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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  08 Mariner Premier - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Tyler - April 3 - 3:53 am

  My new 08 Mercury Mariner is an awesome SUV it has a smooth ride it handles great has plenty of cargo space and to be just a 3.0L V6 it has plenty of get up and go and it runs very quiet and the transmission shifts very smooth and the Exterior looks great i love the design and style and the fit and finish is very good inside and out and to be as small as it is it has plenty of space for you to get comfortable and i love the way all the radio and climate controls are made and i like the display screen at the top of the dash above the a/c vents the interior design looks great i love everything about this SUV i couldnt be happier i really think you should check the Mariner out cause its awesome

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  MercLS - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By sobogo - March 30 - 10:00 am

  Driving is enjoyable, you sit in the seats, not on them. Seat controls and driving controls are all at your fingertips. The ride is very good and cargo space is both accessable and plentiful. Air bag rear suspension seems to give better stability, especially when you are hauling a load.

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  Still Like it -- at the 3yr anniversary - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Ithantech - March 29 - 2:26 pm

  I went into my search expecting to go with one of the Japanese sedans, but quickly found they all have a center console that juts into the leg room of the middle backseat passenger -- so they were eliminated. I bought mine 3 summers ago -- now with the warranty set to expire, I wondered: do I keep it or trade it in? My answer -- keep it, I like it so much. When the Montego crossed my radar, it met or exceeded every criteria -- very roomy interior, good gas mileage (31mpg on a recent hiway trip), trunk that can hold many sets of golf clubs, sun roof, cvt, awd. And the price was very reasonable. I feel a little luxury every time I drive it, and I didnt overpay.

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  The Brown Bomber - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By highman001 - March 29 - 12:43 pm

  Smooth ride and tons of trunk space. Leather interior and good sound system makes this fun to drive. On a cold day it has seat warmers and heats quickly. A/C blows cold and I love the color of Arizona Beige even though I nicknamed it the "Brown Bomber" good pickup and speed

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  I LOVE IT - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By I LOVE IT - March 26 - 10:16 pm

  I love the looks, performance, and the interior options on this car. I have owned imports in the past, and this car beats them hands down. The ride is very smooth, and handles like a dream. I was very surprised of the great engine performance from an AWD.Consumer Report got this car right. Its the best and safest vehicle on the road today

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  Auto Review - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By Lenny L - March 26 - 10:00 am

  With both rear seats down, I find the Cargo space is comparable to 80% of the SUVs on the market. This vehicle is an excellent alternative for someone who needs cargo space but does not want to endure the harsh road handling traits of most SUVs with their poor gas mileage. Excellent performance from its Duratek V6 Engine, lots of passing power. Great road handling ability makes it a pleasure to drive.

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  Great Car - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By dag-1 - March 26 - 10:00 am

  The car has comfortable seats for my bad back, & I like the adjustable foot pedals, they come in handy on long trips. The has good gas mileage on long trips, Traveling betweed Seattle and the Tri-citys the car average 27.4 MRG.

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  None Finer - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By mikemerc - March 26 - 10:00 am

  Our 4th Mercury product since 1967.

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  SUPERB AUTOMOBILE - 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
  By Mike47 - March 26 - 9:00 am

  My wife & I were very hesitant in purchasing an American car, though my Toyota Solara has a greater percentage of parts from the US. This was my first American car since my 1990 Ford Taurus SHO and based on Consumer Reports reliability and Motor Trends nomination for the Fusion & Milan as COY, the Milan has more than exceeded our expectations.....Ford should advertise the Mercury Milan more, since it is a better deal money-wise and options than the Fusion. The car is solid and though we live in the snow-belt the mileage is still very good and the car has performed great these past 10 weeks. Delivery time was nearly 12 weeks but did manage to get the $1,700 Federal Tax Credit for 2009.

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  FUV - Fun and Useful Vehicle - 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By 4peoplefamily - March 25 - 10:20 pm

  We just bought pre-released 2007 MMH. Drove for 120 miles the first two days. Pickup is quick for a 4-cylinder, ~2 ton vehicle. Softer and quieter ride than expected (except going up steep incline at greater than 65 mph - the engine revs rather high to get the needed power). Its a blast to drive trying to stay in EV to get the best economy.