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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  Excellent Car - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By skp369 - December 31 - 12:30 am

  Excellent all around car. Great acceleration, braking, and handling. Its like driving your lazy boy and having a sports car with room for the kids.

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  Wonderful SUV for the price - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Wrangler - December 27 - 2:00 am

  To drive this beast is great! it feels so stirdy and reliable on the road, i dont have any worries with the ice storms we have. All of my friends cant believe its a mercury, they or i should say ford has done a very good job this time!

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  Great Car - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Mike - December 24 - 3:06 pm

  Bought the car (V6 and auto) almost 7 years ago and driven 61,000 miles. Have owned about 30 cars over the years including real sports cars and this is about the best. No major problems with the car. Spent less than $100 fixing problems over the years. Put on new tires once and new brakes once. Love the looks of the car and it is unbelievable how much we have hauled using the hatchback. Get 35 miles per gallon on highway at 75 mph and about 24 around town.

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  2005 White Mariner - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By R E Prue - December 22 - 6:56 pm

  Lots of pep and great handling. Mileage about 3-4 mpg better than 2002 Explorer that was previous vehicle. Ride is about equal even tho it is smaller.

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  What a Blast! - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By bigbaga - December 22 - 10:00 am

  After driving Lincoln Town Cars and then Navigators for the past 15 years I said, "what the heck", its time for this 50 something suit wearing professional to try this "hot rod". What a Blast! The evening I picked this up at the dealership it was sitting inside the service department. When the salesman started this car in that cavernous garage the sound was so awesome I wished I didnt have to stay to do the paperwork! This car is the bargain of the decade! Comfort, all the amenities and 300+ hp of tire smoking, put you back in the seat power for just over $30K! Why hasnt this car caught on? It will definately stay in my collection!

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  Great Car - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Billy Boy - December 22 - 10:00 am

  This is my third Grand Marquis, and by far the best of all. They just keep getting better and better. I always put over 100000 miles on them before trading, with no major problems. Also, I get the dual exhaust model, as it adds a few more horsepower to the already peppy 4.6L.

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  Milan is Magnificent - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Matsupa - December 18 - 4:30 am

  We bought the V6 Premier. The ride is excellent, the only problem with the duratech engine is the torque during a hard acceleration, other than that the shifting of the 6 speed transmission is smooth with more than adequate power. I have averaged about 25 mpg combined highway and city driving since I have owned the car.

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  Wow! Nice Ride - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Gallowsman - December 18 - 12:50 am

  This is definitely a "High End" vehicle. The ride and handling is solid and sporty. The V6 has all the power one can expect, it does the job. The interior is well designed and laidout, no clutter. The rear seating is made for adults, 2 comfortably. The truck is a "3 Body" truck, and with the fold-down rear seats you got all the room you need short of needing a pickup truck bed. The exterior is clean and sporty with wheels that setoff the styling.

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  This is a great car - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Wyoming cowboy - December 17 - 8:00 am

  Seeking an AWD vehicle with good power and plenty of styling and comfort? This one fits the bill. I have owned Subarus and Mercs in the past but this is the best. I regularly get 27+ mpg at freeway speed. It handles well in bad weather. It has a smooth ride and is quiet and solid. I have 7000 miles without a hint of a problem. Only complaint is that the dark ink blue is nearly black. Go for black if you want or lighter blue as this blue shows its beauty only in bright sun.

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  Best Sedan in the world - 2000 Mercury Sable
  By Papo - December 15 - 10:00 am

  This is a great vehicle!!