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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  Wow, unbelievable, better than Cam/Accor - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Hated Ford! - March 25 - 12:16 am

  this car is unbelievable, its built quality is amazing and the way it handles in corners is way better than that of the accord. Had toyotas before and besides being very durable and good quiet cars, they are boring. on this Milan there is nothing boring about it, and the sound sistem is great! performances is awesome for a 3.0 and the six speed are feeless, all i can say is i have had the car for 17 days, and its just unbelievable, i can tell when people try to figure out what it is. i recomnd this car wey mlore than a Honda/Toyota!!

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  L/M is back with a high quality car - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By Larry - March 23 - 12:53 am

  I picked up my Milan Premier (V-6 FWD) about two weeks ago and can’t say enough positive things about it. The ride is very controlled and smooth with just the right amount of steering wheel tension. Turning into a parking space is controlled, easy and tight. I got 24.6 MPG on my first tank of about 65% highway travel. Both interior and exterior fit and finish is excellent. The SYNC voice command system is exceptional. All vehicles should have it to make hands free cell calling mandatory. It’s just safer for everyone with your eyes on the road.

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  Best Car and Looks GREAT - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Dedrick Brown - March 21 - 9:43 pm

  I always love big cars because I like to get more for my money. I want buy a small car because they do not ride like the Grand Marquis. This car is the best car and everywhere I go people give me compliments on this car. It is very fancy also with a vinly top. Lincoln Town Car I really like but why should I pay more for the same car and motor. Im a car expert and you are getting your money worth when you buy this car. I also on a Mercedes and a Jeep but they donot ride like the Grand Marquis. I believe every family should at least own one of these cars.

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  2nd Mountaineer - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By nealc - March 21 - 10:00 am

  My wife has the identical vehicle as a 2002 model with no glitches at all (her previous car was a Honda CRV and we were a little wary on domestic vehicle quality). This one is a V-6 and its almost impossible to notice a performance difference. We live in flat Michigan--no real need for extra power. Comfortable, reliable and great in winter. Great safety ratings. Outstanding value.

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  Mercury Marauder - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By James Spradling - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Mercury shouldve continued this rear wheel drive musclecar and added a supercharger to it. Mercurys failure to adequately market this model cost it sales in a serious segment of the performance sedan market. Mercury hasnt had any marketing sense, it seems, for 30 years.

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  My Sable - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By shufford - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I love my new sable, it has lots of power and rides so smoothly. I recommend it to everybody.

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  Fantastic car - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By Gina - March 20 - 12:23 pm

  Bought my Sable used/private with 79000 miles on it 5 years ago. Now has 200000 miles and is not ready to go yet! I have had no major problems with this car! I commute 80 miles daily-car loves the hwy, great mileage. Car now has some issues (fixable) but probably because of age and life. Driving it to the end. Next car will be newer Taurus as cant get the Sable anymore. Cant say enough about this car. Very comfortable and powerful ride. Both interior and exterior is quite sleek. Easy to get parts. Big trunk, lots of leg room, power everything! Highly recommended. Will miss it.

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  Youve gotta drive a Mercury - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By glynn hebert - March 19 - 12:30 am

  Watch out Camry and Accord.....This is a super car; a lot more car for the dollar; lots of standard amenities that are extra charges by the Japanese imports.....Buy American......Mercury, you have a winner!

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  Bought a Cougar Again - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Katherine - March 17 - 2:00 am

  This is my second cougar - many little annoyances in the 1999 model year were fixed in the 2002 (coin slots added, cup holder upgraded, no more plastic grate on front w/ pieces that pop out, CD changer in dash instead of trunk). Its a peppy car, a perfect fit, and has an eye-catching look. Not meant for big/tall people and the back seats are more useful folded down for more trunk space than as seats. Great for people who cant see over the steering wheels in typical mid-sized cars and for those who haul more stuff than people. Can roll down the windows, open the sunroof, and not get blown to bits.

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  Mustang to Milan - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By Mike7 - March 14 - 4:16 pm

  Great car, not as quick as the Mustang but has almost as much horse power as my 92 Mustang. Handles very well, build quality is great, terrific in snow. I dont get the love affair with foreign cars. Ive yet to be in one that surpasses the quality of this car.