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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  Not very pleased - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By hitmore35 - February 28 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Cougar for 2 years, and its been in the shop for MAJOR issues about 10 times. 3 times for the fuel pump (twice replaced), 2 recalls, Transmission slips, brakes, leaks of all sorts, electrical failures, and the list goes on... Its a shame because the car itself it very nice looking, but its TOTALLY not worth the trouble. Im looking forward to moving on to a different car soon.

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  No Surprise They Stopped Making These - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Tony - February 27 - 4:53 pm

  I factory ordered this car in 2000 with every option except leather and the moonroof. I had warranty problems from day one and gave this car to my daughter after 3 years of frustration. It is going on alternator #5 in only 65,000 miles and we will soon dump this car for a used Honda. Nice looking car, fun to drive, but beware!!

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  Comfortable cruiser - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By Zillafire7 - February 26 - 10:00 am

  The cougar has a very powerful engine, that after 8 years is still able to lit up the michelins. The interior, while basic, is comfortable for 4 adults, provided the two in the back are shorter than 6ft. In the wet, RWD combined with 280lbs/ft of tourque conspire against agressive throttle imputs, but in the dry, can make the car feel like a sports car. Brakes are a little weak compared to new cars, but decent.

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  Regrets the Cougar! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Big Big Mistake - February 26 - 9:56 am

  The car looked great. I was just about to turn 40 and was tired of being practical. I wish I stayed practical. The alternator has been replaced 4 times. The cup holder tips. The tires wear out easily. The engine light is constantly on for a number of reasons. Ford should pay for these recalls. The stereo buzzes and short circuits, but does come back on if you hit a bump in the road just right. The car is very uncomfortable and the ride is awful. I only have less that 200 words to describe this car, so I will use one word... awful.

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  Great truck - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By kim - February 26 - 7:30 am

  Im just writing to tell everyone, how much I love my Mountaineer. I bought it used with 49,000 miles on it. I only have 2 things that bother me. The crack on the back liftgate with I found is a common problem with them. Had issues with it stalling in reverse. Took to dealer and they couldnt find a problem, and couldnt help because the check engine light didnt come on. So I visited many other sites and found that others had the same issue. One guy suggested putting dry gas in it when you fill it. Well, we put the dry gas in it at everyfill up and it hasnt done it since.

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  Proud Owner Speaks - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By proud owner of mount - February 19 - 10:00 am

  A great family vehicle

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  great van - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By wal - February 19 - 10:00 am

  Very fun to drive van. The standard features are great. I have owned 3 vans prior to this one and this is the best one of all. I would recomend this van to any body It drives like a dream.

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  huge let down - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By pincer78 - February 18 - 5:44 am

  i like many others had the problem with the transmisson cooler leak, which was fixed, but now my transmission is out, i have 65,000 miles on my vechicle and had to buy a new transmisson, i was wondering if anyone else had this problem or did i just get the lemon. i havent had any other problems until i noticed the leak, got it fixed immedately then a month later my transmisson started slipping, couldnt believe it, i will never by another FORD again, apparently they dont take pride in their vehicles otherwise why just the 60,000 mile warranty instead of 100,000 like the other competetors. if anyone else has had this problem please let me know, thanks

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  To learn value of present vehicle - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Mercury LS Limited - February 16 - 10:16 am

  Car owned by senior female, ( kept in garage) and in pristine condition. My concern is depreciation because of age, not condition of vehicle. Convenience of entering the vehicle, room, trunk space, comfort, ease of driving and service are the reasons I have chosen a Mercury LS for my last 3 cars. Safety, of course, is also a major issue. I like the rear-wheel drive feature.

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  2005 MERCURY MONTEGO - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By DIGGERJ - February 14 - 10:00 am

  I PURCHASED A 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO NOT A 2004. AUTO IS COMFORTABLE TO ENTER, HANDLES WELL AND IS PEPPY.