoln for $15000 less. Compares most favorably with Buick, Olds, Pontiac and Chrysler. I would buy another with no hesitation.

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  Very Happy - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By scoutyjones - April 29 - 8:56 pm

  I have had this car/suv for 4 weeks and it averages 32+ in mixed driving. If I drive highway miles and it has good accelleration and still average 32+. Not loaded with nav or leather or AWD as we didnt need it. Nice to have but not needed. Car handles very well. Free satellite is welcome but with MP3 link, its not gonna be missed when gone. All new vehicles should have an MP3 connection. Looks great inside and out, fits 3 adults in back seat comfortably and is quiet. Absolutely love the ride and the technology. Kudos to Mercury for producing a solid ride with MPG/environment in mind. Looking to add top notch car mats and cargo tray for 2 large dogs.

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  2005 Mercury Monterey-Simply Wonderful ! - 2005 Mercury Monterey
  By Dobewon - April 28 - 2:43 pm

  Purchased 9/2005 due to Friends/Family Pricing. MSRP over 33,000 but with 6,000 in rebates and Family pricing, came to just over 23,000. With some 10,000 off list, MONTEREY is an EXCEPTIONAL value ! Stable, quiet and smooth rider. Well appointed interior. Wood/chrome trim; dash chrome analog clock a "showpiece". With its long list of standard features, choosing Monterey over Freestar seemed like a "no-brainer"; and compared to Toyota and Honda we saved thousands due to rebates/pricing not to mention just being able to afford a vehicle of this caliber ! This replaced a 2000 Ford Windstar and no comparison to the comfort and "luxury" feel of the Monterey. Really like this one !!

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  The american comeback - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By howard danoff - April 22 - 2:06 am

  What a great car ... The style,the ride,the handling,as well as the comfort,are exceptional,in this price range...Everyone asks... "Is that a new mercedes or lexus or what is that ... That car is so sharp or what a classy looking car...Then they ask how much, and when i tell them they cant beleive it...I would like a bit more power but the v-6 is sufficient but it would be a 10 with 25 or so more horsepower .... Dont underestimate the milan...All it needs is for the american public to see it and drive it...I think it would also help if mercury increased the warranty to at least 4year/50,000 mile warranty or more

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  Excellent car, exceptional value - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By jinx1928 - April 21 - 9:12 pm

  I made the mistake of trading my 2010 Milan for a Jeep not long ago. I rectified that error by trading the Jeep back in for an 09 Milan Premier with the 3.0 V6 and six-speed trans. I dont understand some of these reviews, especially the "expert" ones, which complain about the 09 Milans lack of power and poor fuel mileage. My Milan has outstanding power and mileage, generally around 33 mpg. Like my 10 Milan, it handles and rides like a champ, but it also has more amenities, like heated leather seats and a better sound system. I like the Milan, as well, for its distinctive styling. It is a good deal different from its sister, the Fusion, and over looks like nothing else on the road.

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  So fun to drive and thrifty on gas too!! - 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
  By Wally - April 21 - 2:10 pm

  This is a great car, really feels good and solid to drive. It has good acceleration and firm road handling. So far im getting about 48MPG in light traffic and about 44 with some canyon driving. So impressed with this car it does everything but the dishes....

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  Great car - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By j193079 - April 18 - 10:00 am

  This has been a great car. I have enjoyed everything about it. It has 56,000 miles and has never had to be worked on.