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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  Best Mariner Hybrid - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By HappyHybridOwnr - February 25 - 8:16 am

  I had the Mariner for 16 months now. Excellent vehicle to drive. Averaging 31+ MPG mixed mode driving. Great vehicle with a very Roomy interior. I enjoy trying to get the best gas mileage. Traded in a GMC Safari (17+ MPG) saving lots of gas $.

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  Grand Marquis part II - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By LandVessel99 - February 25 - 5:03 am

  After having my 1994 wrecked I found this one in Florida. After many miles the only major thing I had to replace was the intake which spewed antifreeze into the oil & caused it to run rough. Original mufflers lasted 10 years & pipes are original. Great mileage (people always say to me it is a gas guzzler when it gets the same mileage as their V6 foreign cars!) and put performance chip along with K & N filter on myself.

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  Everything I Expected and More! - 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By PAlea - February 24 - 3:23 am

  Switching from a 5.0L Explorer to the Mariner Hybrid has been a boom to my budget. Ive gone from 14 to 30.5 mpg, more than double! I was filling the Explorer 2.5 per week for $150 and now Im filling every 6 days for $42. The Mariner almost pays for itself! Both my children are learning to drive and they also prefer the Mariner. Its fun to drive, agile, accelerates like a V8, and comfortable. Plenty of room for five adults. I still use the Explorer for hauling large loads or hunting with my retriever, but the Mariner is my first choice.

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  I love my Cougar! - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By Simone - February 22 - 9:56 pm

  This is my second Cougar, ordered the 1999 sight unseen & was so happy with it that I leased the 2001. Then the lease expired & Mercury stopped making these so I BOUGHT it & have not been sorry a day. Excellent performance, have only had to replace tires, nothing else. Wish Ford would bring them back, so sporty & sharp looking!

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  1996 Grand Marquis, great car - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By donguy - February 22 - 10:00 am

  This is the best vehicle I have ever owned. 204,000 miles and I still have the original transmission, water pump, alternator, air conditioner, fuel pump, no engine work and only 3 sets of tires. I still get 26 mpg on the highway. A really great car. The only complaint I have had was that the intake manifold broke at 170000 miles. It was made out of plastic. It was replaced with a revised model. Ford should have performed a recall on this.

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  Muscle is back - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By chapel1 - February 20 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive,awsome highway performance and really cool looking polished 18" wheels.Has a really nice stance with the higher profile rear tires.Draws looks from young and old and even lots attention from SS Impala fans.Hope Mercury can keep this car going for years.Im impressed for Mercs first attempt in years at a performance 4-Dr automoble.

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  Kids call it my GEEZER - 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By WAM - February 17 - 3:50 pm

  Love my Ultimate got T-boned in a 2005 walked away unharmed cant say same for guy who ran red light. Safety and a good large American car built with good steel kept me in good shape. Went next day to same dealer and he put me in a 2006 for my insurance check. Recommend business with Rich Morton of Annapolis any day. Car is comfortable for a big guy like me at 260lbs and my wife at 115lbs and at my age in sales I dont need to impress anyone with wasteful spending.

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  Legal Car Theft - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Patrick McCarthy - February 16 - 10:10 am

  An American icon. V8 with outstanding mileage and comfort. Quiet and good handling. On the way home from the dealer, it was getting over 26 mpg! Should get 30+ mpg with a K/N+Flowmaster+Mobil One. American V8 performance! I feel like my Father in the 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s always big Mercs. MSRP $26190 + dealer added deep tint glass. GS w/Drivers Conf.Grp. We stole our Norsea Blue one for under $17900! Compared to other cars. So much for so little! Highest 5 star safty! Thousands less than noisy tiny small 4cyl cars at 26 mpg? Gorgeous, classy, safe. Drive one, steal one, we did, its legal! Thanks Dad, Im proud this Mercury reminds me of you. Miss you!......Your Son

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  Buy it! - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Pj - February 16 - 10:00 am

  The strong point is the ride. I tried a number of high end SUVs and bought this one because of its superior ride. Very stylish for a SUV with comfortable front seats.

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  2007 Milan I4 Auto - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By scwalburn - February 16 - 1:30 am

  What a pleasant surprise. Roomy, even for me at 65". Feels like a much bigger car. Quiet and responsive, smooth shifting and all for $18,000. Way to go Ford!