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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  Safe, Comfortable, and Reliable - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By pcastoldi - March 13 - 5:16 pm

  I absolutely love my Grand Marquis and all of the features that it has to offer. Since I purchased this vehicle used, I got an excellent deal on it and with it a decent bundle of features that make this car a real joy to drive around with. I purchased it with over 63,000 miles on it and I now have over 74,000 miles. The seats are very comfortable; the trunk is carnivorous - one of the largest in the North American market; the ride is smooth; and the engine has plenty of power to cruise along the highway or pass any vehicles in your way. Combine this with its extreme reliability (I have not needed to do anything other than standard maintenance) and you have a winning combination! I love it!

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  Love It - 2007 Mercury Montego
  By T. Pacoe - March 9 - 12:00 am

  I love my new car. It drives wonderfully. Nice and roomy inside, but doesnt appear too big from the outside.

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  1999 Gran Marquis - A Great Ride! - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Dave C - March 7 - 10:56 pm

  I have had this car since it was new. The ONLY things I have done to it are tires, belts, hoses at regular intervals and a new battery. I have had gas mileage as high as 29.8 MPG at turnpike speed of 80 MPH. Dependability, great gas mileage and a luxury ride! I have bought another one! Consumers Reports Magazine rates the 1999 as a Best Buy used car. I agree.

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  Mercury Mountaineer - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By LJT - March 7 - 10:00 am

  Just bought the car and so far love it.. put almost 2000 miles on it the first week on a trip. Traveled with 3 other passengers and we all felt comfy. Third row seating is a plus for those times I need to pack more kids in, but dont put a big adult back there. Hidden storage in second row seating was nice discovery. As a former mini van mama, I find this car easy to get into with the running boards and easy to drive.

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  What a great car! - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Robert - March 5 - 3:13 am

  I bought this car in May of 2006 for my wife, Being 22 years old I was ify about buying whats classified as an elderly persons car, but it is great. It had 51,000 miles on it when we bought it and within 2 weeks of owning it we went on a trip from souther florida (home) to Vermont to visit family. With gas at about $3 a gallon it only cost us about $200 to drive from florida to Vermont. It was extremely comfortable and we were albe to fit everything in the trunk! In the trunk we had 3 medium suitcases, 2 large suitcases, 4 fishing poles, 3 tacle boxes, 6 person tent, 2 sleeping bags, playpen and stoller. The Drive was comfortable and Id recommend this car to anyone, simply awesome!

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  Fun small SUV! - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Steven Baily - March 2 - 6:56 am

  This vehicle replaces a four door sedan we used to have, with kids on the way it was time for a small SUV. We looked at many others and felt the Mercury fit the bill with its smooth styling and wealth of features. We liked the rainge of options including the AWD with the powerful V6. The acceleration is wonderfully smooth and totally unexpected from this SUV, everytime I drive this vehicle I am totally blown away! I only bought the car on Saturday and weve already put 1,000 miles on it!

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  No Regrets - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By BGustoff - March 1 - 2:10 pm

  I upgraded to SUV to accommodate third child, drive in winter on hills & use for outdoor activities. I have been pleased with the purchase. Seems solid and reliable. Only minor issues so far (rear wiper stopped working twice & digital display on radio goes crazy now and then). My gas mileage is lower than expected based upon other reviews, but I drive a lot of short distances with a lot of steep hills. I get about 10-12 in town, 18-20 on highway. But I did not expect much more from a V8 AWD. Other features are great and I have been generally quite pleased with the purchase.

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  Quality Minivan-fun to own - 2005 Mercury Monterey
  By Bill1437 - February 25 - 4:43 pm

  My 2nd mini-van; very functional and fun to drive. 2 minor complaints; storage bins not deep enough, lift gate light not automatic. Use the folding 3rd row seat several times a week. DVD player great when having children on a trip. Sorry they stopped making them.

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  Why buy anything else - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Bob Mac - February 23 - 2:00 am

  This is the second Grand Marquis I have owned in the last three years and I am amazed that everyone doesnt drive one. I have found the cars to be the best value on the highway today. With Mobil 1 in the crankcase the engine performs flawlessly producing approximately 19 MPG in town driving and 24 Highway. I am a REALTOR and have spent $0 in repairs and at 63" I am able to transport 5 other adults around in relative comfort. Please do not Europianize this American Icon. I have no need for an uncomfortable sedan that has a skidpad rating of .9.

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  great value - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By reeac - February 23 - 2:00 am

  You cant go wrong for the money.