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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  99 Mercury Cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By MrFroge - March 30 - 2:00 am

  A great car for those who like the "New Edge" style of automobiles. A coupe with a hatch back that allows cargo as large as a Queen size bed.. It gets a lot of attention at the traffic light.

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  Nice Trade in - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By Simon - March 29 - 6:40 am

  We had a Ford Freestyle, I always complained to my wife that she was spending to much in gas. We drove from Dallas TX to New Orleans, last summer with one tank of gas. 490 miles. I had to stop to fill in cause my wife was afraid we ran out of gas otherwise it would reached around 520. Its my wife car, but I love driving it, we average around 26 city and 32 HWY. However since we bought this car my 05 Mercedes is mostly in the Garage, we both like this car. Hopefully FORD will continue building great cars.

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  Road Noise - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By ams - March 28 - 10:43 pm

  Biggest complaint about this vehicle is the road noise from below when driving. My husband, who drives a Diesel, comments every time he gets in this car about how noisy it is and I have to agree. I am surprised to see all these reviews claiming 30+ MPG. I have had this vehicle almost 2 years now and on average, 26-28 MPG is what it gets.

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  2002 Merc Mount - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By jt_fl - March 28 - 7:06 pm

  This baby is a looker. Fub to drive with a very solid feel. Outstanding interior design. Have driven it 3000 miles without a shake, rattle, or roll( except for the slight vibration in the accelerator pedal around 30-40.)

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  The last great American sedan - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By JimBeam - March 28 - 5:20 am

  The Grand Marquis isnt a perfect car, but its close. Driving is effortless. The base V8 provides more than enough power to get you into trouble. The car gently glides over bumps and potholes instead of jarring the passengers like most cars. Handling is surprisingly sharp for such a large car. It has enough room to seat five adults comfortably and an extra seat belt if you have to take six. I have the LS Limited, which is almost as nice as a Town Car for a lot less. Because Ford rarely changes them and the old cop Crown Vics flood the used market, there are plenty of deals available. These cars last forever, so even a used one will probably last longer that most new cars.

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  Excellent Car - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By cotto1973 - March 27 - 11:43 pm

  I have to admit that doubted the commercials claiming that the Milan/Fusion was preferred over the Camry and Accord. Driving is believing. You have to drive one to believe that this car is on par with the Camry and Accord. The Milan is an impressive car. The handling is excellent. Before the snow, I put it through some aggressive winding roads. It hugs the road gives you confidence. We received our first snows of the season here and have had no trouble on the roads. The acceleration is is good. We have about 1000 miles on the car. We average 23-24 MPG in the city. Driving more agressive, the mileage drops to about 21-22 MPG. We havent driven any highway miles yet.

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  Mariner - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Minnesota - March 24 - 11:53 am

  This has been the most trouble-free car Ive owned. I recently checked the highway mileage and was pleased to find I was getting 27 MPG.

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  Best Purchase Yet - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By Jasonwillhelp - March 23 - 3:20 pm

  I am thinking of buying another van and as I have been searching, I see these reviews. This is my 2nd villager. We had great luck with our first one and bought this one after our first one was totaled. Bought with 95,000 miles and we now have 150,000 miles on this one and actually just got back from a weekend get away from a destination that is 4 hours from us. We have slight issues, but normal for this many miles. Considering that the Odyssey and Sienna remain high priced when even used, this van is a great buy! By the way, there was 7 of us on this trip, 2 adults, 4 teenagers and one, big for his age, 8 year old. No complaints from them about room.

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  A dream car - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By David Lyons - March 19 - 10:00 am

  Bought the car with 29K miles, full Ultimate package with digital dash instrumentation. Full options. Only service so far has been to have the AC compressor assembly replaced, had damage possibly from the road, all covered under factory warranty. Repair bill: $0. This car has tons of power and will haul butt down the road. The trunk is humongous, fit and finish are stellar, and the leather seats are so verrry comfy. Steering and suspension are great.

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  Love it so far - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Jmbcoco - March 18 - 2:36 pm

  Bought a new leftover 2008 Mariner Premier with all the toys. Traded in a Explorer Sport Trac (V-8). So far I am extremely happy with the Mariner. Love the leather seats (wish they were heated) and I do miss Sync. Wish the Navigation system had Bluetooth. Overall nice vehicle.