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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  Great Car - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By L Fitt - August 12 - 12:40 am

  Have owned the vehicle for almost 6 months with not a single instance of a problem. It is a uiet and the ride is great for a smaller SUV. Owned a Mercury Grand Marquis before and we enjoy this car a much as the other one. Wish the fuel mileage was better on our 4-cylinder engine, but it is pretty quiet and responsive.

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  New to Mercury Milan - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Paul - August 11 - 10:23 pm

  We just purchased a 2006 Milan. At this time, we are pleased with the overall mechanical performance of the vehicle. She is roomy, comfy, peppy (4cyl), and artfully beautiful inside and out as well as feeling solid and responsive. She suits our needs and we have been content with Mercury vehicles having owned a 1994 Villager and a 1989 Marquis that was sold to a family member. There will be complaints about the 4cyl not being w/o more HP but then they need to be driving the auto of their choice and budget. We cant wait to do a road trip in our Milan. We will let you know how that succeeds. PL

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  Cougar - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By woody1957 - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Best Car every owned. Excellent fuel economy for a V-8. 19-21 mpg around town, 25 mpg highway. No mechanical problems, execpt the intake manifold recall.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By J. Baird - August 11 - 2:00 am

  As Suvs go, this is a great one -- came to this from owning a jeep SUV. Our other car is an E class Mercedes, but we didnt like their SUV. The V-8 Mountaineer gives a smooth ride (for an SUV) with fine poweer when you need it. Great in deep snow. Interior is very comfortable and roomy. MPG could be improved with a more modern engine design, but the tradeoff is that this uses low grade (not super) fuel, so the cost per mile isnt that staggering.

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  Great Value - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By joe maxwell - August 9 - 2:33 am

  This car has surprising power with good fuel economy. Great auto for long trips. I understand why so many police organizations drive the Crown Vic or the Marquis.

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  great car, reiable and fun to drive - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By josh - August 7 - 2:43 pm

  I have had this car for 7 yrs now it has 185000 miles and is still running strong.. I have not done any major repairs to this car and would recommend it to anyone..

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  History - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By josiebaby - August 6 - 10:00 am

  The only major problem I had was a dead battery which of course happened while shopping in a mall. Making con tact with the road service that comes with the warranty proved a little frustrating, due to fact that the person on the other end did not speak english very well. Other than that the service to the vehicle was excellent

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  Best 3rd row seat SUV for the price - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Dwayne Perkins - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Although it is an upgraded Explorer, the price of a loaded Mountaineer is actually cheaper than a loaded Explorer Limited and still has more features. I like the way it looks, drives, and the interior comfort. It handles great for an SUV and the performance is excellet. I hit every dealership in Hampton roads and looked at every SUV with 3rd row seating. I also researced every one on the internet for features and pricing. This vehicle is the best for the price.

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  Great Car - 2000 Mercury Sable
  By Phillip - August 3 - 1:03 pm

  I purchased My 2000 Sable GS Base Model in Feb. 2005 and have not had to do any repairs on it except replace a battery that looked like it had been in there for about 50K. I have never done a tune-up and sometimes push the car to the limit. It has been through a lot and still seems to keep going. Its a car that will never let you down for anything. It has so far, been one of the best cars I have purchased. If you want a reliable, comfortable, no road noise, great sound system, firmed seat car, this is the one to go for. Buy it!

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  Excellent - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By lawells27 - August 3 - 4:53 am

  bought new in fall 2005 when they first became available. The lincoln MKZ wasnt out yet so I got the Milan Premier with leather heated seats. I love the look of this car... stylish and semi-luxury look and feel. Still happy with car after several years and plan to keep the car for a long time yet.