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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  A great car at a great price - 2000 Mercury Mystique
  By Mystical Mercury - June 28 - 7:56 pm

  I have owned the Mercury Mystique since August 2000 and I could not be happier. This car has excellent pick- up. Two problems I have had with this car is replacing the alternator at 40,000 miles and replacing the fuel sensor (under $100.00). I have been extremely satisfied with my purchase.

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  where have all the great cars gone? - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By ogdad223 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  for the price of this auto you would have to expect a better fit and finish of this one.auto and overall fit and finish not very good at all and some of the doors,etc had to be redone by the dealer.not the fault of the dealer should of been caught at the factory.get up and go was there great ride on the highway better than some fomoco units ive had.

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  solid car - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By genecz - June 27 - 2:00 am

  reliable vehicle Holds road securely. Lots of room. Great trunk capacity. Nice comfort features

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  sable=good - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By Jimf - June 21 - 2:00 am

  The sable is good. It reminds me of a Ford Taurus. It should be driven by more people.

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  sable=good - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By jimf - June 21 - 2:00 am

  The sable is good. It reminds me of a Ford Taurus. It should be driven by more people.

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  1998 Grand Marquis - 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By bovic1 - June 21 - 2:00 am

  This automobile is extremely comfortable and rides like any luxury car. It has never been in the repair shop, everything still works perfectly as it did when it was brand new. Recently, with a solid month of below freezing weather, this car started up a the first try every time. Extremely well built.

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  Read this before you buy! - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By BrianDY - June 21 - 2:00 am

  Horrible customer service. My Mountaineer was taken in the very next day after buying because the A/C didnt turn on. The Auto repair shop at the dealership had my car for 2 weeks. They didnt even give me a rental, I had to buy my own. I cant believe how much hassle Ive gone through, its utterly ridiculous.

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  So Far So Good - Part V - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By 04SableDriver - June 19 - 2:10 am

  Noooo idea who this review is for, but what the hell...here goes. Just shy of 36K and alls well. My Sable GS has yet to experience a single mechanical failing (the starter issue I mentioned in earlier posts thankfully hasnt resurfaced), and the car rides as well as when new. Thusly, Ive nothing new to report. My cars all one would expect; roomy, smooth riding and dull as your kitchen blender. Despite that dearth of flash however, I wholeheartedly recommend the Sable as a solid commuter tool, and accordingly as a "safe" used car buy.

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  Good on service - 1998 Mercury Sable
  By John - June 12 - 10:06 am

  I bought this wagon with 98K and I have about 175K now. I had some problems with the emissions control, brakes and tires, normal stuff. Just recently I brought it in because it was running a little rough. The station called me a few hours to say if needed a tune up, so OK. I did not tune it since I bought the car, so I though that was pretty good. As it turns out, I had original plugs in the car. 175K miles before its first tune up! Not bad and still going strong.

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  Amazing Value - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By JP - June 10 - 11:56 pm

  This is the most comfortable car I have ever owned. It is quiet, smooth and suprisingly agile for its size. The level of equipment for the price and size of the car is exceptional. I would buy another without hesitation.