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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  Grand Marquis - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Ruth Williams - November 25 - 7:33 am

  Driving experience very good. Passengers always comment on how nice it rides. Gas mileage very good. Curve at top of front doors is dangerous, people have had bad knocks.

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  My Mercury Sable Experience - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By Machoii - November 23 - 6:43 pm

  This car has performed beautifully. No major repairs. Required 2 minor repairs during entire ownership, both under warranty. I am not happy with the leather interior, in that one small section on each door had to be replaced, having loosened and came off. Had to have front-end alignment package installed before being aligned. This equipment should be standard.

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  An American Classic - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Nils Klykken - November 23 - 4:50 pm

  Overall rating: Excellent! Great value. Stylish exterior design. The leather seats make the cabin a distinctly comfortable place to enjoy the view. A very quiet ride. The optional air suspension permits the driver to feel the road without having to experience any of its pitfalls. The Lincoln/Mercury dealership network is consumer driven and recognizes the value of customer satisfaction.

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  Great starter car. - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By Enos - November 23 - 10:36 am

  Bought this car new to ride in college and have enjoyed it quite a bit in the 6 years I have owned it. I had a problem with the exhaust within the first year and the part was recalled I think. Since Ford payed for the replacement and I have had no problems since, I am quite satisfied. I find the car to be one of the most comfortable I have ever driven but I am a bit short at 57" 170 pounds. Its definitly not meant for bigger people. The steering radius leaves a little to be desired and if you stick to the factory recomended tires, they can be quite expensive to replace. Those aside, I am very happy with the purchase and recomend it to anyone who isnt under 510" 250 pounds.

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  OVER 164,000 miles & STILL going! - 2002 Mercury Villager
  By john_adams - November 22 - 10:16 am

  I bought a 2002 Mercury Villager with 150,000 miles on it last year. I was amazed at how quiet and smooth it was. This vehicle is clean and runs better than my much newer vehicles of the past. With the high miles, I only paid $2,600 for it. It, now, has over 164,000 miles on it, and still runs super! The gas milage could be a little better, but I still love this mini van!

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  Very Nice - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Shari - November 21 - 7:20 am

  Love the car--bought it brand new in 2007 with only 200 miles on it. Ride is great, kids love the extras. Retractable step bars are great in winter--they dont collect snow.

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  My brand new mariner is a great vehicle - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Amanda Caputo - November 20 - 5:23 pm

  Drives and handles very well mercury did a great job on this suv.I love that everything is in hands reach you dont have to look down to mess with any controls and thats definetly a plus for a mom.

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  Milan - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By displayname - November 19 - 6:13 am

  This car is awesome. I love it. Id recommend it to anyone. The styling turns heads and it looks a lot more expensive than it actually is when it’s rolling down the road.

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  Great Car - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By C Parmelee - November 19 - 6:03 am

  I have had the Montego only a couple of months, however I find this to be one of the best vehicles that I have owned. The ride is comfortable with plenty of storage inside and trunk area. The gas milege is terrific.

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  Great car - 2005 Mercury Sable
  By Soli - November 18 - 10:00 am

  Had a 1996 Mercury Sable with the Vulcan engine and liked the car. Had no trouble with it for over 100,000 miles. Traded for a 2003 Mercury Sable with the Duratech multi-valve 200 HP engine (son not on insurance anymore), and love the additional power. Leather seats and all the bells and whistles. Great car and fun to drive. Have had 0 problems with it. Would recommend highly for a family sedan. Camry too spartan inside and much more money. Avalon compares favoribly but much much more expensive. A definite best buy.