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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  What a ride - 2010 Mercury Mariner
  By mtre - January 14 - 11:23 pm

  This car was actually our number two choice. We had picked out a JGC to purchase but kept getting the run around from the Jeep dealership. All I can say is Thank Goodness they tried to hose us. We got a much better vehicle, with more options, and better overall quality, for a heck of a lot less money. We are sold on Ford products for life. Thank you Bob Howard Ford of Okc! I will never stray to GM or Chrysler again.

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  Very pleased with Cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By JDHeyne - January 12 - 10:00 am

  This was an eBay car and turned out to be great! I bought it about a year and a half ago, have put 50,000 miles on it (It is now at 110,000) and is still going great.The only major problem was the moonroof was not working(which I knew at the time of purchase) and letting a friend try to fix the moonroof. Driving 75 down the interstate the moonroof lifted from the passenger to the drivers side doing a 180. Nothing wrong with the car, just kinda funny looking back at it. It scared the ... outta me at the time. The reason for this is letting my friend "fix" it. Only other time it was in the shop (less than 1,000 miles ago) was due to an exhaust leak

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  Leeanns 2001 LS Merc - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By leeann - January 9 - 2:00 am

  Car is very dependable, comfortable in town and on the road. Handles beautifully and holds the road exceptionally well (due to the rear wheel drive and wheel base). Rear seat is very comfortable (many rear seats are not).

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  Happy - 2007 Mercury Montego
  By Satisfied - January 7 - 7:50 pm

  This car was my first choice in 2005, and when I was finally was able to upgrade in 2006, I choose the Montego. Although I am leasing this one, I am not sure if I would purchase the "Sable". I dont care for the renaming of the car. Dont know why it had to be changed. "Montego" has a swinging sound and sounds classy and elegant. I find that the features that came standard are great. The price was also great at under 30,000.

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  Great car all together - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Tony - January 7 - 2:06 am

  For the money, this car is awesome. From the comfy leather seats and sun roof, to the sleek design inside and out. I do wish I had the 6 cyl at times, but I have a 5-Speed which is a bit more power efficient. The stereo sounds better than many stock systems Ive heard. The stock wheels are pretty sharp. Very roomy all around for a smaller sedan.

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  Mountaineer Mania - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By wizard - January 6 - 5:13 am

  My 2002 Mountaineer is fabulous. The 4 wheel independent suspension dramatically improved the ride. It drives, corners, and handles great. The V-8s fuel economy is not the greatest but I love the get-up-and-go it has when merging on freeways or trying to pass. The interior dash display is awesome at night. Coming from a snowy state I love the all-wheel-drive. No worrying about when to switch to 4-wheel drive, and it appears to work great. In 8 months of driving not a single concern.

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  99 Sable LS - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By Golfer - January 3 - 10:00 am

  In almost 4 years of use and 37000 miles, besides oil changes and tire rotation Ive only replaced the battery. The car is very dependable and the leather seating is as comfortable as they come. While many criticize the exterior design, I still enjoy looking at its style from front to back, especially the sides not being your typical flat sheet metal style as on most imports. Hope to get another 4 great years from it but just might get another new Sable before that with the price being one of the best values on the market.

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  Found a great car... - 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Dr. S. Harrison - January 2 - 2:46 pm

  Cant beleive I found a super car for only $28,000. I feel so safe in this car and it does all the work for me as its so easy to drive and park. It is so comfortable and responsive. I love this car!!!

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  2006 Mercury Mariner Premier - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By len.adler - December 31 - 8:50 pm

  Since delivery this car has been fun to drive, and without mechanical defect. Its higher position enables seeing over sedans in a traffic line. It is nimble and comfortable. The mpg average of 20-25 on the highway is disappointing in todays gasoline prices. Five passengers can travel comfortably, and the back section is great for our black lab, even on long trips.

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  Longest Lasting SUV in this family - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By amkrug2 - December 28 - 3:49 pm

  My father bought this car in 03 with just over 30k miles on it. Being a repo, there were a couple small problems that the dealership happily fixed, such as a new steering wheel (Lady who owned before broke all the buttons) and one seat replaced. We modified the intake by putting an aftermarket spectre cold air intake on it, but besides that is totally stock. This car lasted like that for 160k miles. The transmission was starting to slip and the front hubs needed attention. We went ahead and replaced them. Now, mind you, nothing ever broke, we just went ahead and replaced before they did. 62k miles later, it broke down for the first time and was just the pump. She is still going strong!