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 my Milan - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By Betsy - November 10 - 3:46 am

  I looked everywhere for a cash for clunker deal...tried every car on the market & was very disappointed until I pulled onto the Lincoln/Mercury lot. One look at my Milan & I was hooked. The Sync entertainment system is the best on the market. One complaint: The headrests on the front seats were so bad, I almost couldnt buy the car. Headaches and back pain from the unnatural, extremely awkward head position...picture head jutting forward, with the back curled clam shell-like...not a good look on me. After taking the car to the upholsterers to see if he could stuff the seats, he fixed the problem by bending the head rests up & "Millie Pearl" & I drove home a happy duo!

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  Monterey Experience - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Renee - November 9 - 2:30 am

  Beautifully designed minivan with great standard features. However with very poor gas mileage, much lower than what the sticker stated. Brakes also tend to be squeaky after van sits for greater than 6 hours. Drivers seat isnt very comfortable. Foot pedals need adjusting.

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  My favorite car ever! - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By brooke - November 8 - 1:10 am

  I cannot say enough about this car. I have had it for about 13 months and absolutely love it. I get compliments all the time about its looks. It has power, it goes great in the snow, and it looks great. I have the silver exterior with the black leather interior, sun/moonroof, 6 cd changer, power everything. Love this vehicle!

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  No Roll! - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Heidi - November 5 - 6:06 pm

  For a woman, its been great! Great space. Plus has a smooth ride.

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  Mercury Villager Minivan - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By CT at ablaze - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Enjoyable vehicle. Ride is smooth with lots of room. Having electrical problems. Seems to be reliable overall with exception to electrical problems.

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  Very Pleased with my Villager Estate - 2000 Mercury Villager
  By samsdad - November 5 - 2:00 am

  I have been driving my Villager for about a year now, and I love it. The leather seats are very comfortable. The passengers like the dual a/c controls, and the rear floor heater. The interior is designed well, and its not bad on the outside, either. The 7 passenger seating allows space for everyone, and the quad seating is very comfortable. I average about 20 mpg, and I do a lot of city driving. Highway mileage is better. It is smaller than some other minivans, but it is big on comfort, so that makes up for any size difference. Overall, I think it is a very good value.

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  I love it but I hate it too! - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Rodney and Pam - November 5 - 2:00 am

  I have had my 2000 Mountaineer for 1 year. The first week I had it the message center had to be replaced. Ok. I can live with that. I had an awful growning noise in the front end after several trips to the dealer the problem was the CV joints. Now my big problem! The transmission went out at 50K!!!! Now I have a rebuilt one and the SUV is for sale! I love it and I dont want to give it up but what happens when my rebuilt trans goes out after the waranty is gone?? So I must say bye and I dont think I will buy another one.

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  Lexus convert - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By dsvetcov - November 1 - 12:13 pm

  I traded my Lexus es350 for a new milan. The main reason was price. I opted for the Merc as it addresses a more seasoned buyer (ug..age) over the ford Fusion. Too bad LM does not heavily market this vehicle. It is superior in many ways to the foreign competitors as well as GM. Get the premier edition and the with Microsoft sync. It makes driving fun, as well as a very comfortable and price savvy experience.

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  Great vehicle - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By rogerd - November 1 - 8:53 am

  Traded a new Cadillac in on it. Mercury ride and quality put Cadillac to shame at less than half the price. Grand Marquis handles superbly, very agile and responsive. I love to drive it. Super smooth ride. Quiet interior. Great gas mileage: 29 hwy/20 city. I have owned Lincoln Towncars recently and like them also, but like the handling of the Mercury better.

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  Great car! - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Mark - October 30 - 5:40 pm

  We were looking for better mpg in our vehicles, but dont like to compromise comfort and options. We found a dealer demo Milan and loved it from the test drive. Great highway mpg 31-35. Love the interior, very roomy and comfortable, and stylish with two-tone leather seats. No problems with this car and it really stands out from the crowd with great exterior styling. 4 cyl. engine has plenty of power for our driving needs. Looks like we will have this car for a long time. Quality and options make this a great value for your money.