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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  2007 Milan w/appearance - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By jwr - March 29 - 3:43 am

  So far this has been an outstanding vehicle. Driving a rare 5 speed manual tranny is a real treat, the clutch takeup is as smooth as silk and the tranny shifter is just as smooth. The fuel economy so far is as good or better than the 2002 Focus I traded in on this vehicle. The audiophile sound system is excellent. The car is very comfortable around town and on long highway trips. I would most definitely recommend this car to a prospective buyer.

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  Nice car to own! - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Shannon - March 28 - 8:10 am

  I love this car! I choose the V6 Premier over the I-4 because of the engine power. This car can really get up and go on the highway. The only thing that I miss about my old car (Toyota Corolla) is the fuel economy.

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  Better Than Expected - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By MotorcraftMan - March 26 - 2:00 am

  Was surprised to find this car has the same if not more features than the Jaguar X-Type! Plenty of go from the 3.0L, smooth, stable, quiet ride. Sound system is decent for stock, more than enough trunk space. Plenty of cubby holds to store things, love the compass/auto-dimming mirror.

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  A lot of car for not alot of money - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By a_roo - March 25 - 10:00 am

  I just bought this car a few weeks ago, and an still in the honeymoon stage of ownership. Let me tell you why I bought it... I was getting tired of small/medium cars and wanted a larger car with a lot of premium features. This car is VERY comfortable, and the ride is smooth. Granted, Im probaby one of the younger buyers of a car reserved for a more mature audience, but I wondered why I havent looked into a larger car sooner. I was going to wait for the 2003 models, but with the fantastic deals, I bought the 02 Grand Marquis Ultimate edition.

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  the worst ever - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By bill - March 22 - 8:26 pm

  replaced the transmission 3 times this car is horrible will never buy American junk again!

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  Best SUV for the dollar - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By moneymotives - March 22 - 10:00 am

  I think the Mountainer is a great buy. I love the comfort and smooth drive.

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  Awesome Truck - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By nomorehonda - March 22 - 2:20 am

  I needed a truck with a third row seat. Looks are very important. This truck is not too common and the front is so stylish. Fuel is poor but many suvs are. The interior is spacious, so is the third row seat. Oh yeah, drives wonderful too!

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  Its all over at 67,000 miles - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Disgruntled - March 21 - 2:23 am

  Transmission needs to be rebuilt....it has slipped since it was brand new. The spoiler broke at 3 years and they dont make it any more. The head gasket is blown and it has never over-heated, has had regular oil changes/service and obviously not used to tow anything. I need to replace a couple of sensors and it is $700 at the dealership. You have to pay $93 for diagnostics to determine minor failures and another $140 for compression diagnostic. As I should have remembered before I bought this, it is just a shinier FORD - Fix Or Repair Daily. I also own a 1967 Ford Mustang which is reliable - built before the American automotive manufacturers forgot how to build a decent, reliable car

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  The Mercury that could save Ford! - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Paddler - March 20 - 6:10 pm

  Really the Fusion and the Milan could be the cars that put Ford back on the path to profitability. The Milan V6 is a pure joy to drive. Very responsive steering with a good "on center" feel. Nicely appointed. Smooth shifting 6 speed auto, very reasonable fuel economy (22 mpg around town with AC on). I prefer the 16" wheels as they give the car a better ride than the lower profile 17" wheels. Would I buy this car again, no hesitation, Yes!

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  Good Value - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By George B. - March 18 - 6:50 pm

  Reliable, but could use more power and interior room