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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  Nice Styling and Quality - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By lduke32 - August 24 - 10:00 am

  The Mountaineer looks like no other SUV. Its interior is richly appointed for the price. The ride could be smoother and the 4.0 liter smoother but overall it is a solidly made vehicle. I recommend the Mercury Mountaineer

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  Not bad, my wife likes it! - 2006 Mercury Monterey
  By Family of 7! - August 9 - 10:10 pm

  This was the first new vehicle we had ever bought outright. Previously we had leased all our vehicles. I told my wife she could pick out any van she wanted and load it up with any options she wanted. She picked the Monterey because of its looks mostly. But the cooled leather seats helped too! Plus, the huge rebates made the cost come down to like $25,000 for a van that stickered over $32,000.

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  2 weeks out of the showroom - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Frostydog - July 28 - 2:00 am

  So far so good. Other than a slight paint blemish the vehicle seems to be finished perfectly. The ride is comfortable, handling is predictible, pick-up is better than expected. Nice overall features- heated seats, auto dimming rearview mirror and great sound system.

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  Great Vehicle - 2010 Mercury Mountaineer
  By fordman - July 27 - 9:03 am

  Being one of the last true SUVs on the market this could use some improvement in the model offerings and options. I like the color, the new Flame Blue exterior and the black leather interior except for the hideous tan headliner. What a mismatch of colors. I have about 800 miles on it and the temperature is below freezing or zero and the gas mileage is 19.5 on dash computer. Fuel economy on this vehicle is under rated. Wish it would burn E-85. six speed transmission would have been nice also. Wanted Premier model but was not offered in 5 seat version. The AWD is super on the snow and ice. Very quiet and comfortable vehicle with lots of cargo space and back seat room.

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  Its a love hate relationship - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By smileybecca2005 - July 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my car almost 2yrs. Had 38K miles on it and now has 68k. Had new tires when purchased,need to be replaced now.immediate problems were with the fuel gauge (not accurate...resulting in NO GAS) and the radio, which goes in and out. I have had minimal problems with it (with regular maintenance and new break pads) until about two months ago. Since then i have had to replace the alternator and the fuel pump and have had more frequent squeaking in the car & the trunk release is tricky sometimes. I have loved my car and hate that it isnt as reliable as i need, as i have found myself on the side of the road at least 3 or 4 times from all this.

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  Guidos Here - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Sean - July 21 - 1:10 am

  Overall I enjoy my 1999 Mercury Marquis LS. My only major complaint is the driver side seat is not very comfortable (for me) I am a fairly large guy 62 and over 280 lbs. I was hoping for better city driving mileage I average 18-20 mpg (without running the A/C)

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  white stallion - 2002 Mercury Sable
  By bill412 - July 17 - 10:43 am

  Very nice car. Rides as nicely as my old Crown Vic. Had a transmission problem that the dealer could not fix. The wiring harness was shorting out to the end plate. After 5 tries, they finally replaced it. No more problems of any kind since then. Gas mileage is great going under 75MPH: almost 30MPG on a road trip.

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  villager air conditioning system - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By valerina - July 17 - 10:00 am

  I am experiencing my first problem at 68000 miles and that is that the air conditioning system (which runs underneath the vehicle) has corroded. Unfortunately this is not an inexpensive repair. I was told by the shop that this is a common problem.

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  Marauder loaded - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By MarauderRARE - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Had the car 2 months now. Im a young guy(30s) and beleive it or not, previously owned 2 Grand Marquis. Liked them but decided for something with a little more attitude. Certainly found it with this beast. I love the car, but it has fit & finish issues. Im very disappointed with inconsistent spacing between doors and roof panels. Not acceptable for a car that lists for $37,000. Dash started to come apart on pass. side. Dealer fixed that. Yet driver side doors are still mounted improperly causing paint to chip in door jams. Dealer fixed that, but gaps between door and roof are inconsistent with pass. side. How does this make it past quality control at the assembly plant? Unacceptable!

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  ford dealership - 2005 Mercury Sable
  By herb cox - July 8 - 3:03 pm

  easy to drive,good ride handles well on road,smooth shifting trans.A.c.and stereo work smooth.