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:

• 

  Good ol workhorse - 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Paul Elzey - April 14 - 8:40 pm

  The 93 GS that I owned was as reliable as the sun rising every morning - hardly a problem in 80000 miles of ownership. I ran the miles up to just over 160,000. The engine used no oil between 3000 mile oil changes and was always willing to run. The body was as tight as any car Ive ever ridden in, with minimal noise from wind.

• 

  Great Mariner - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Paul J Foxcroft - April 14 - 11:26 am

  Loaded with more features than my Mercedes. Only one minor problem in 32,000 miles. Get over 22 mpg on highway. Best trip was 25.5 mpg with wind behind from Fort Davis to San Angelo. Very quiet and smooth. This vehicle has fully restored my faith in American vehicles. Can hardly wait for the MKS with the turbo engine to replace the Mercedes.

• 

  Lesson learned - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By William Betts - April 14 - 10:00 am

  We liked it when we bought it but only a month later middle right-side window began to rattle. That was the beginning. Two years ago (2001) we learned from our mechanic the engine posessed a "valve tap" and would have to be rebuilt for $7000. We elected not to and it should only live another 3 years. Recently the automatic tranmission has been shifting bumpily and sometimes starts with a jolt. We know now not to get another automatic.

• 

  145,000 Miles!!! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By taoterazz - April 14 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my 99 Cougar in 98 - probably one of the first to have one. I have had some of the normal probs, but an extended warranty helped...alternator at 65,000,catalytic converted at 72,000, transmission at 119,000, a wheel bearing and a new headlamp due to the leaky problem. For a domestic, Im actually quite impressed with the mileage Ive achieved. Oh, I am disappointed with the paint job. It has chipped around the front wheel wells.

• 

  Another Big Car Review - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Brian Smith - April 13 - 8:10 am

  I have only had two bad problems with this vehicle. The intake manifold leaked and the transmission shifting. Both where taken care of by the local Mercury Dealer at no cost to me. Even though the car was out of warranty when the maniflod went out.

• 

  love it - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By mark - April 11 - 3:06 am

  Wife and I love most everything about this vehicle. Our 2000 Ford Explorer would only avg about 12-13 mpg in town and we never got over 19 on the hi-way We opted for the 4cyl FWD auto version. With lots of short trips we avg 18-20 mpg and Hwy mpg has hit 29mpg. Performance with the 4 cyl has been better than expected. The only complaint that we have is that of road noise. It is a great small SUV

• 

  Worst Vehicle Ive Ever Owned - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By NoToMariner - April 9 - 3:30 pm

  I have owned my Mariner less than a month and I have already determined this is the worst vehicle I have ever owned. After only two weeks, permanent stains showed up on the side panels from some liquid that had been thrown up by the tires. The dealer claimed it was Armour All from the tires but agreed to repaint all of the panels because they shouldnt have stained so easily. That process took over a week. There is also a noise inside the door that sounds like a ball bearing rolling around--the source cant be found. A $32,000 vehicle should not have this many initial problems!

• 

  Problems, Problems - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By rlb71956 - April 8 - 10:00 am

  Reliability has been marginal at best. Vehicle currently has only 81,000 miles, and have already had to have a complete new transmission ($3,000), replaced the alternator, replaced the power steering pump, replaced the front wheel bearings, replaced the rear brakes and rotors, replaced the front brakes and rotors. Interior quality also not so good, with holes in the carpet on the drivers side. Trade-in value seems to be going down a LOT faster than my loan balance.

• 

  Awesome Family Car - 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Kyle - April 8 - 2:33 am

  The Grand Marquis is the best car on the market for the money Its roomy quiet and has a smooth ride and hugs the road and has great safety ratings which is the most important thing when you are carrying around 2 little ones and the LS Handling Package is great with the improved ride and power And the Laminated Window Glass in the Doors makes you feel extra safe and provides a even more quiet ride And the Dark Toreador Red Paint and Black Leather seats make the car look even better the adjustable foot pedals makes all size drivers comfortable and the power moon roof is a great feature and the remote starter and headlight controls are a must have so in my opinion the Grand Marquis is awesome...

• 

  Dons Grand Marquis - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By 2005 Mercury Grand M - April 3 - 11:33 pm

  This vehicle was purchased to replace a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria. The Ford had 54000 miles on it when I replaced it. It was a good car, but, it was time to get a new one. This Mercury seems to be smoother, snappier and more economical than the Ford. I use these cars for primarily trips over the highway at high speeds for long distances. This is # 4 vehicle in my family and the one I prefer driving myself. Im 68 years old and take many long trips out of state.