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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  Transmission Probs--Beware - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Mrs. C - November 3 - 6:56 am

  After having owned my 06 Mountaineer with all the extras for a year--this is what has happened. Been in the shop three times now for the transmission slips--they keep changing the computer settings (so they say). Had to have master cylinder replaced at 10,000 miles (Ford cannot answer why it went bad). Now the motor has gone on the running boards. Yes, they are all warrantied problems--but a pain in the butt to get to the service center all the time.

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  2007 Mercury Mountaineer V8 AWD Premier - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Hinrich - October 17 - 4:00 am

  This is our 5th Mountaineer and not the best we had. Quite a few problems within the first 14,000 miles (check engine light on, 6-speed transmission shifting abrupt, airbag light on, bad body panel and door fit, rust on some body parts) required multiple dealer visits. The engine is powerful and more refined compared to the 2004 model we drove before. Gas mileage is bad, get about 14 MPG in mixed driving. Truck is comfortable except for a choppy ride over short bumps. Interior comfort is good with lots of space (Im 66" tall). Quality of some interior materials a step back from 2004 model.

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  Not built to last - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By yven7 - September 20 - 8:40 pm

  The car drove well at first with regular maintenance. After the first 100,000 miles there were problems with several hoses connected to the exhaust system and it became much louder. At 142, 000 miles it needs a new transmission and several boards. I trusted the brand after a mercury villager minivan that I drove for more than 260,000 miles but I wont buy another mercury vehicle.

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  Dead at 175,000- not feasible to fix - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By tom2002a - September 13 - 5:36 am

  I bought this new and never had any problems other than a cracked intake manifold which Ford paid for as part of a class actin settlement. Was hoping to get 250k plus - changed oil, trans and other fluids etc. Developed a brake leak and the brake lines are corroded from front to back - $1800 in labor alone to replace. I had noticed alot of the piping under the hood seemed to rot - electrolysis? If youre looking at one of these watch this - great car otherwise.

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  Good Car that Could Be Better - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Roy - August 21 - 6:43 pm

  My experience with FoMoCo products is that they are good ideas poorly executed. My Mercury is a case in point. While perfect for people looking for a traditional RWD sedan that owns the road, this car lacks the solidarity and reliability its predecessors possessed. It handles well for its size in braking, acceleration, and cornering. It also is a good ride on the highway. But dont expect too much from it. The engine has mounds of torque but is noisy when pressed. The engine is a great performer, but you got to go light on the gas unless you (a) can afford speeding tickets and (b) are related to a Saudi prince and have inherited your own private oil well.

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  pos mountineer - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By T. BENKE - August 6 - 10:00 am

  the trans has been almost fixed 11 times in a year and a half and is still messed up . it wount go into gear in a.m. and third gear, or fourth gear comes and goes as it pleases. very dissatisfied with drivetrain overall!!!!!!!

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  Ok Car - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By CG - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Ok car. Transmission went out at sixty thousand miles. Cost 1500 to repair. Power seats went out. Idle air control went out. Drivers side key pad also went out. Car pulls while braking in the rain. Would not purchase again.

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  good if you dont need air conditioning - 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Chris - July 5 - 11:53 pm

  I drive 2500-3000 + a month. It works well for all the city driving that I do. It has enough room for my dogs and stuff in the back. It is comfortable to ride in. It is very functional for me more so than a "fun" car.

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  Horrible mistake - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Mistake!! - June 3 - 4:20 am

  I bought this car with close to 100,000 miles on it, i took it to a mechanic and he said everything was fine, a few months later everything started breaking down, i had to replace all of the struts and already rebuilt the transmission twice because the gears would not switch, this car is horrible i wouldnt suggest to get it, it has so many problems that i just junked it.

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  Uh, buy something else... - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By Not Sure N Colorado - May 26 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car from my grandmother at 7,200 miles and drove it to Colorado. Amazingly tight suspension. Then half the bulbs in the dash blew out. Put 5 people in it and try to drive up a steep pass and the tranny overheats badly and slips/smokes. THAT is unacceptable. Then the tranny died at 12,000 and again at 19,000 Car then got (stolen, kindof)a one-way brick-on-the- gas trip into Monument Lake and that was the end of that(sorry State Farm Insurance). I refuse to be jacked around by a $24k car when my cheesy old Toyota with 126k has never failed us