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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  AAA Excellent Car - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Frank - July 26 - 8:03 pm

  This car handles like a dream. I dont know where some of the people get off giving it a bad review. I am 43 years old and have driven everything from Beetles to Vettes. This is a great car for the money, runs strong and mileage is fine. Especially for a big car. This car looks and runs great.

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  Great SUV! - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By oscar173 - July 25 - 10:00 am

  I spent over a year driving and testing SUVs and finally decided on the Mountaineer. A geat decision! Its great to drive and comfortable for seven, although a bit of a climb to the back seat. After a month I enjoy as much as the first day.

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  GREAT CAR!!!! - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By gomeixel - July 25 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car for the price!! It has lots of room for a family, but it is still very stylish. A very safe, sound car to drive. Did great in crash tests ratings. Has adjustable gas and brake pedal, so you can sit as far as possible from the airbag. We love this car and will definetly purchase again!!

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  Very Classy - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By Vanessa V - July 23 - 2:50 am

  Ive been driving this car for just under two months, and I am in love with it! I have no complaints whatsover, except on the standard model which I am leasing, there is only two gears. The lowest gear is too low but the other one is too high for going down steep hills. No problem with the horsepower, it does fine for me. I wouldnt change anything about the looks, its beautiful inside and out. The Milan makes a great impression on people. The gas mileage isnt as good as I thought, Im getting around 26 in the mountains. The 08 Milan also has huge trunk space.

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  Mercury has our ATTENTION - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By mercury milan - July 22 - 3:30 am

  The vehicle is quiet, well constructed, I am very happy with the acceleration, the dash is set up nicely, I would like a little more head room , and i am only 5 ft 10inches, fuel regular and the mpg is circa 30 on the hwy.

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  Worth Consideration - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By DavidB - July 21 - 4:00 pm

  If youre not hung up on luxury car brand names then the Montego is a great alternative care choice. Roomy, solid feeling ride, good looking (although not in the class of some of the luxury brands), great cabin layout, pretty good stereo system, acceptable accelaration. Lots of bang for the buck! I get a lot of looks when Im driving this car. I got it in the Merlot color. I switched from a 2003 Acura TL to the Montego. I considered the Avalon, the Azera, the ES330 and the TL, but decided to instead pocket the extra $3,000 to $6,000 those cars would have cost. I just rolled past 1,000 miles and I havent regretted my choice.

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  my mercury - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By ian nathanson - July 21 - 9:06 am

  Im 28 not 60 and I love my Mercury did I mention that Im 6,5 and have a family this car is safe and if you use the Cruise control you can get up to 30 mpg at (55 mph) the only complaint is the brakes could have been better. The stying is old but its simple you dont have to go to school to learn all the gadgets. All in all its a great dependable car

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  Bill Andersons Grand Marquis (2006) - 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By william anderson - July 19 - 4:50 pm

  This is a luxury car that is value priced. It is a very safe vehicle with very low insurence rates. The car has a lot of room, and is great for long drives it is very spacious, and you can travel in total comfort. this car has all of the luxury you would want at an axceptional price.

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  old woman car NOT....... - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By WHATACAR - July 19 - 10:00 am

  SOUND FROM MOTOR AT IDLE AND TAKE OFF ARE A DREAM.

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  grand marquis - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By ss513t - July 19 - 10:00 am

  a stiffer suspension would be nice.biggest gripe is the long hood and would like another 3-4 inches legroom for the back seat.