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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  First car - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By FF DGHTR - May 10 - 11:30 pm

  This car has been absolutely great so far. My mother and I were on out way to make a deal on a Ford Fusion and we saw the Milan. We fell in love. It has the same basic design on the inside but the exterior is much more classy. I dont know much about cars seeing as how it is my first but my car enthusiast boyfriend tells me it was a great buy. It picks up fast (V6) and is great for merging on the freeway. Ive had no regrets so far. Everyone is fighting over who gets to drive my car.

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  Bought mine new -now have 145,000 miles - 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By tim - May 10 - 12:50 pm

  Mine has been a great vehicle. The original Eagle GT tires were very rough ride when they got some miles on them . Went to Goodyear assurance tires and improved the ride tremendously. The early depreciation has been made up by the longevity. Also, change transmission fluid and clean fuel system if yours becomes sluggish.

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  I love this car - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By DPJ - May 9 - 2:00 am

  In the three months Ive this car, Ive fallen in love with. Big fast car. Fun to drive, and I feel very safe in it. With everyone driving SUVs, its nice to be in a large car that rips up the pavement. Gas mileage isnt geat, but were talking about a big car.

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  GOODIES - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By JERMALL - May 9 - 2:00 am

  NOTHING TO SAY REALY ITS A GREAT CAR

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  Great All Around Car! - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By Mike - May 7 - 11:33 am

  The Sable (Merc version of the Ford Taurus) has been found to be a safe and reliable full-size, mid-price, passenger car. I bought it as a "first car" for my 17 year old daughter during her senior year in high school. It has ample style and power; plus plenty of room to move a kid into a dorm room 200 miles away. I fully expect it to satisfy her vehicle needs throughout her college years.

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  second to lexus - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By john trommer - May 7 - 4:46 am

  handles well. turn in small space. excellent driver viewing area. wonderful storage space. wife enjoys driving this car which is our runabout town car. our primary car is a lexus 400L. feels sturdy to drive. good pickup.

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  yet another panther!!! - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By S D Mowat - May 4 - 7:30 pm

  This is the best car ford makes period as a self professed car guy( I have a car folder collection from 1965 to present day and a reader of all the car books...r/t, motor trend..automobile..ect...the reliability crash protection..yes including the rear end problem that I had fixed...the police use this car for reliability...I tow a boat at times..plus put a k/n air filter I am getting 28-30 highway and20 in the city real life...it has all the features in a full size plus no blind spots sure not as racy as the 300 but I would rather have a product that is job 1!!! Vast leaps in quality from the 85,92,99,and this one Buy one a yr old let someone else pay full retail!!

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  Happy - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By hankp - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Good ride and great power. Needs a little more leg room for third person in the front seat.

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  third suv - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By BRENDA SAVGE - May 3 - 10:10 am

  we went looking for another suv- had an explorer- traded in for expedition- which saved my life in a rollover on ice-- bought another expedition- and now we wher in of a second car/suv- in looking around at other models- we settled on the marnier on first site- bought the suv- without even test driving- and then drove it home 27 miles from the dealer-- and loved every minute of that drive- looking forward to taking the suv this weekend to las vegas- and given the expedition a rest...

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  Premier AWD - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Cletis Pride - April 29 - 1:10 pm

  Smooth, safe, attractive, driver- friendly, very roomy, quiet. Could stand a few more mpg.