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 Used SUV Value. - 1999 Mercury Mountaineer
  By T-Bare - June 29 - 2:00 am

  The 99 Mountaineer is a great all around SUV. It is great for the Michigan winters and very comfortable to drive. I average 15-17 mpg in the city. I realized an impressive 24 mpg on a 19 hour straight thru trip to Tampa, Fla. I bought the vehicle 3 years old with 35,000 miles on it and truly believe it will outlast my 5 year financing.

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  Mileage/Sync - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By Michael - June 25 - 8:36 am

  I have driven this vehicle for 2 months and I am very happy with the MPG. I am getting 25 mpg in the city and got 29.5 on my one highway trip. These figures exceed the numbers on the window sticker. Those who worry about performance, you need not. For a four cylinder it is snappy. I think the 6 speed transmission helps .

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  Marked improvement - 2009 Mercury Sable
  By TFR - June 25 - 6:20 am

  Had a 2005 Montego, almost every change I would have made plus was done with 2009 Sable: bigger engine, better sound system, better trans, antenna off the body, Huge tech advances, rides better, so far two minor complaints gas mileage s/b still be better for a six cylinder and the wiper control a little awkward on the left side of the column, (will get used to it) otherwise great car. If Ford came out with this car two years ago it would have helped their current sad situation.

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  Bring back the Marauder - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By grazniM - June 24 - 2:56 am

  Incredible Machine. Bought mine used and it totally rocks; owned many large and small cars. This one is a blast to drive, turns heads, is super comfortable, easy to maintain, and for its size (both overall and engine), it gets great mileage - 26.5 on my last trip to DC. Merc really dropped the ball on the marketing of this vehicle.

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  my cougar - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By thelunchking - June 23 - 10:00 am

  super car x-ride roomy = comforatable to drive

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  Just Missed - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By sbcdrone - June 18 - 10:00 am

  The Marauder is almost complete, but has a few flaws. The exhaust system should have been made from the same high-grade stainless steel used on the Buick Grand National. The engine power comes in at high rpm suggesting the Boss 5.4 from the 2002 F-150 would have been a better choice. Opening the trunk in the rain, or just after, is guaranteed to get water in the trunk. The sound system is choked by small speakers, and the rear window antenna is a poor choice. A trunk-mounted power antenna would provide better reception. Fuel milage has been excellent; handling and comfort are what I expected.

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  Quite Surprised - 2000 Mercury Sable
  By Surprised - June 16 - 7:36 pm

  This car has been a wonderful surprise. Very low maintenance and quite dependable. Currently has 136,000 and the engine, just today, had its first tuneup, original plugs still in there. Other than needs for inspection, no other major problems. Just invested $800.00 in it to replace a broken coil spring and strut on one side only. Will drive it until its gone. Hope the next vehicle I purchase is as great.

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  Best American car money can buy - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Zhe Kong - June 15 - 8:16 am

  Bought GS with convenient package when Ford offered $6000 discount in July 2004 for $19,000 brand new including tax etc. Love it ever since. Silk smooth with the torque rich V8 and 4 speed automatic transmission. Rear wheel drive. No fishtailing thanks to modern traction control. Agile on the road thanks to the variable assist power steering. Very safe. Very reliable. Not even a recall. Regular gas. Respectful MPG (22+/-1) daily commutes through out the year with this 4K plus pound of steel. Besides oil change and a new set of tires, the maintenance fee is zero.

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  My first American car - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By Tony - June 13 - 9:40 am

  I owned this car for about one month and I fell in love with it. I drove Honda, Nissan, Mazda before and no one can compare with this Milan. So far I drove about 1,000 miles and MPS is about 26.5. I love digital keypad power door locks and you will never worry about locking you key inside the car.

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  Mountie Rules!! - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By levismith - June 13 - 5:56 am

  I absolutely love my Mountaineer. Beautiful, solid, great build quality. My V6 is very smooth and gets 23mpg on the highway. For the price, it is absolutely unbeatable!