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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  I LOVE my Milan! - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Milan Lover - November 10 - 12:43 pm

  Ive had my Milan almost two months and I LOVE it! We got the one with all the bells and whistles. It handles well, gets good mileage, and looks like an expensive European model. People have stopped to ask me what it is. Most people comment on the two-toned, stitched leather seating and the mahogny trim. I personally am in love with the grille.

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  Loved My Villager - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By 1122ldr - November 9 - 2:40 am

  Have been driving Villagers for 15 years--my 99 was my second one and Im very sad to be selling it and moving on. It was so easy to drive, a comfortable ride, and Ive loved the versatility and ease of reconfiguring the space for the load (even for a woman!). It carried my Girl Scouts and their gear camping and on troop trips--and as the "cookie van", it held over 1000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies without removing any seats!

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  Mercury Sable LX sedan - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By Ritter - November 4 - 2:00 am

  Have been driving for 50 years, Have owned 40 new cars, its the best car I ever owned.

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  A Pleasure to Own - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Gail Acuti - November 4 - 2:00 am

  Purchase was a pleasant experience. The comfort of long distance drives is worth every penny of cost. Previously drove a Chrysler Concorde...the comfort of a long distance is evident, when getting to my destination, I can exit the vehicle and not feel like a crumpled crippled non-human entity. The wide stance of the chasis gives a very smooth ride......I have been pleasantly suprised each and every day that I own and drive this car.

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  Mercury Sable Better Than Ever! - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Nick - November 1 - 11:50 pm

  My 2008 Mercury Sable is fantastic. I could not be happier with it. It handles great. The ride quality is superb, quiet and smooth. I have plenty of head and legroom as well as a great view of the road. The interior quality is superb. The fit and finish of the exterior is very nice. Its very tight. I love the exterior design. The front design is very sleek and I like the clear ailamp covers. The performance of the 3.5L V6 is great. It moves this heavy sedan with no problems and the 6-speed shifts smoothly. And I love the beautiful exterior color. Dark Ink Blue looks awesome and the black leather with white stitching is first class. I am very happy with my new Sable. I suggest you go check one out. Its really good to see that Mercury has finally got a lineup that will get young buyers in to the showrooms myself in included. 10 Years ago I never would have thought i would own a Mercury at 27 Years old.

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  Best in Class - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Average Joe - October 30 - 7:53 am

  Campared to similar vehicles in this class this is the best Ive owned for the price. Smooth, quiet, plenty of room, good performance, fit and finish is very good. Great styling inside and out. Great sound and satellite radio is a plus. Ill be driving this for years.

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  Excellent - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By acoleman - October 29 - 2:00 am

  We just bought our new Mountaineer and enjoy it alot. We bought a new one after our 1999 was totalled in an accident (in which it saved my life). I will always buy Moutaineers from now on. I feel very safe in this one with all of its safety features (side/front airbags, breakaway pedals in case of accident)and overall size.

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  Mercurys Best Kept Secret - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By TexMax - October 29 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Mountaineer and I was really pleasantly surprised at the advances. This vehicle has a smooth quiet ride, plenty of power, does not sway or feel top heavy like some SUVs and Vans of the past. The third row seats are great for children , the pedal adjustments, traction control, back up sensors, plus the improved sound system give a sense of user friendliness, safety and security.

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  My Car - 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By cfdems2 - October 28 - 10:00 am

  This is the most reliable car that I have owned.

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  The - 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By swampfoxx - October 28 - 10:00 am

  I bought the car because of price, and although I did not expect it, never thought of myself as a Grand Marquis person, this is an impressive vehicle. Mine is a LS Gold Limited Edition 1998, with special suspension and all the luxury goodies. It averages 25 plus mpg on the highway with automatic a/c on. Fastest cool down in 100 degree weather then automatic temp control. Acceleration makes you think your "are" in a police pursuit vehicle. Although still prefer a smaller vehicle for "fun", you cant beat the Grand Marquis for cross-country travel.