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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  Much Improved - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Phil from Cleveland - January 28 - 6:26 am

  I leased a 2005 Mercury Mariner and enjoyed the SUV, however it had some shortfalls. Well, after taking delivery of a 2008 Mariner recently, they fixed everything! It is quiet, responsive and the fit and finish is what you expect in a car. This vehicle is as good as any manufacturers product, no matter where it is made. Mercury has a winner in this SUV. If they make all their cars like this good things are in the future for the company.

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  Love It !!!! - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By mckerchie23 - January 24 - 10:00 am

  It is a graet SUV. Many people compare it to the explorer, I had an explorer before my Mountaineer and the Mountaineer hands on is ten time better than the explorer and well worth the extra money

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  Best bang for the buck - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By kirby - January 23 - 3:13 pm

  I decided it was time to get out my SUV and look for a more fuel efficient vehicle. I looked at several makes and models and thought the Milan was the best bang for the $$

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  Excellent value, lots of pep - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By Hedley - January 19 - 8:10 pm

  We have two villagers, a 1995 and a 99, both of which I bought used, and both have been very reliable and inexpensive to maintain. The 99 has 5 times the acceleration of the 95. I also recently began experiencing the sticky gas pedal in the 99. If someone has an easy solution, Id appreciate your sharing it.

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  Best Mercury Van ever! - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By vanlady - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Great to have a van from Mercury again...and they nailed it! It is the most luxurious interior on a van that i have seen!

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  What a great car! - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Shunter - January 17 - 10:00 am

  This is by far the most comfortable car I have driven in a long time. The ride is soft, but not flouncy and it handles wonderfully. I just returned from a 6.5 hour drive and I was not tired after it like I usually would be. Not only that, but I averaged 25.7 mpg over 3 tanks! My mileage on it hit 26.1 once - and on a V8! I should have bought this long ago. My only criticism? The brakes are a little squishy and the AM radio sound is pretty muffled. Ill live with it.

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  A Great Car - 1998 Mercury Sable
  By jendretzky88 - January 15 - 1:13 pm

  Purchased in 2000 w/15,000 miles. Currently has 186,000 miles and still going strong. The parts are cheap and just about anyone can work on it. I do regular maintenance but outside of that I have replaced a coolant tube($100)and tie rods($200) at about 100,000 miles. My rear springs broke at 175,000 miles($600). The under carriage plate was loose at 150,00 and 180,000 miles, but my mechanic just tightened it and its fine. I really cant complain about her. She has had some work done to her but it beats buying a new car and it wasnt a big head ache. It has been a great reliable car. My problem now is that I dont trust to buy a new car and it will be as reliable.

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  montego soars - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By nikhil - January 14 - 12:23 am

  Wow!! this car is amazing. it is built on a Volvo body , and has tenacious all-wheel drive. The interior is like a Benz. If they made this car any better Bmw would be out of the market.

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  Great car, not your cookie cutter mobile - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By markw45 - January 13 - 3:10 pm

  Not too many miles just yet but so far so good. Very unique car. I havent seen another pass me by yet. I have seen the Fusion around though. 2 people I work with prefer it to their new vehicles ( one a chrysler 300 and one a Camry ) Nice leather interior, good dash layout.

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  2nd Mountaineer and better then ever.. - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Frank46 - January 11 - 2:00 am

  You have to drive it to believe it. Quiet at highway speeds, handles very well, plenty of gadgets and things to make this our best Mountaineer yet! We looked at the Aviator .. no match. Explorer .. not quite as well appointed. Mountaineer is THE SUV of choice and will continue with us as the vehicle we prefer. Well done Mercury!