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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  Love it! - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Jeran - February 8 - 8:26 am

  We just adore our 2008 Mariner. Its got the quickest V-6 of any of the similar SUVs out there, room for the wheelchair lift, and comfortable for a long roadtrip as well as running errands around town. The backseat folds almost totally flat so its good for the dogs and crates. Gorgeous inside too.

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  Great FWD SUV - 2011 Mercury Mariner
  By simplyteeb - February 2 - 10:00 am

  4 Cylinder was very surprising and powerful. Very quiet on the highway and the 30+ mpg is a real treat. LOTS of hauling capacity. Overall a great little SUV that is very fun to drive and very easy on gas.

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  Best SUV I ever owned - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Steve &Bonnie - February 1 - 4:23 pm

  Very solid, safe well mannered vechicle. A real pleasure to drive on a long trip. We got up to 24 mpg, average 21-22 on long trips. Mileage varies depending on the brand of fuel you buy. Yes it does make a difference, I proved it to myself. I am curious though to see how well the AWD works as we will be going off road [within reason dont expect it to beat the trails I take with my Jeep] in Arizona this fall.

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  Great value for elegant car. - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By Sirwilly - January 29 - 2:00 am

  Bought this brand new car after I had a Ford Taurus 98 modell. Liked the Ford and Mercury Dealerships in our City. The promotion rebates in Summer 03 gave me the incentive to get another one from Ford after I checked out VWs (Passat, Jetta) and Volvos. Found them all to be too expensive and considered the Sable to be similar for a better price and even better value!

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  I LOVE my GRAND MARQUIS!!!! - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By bbnot2busy - January 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 2000 Grand Marquis about 6 months ago. What a DREAM it is to drive! I love the soft ride and the quiet engine. The fuel mileage is better than should be expected from a car this size! My mother has a 2002 Toyota Avalon and she does not get the MPG I get with my Merc! Having sold my Pontiac Bonneville to move up to the Grand Marquis I have decided that I will continue to purchase the Grand Marquis from now on! Would not trade it for any car on the road!

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  A Great Car - 2002 Mercury Sable
  By sable2001 - January 27 - 10:00 am

  This has been a great car to own so far. Absolutely no problems whatsoever. Comfortable, quiet, and good acceleration.

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  Never wanted an SUV - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By judy - January 26 - 1:00 pm

  My husband kept insisting I needed a 4WD vehicle. I buy a vehicle because of the way it looks, no other reason. The salesman showed me 5 vehicles the day I bought the Mountaineer. Each one had to be cleaned of 6 inches of snow! When I saw the Mountaineer, I said "ok I like how this looks. I drove it, and bought it that day. Its been 1 1/2 years and I love it.

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  Why quit building a winner? - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By A Ford Man Always - January 21 - 11:20 am

  Ive owned it 3 years with 60K on it and without question, the very best car Ive ever owned. Only problem to occur was seat heater broke and was fixed under warranty. Im 72 years old and have owned many cars and have driven 2-3 million miles and this car is the MOST COMFORTABLE car Ive ever sat it. The higher seats make it so easy to get in and out. Ive just wwore out the OEM Pirelli tires and have replaced them with new Hankook Optimos which are like floating on air. Why would Ford stop making such a grand car? My opinion seems to be shared with 96% of those here responding. What gives? Of course the new Taurus is indeed a pretty good alternative.

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  SkimpyRider - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Works4me - January 18 - 8:16 pm

  Pros: Excellent vehicle with surprisingly good stability-very close to Hondas roadability. Tight turning radius a big plus. Lots of fun to drive. Cons: Center led display of time, temperatures etc. cannot be see in bright sunlight. GPS/radio screen could be brighter and crisper (higher resolution).

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  Last of the freeway cruisers - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Bill Love - January 17 - 12:03 am

  We bought this car for comfort and quietness on medium to long trips. Great value here with all the options available for under $29,000.00 including CA sales tax and registration. Mileage on the open road at 75 mph is consistently 25 mpg. Around town figure 16 while in the hills where I live a rather dismal 13. Could not be happier with this purchase and so far not a hint of any problems. Getting the Grand Marquis loaded is the key and takes the vehicle into a luxury class.