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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  2001 Grand Marquis - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By captjohnr - February 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned 2 other Grand Marquis(1985,1990) and this one is the best. It rides better, runs better and gets better mileage than the others. I hope Mercury keeps building their rear wheel drive line of luxury cars forever!

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  Excelent Family Car! - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By ®obert - February 4 - 10:00 am

  Although its poor fuel economy this SUV is great for big families. Its not huge like an expedition but has lots of room for everyone and its real easy to park in tight spots. I would say that this medium sized SUV would be best out of any other competition except for the luxurious aviator. The interior materials are of a real nice quality and seats are confortable. Rides smooth in highways and has nice suspension for the bumpy rides. The powerful V8 engine is awesome and makes the car real fun to drive! This SUV also has lots of neat gadgets that would mostly be found on luxurious SUVs.

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  Nice all around SUV - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By mgoose806 - February 4 - 10:00 am

  rides nice. 6 cylinder pulls trailer with no problem. third seat has plenty of room. great value.

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  My new van - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By lswhow - February 4 - 10:00 am

  I am very impressed Mercury Monterey Van. I have been driving vans for years and have had 5 different makes. This one tops them all for comfort ride and design. Gas milage is about 17 in the city a little less than the other vans but the extras make up for it. The comfort is that of a sedan. I highly recomend this van for a family luxury van. We even have had people stop us and ask to look at the van. The style is attractive to young and old alike.

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  Lots of car for the money! - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Jay Taylor - February 4 - 10:00 am

  This is the 1st Mercury Ive bought in 33 years. The last one was a 1964 Park Lane and that was a powerful car. I am very pleased thus far after trading in my 1995 Park Ave. Though the ride on the Park Ave was a bit smoother,this Mercury is much more responsive and a lot more fun to drive. Gas milage overall about 22.5 MPG-Not bad for a 235 horse power V8-Its the LSE model-- very close to the Maurader-very sporty!

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  We love this car! - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By mbserna - February 2 - 10:00 am

  Im surprised to read about the problems some have had with this car. My husband and I have had no problems. Weve driven it coast to coast and havent had to take it in for anything except for oil changes. It is a fun car to drive and the hatchback with folding seats gives us plenty of storage room. Weve hauled furniture and had friends borrow it to haul things that wouldnt fit in their cars. Were sad to be selling it, but the bucket seats in the back arent the best to put a car seat in.

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  Month Driving Experience-- Three Months - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By John A. Whalen - January 30 - 10:53 am

  My Mercury Montego Premier Has been a pleasure to drive. I especially enjoy the excellent visibility and the pedal and seat selections available.

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  Great Car - 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By tp - January 30 - 10:00 am

  This is the most comfortable, dependable car weve ever owned.

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  So Far So Good - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By SteenAZ - January 22 - 7:03 pm

  Just switched from an 05 Mariner FWD V6 to a 08 AWD Hybrid and we are super impressed. Great redesign of a car we we still liked from the first version. The interior is much improved and seems bigger although it is not. Overall a more upscale looking vehicle. Hybrid engine is a joy to drive. So far we are hitting close to 30 even with the majority of miles being on the highway.

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  The name says it all Montery Luxury - 2006 Mercury Monterey
  By Greg - January 22 - 11:43 am

  All i can say is its the best Van out there it is loaded up with luxury features and a powerful 4.2L V6 it is absolutely the best if youre smart youll avoid all the rest because i tried them and they all stink in my opinion like i said before Monterey is the Best