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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  LOOOOVE IT - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By namllitsdad - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Great style Fun to Drive Faaaaaast

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  Poor gas milage - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By kyle - January 13 - 4:56 am

  i have had my mercury for 2 yrs. Ive had the fuel pump go out on it twice. For those of you who have to change the pump, change your fuel pressure regulator that caused the pump to over work. it a great highway car. but, the mpg is poor. Im getting a Buick. i love mercurys. they have poor mpg. the 3.8 n the buick has a intake manifold problem. ive changed it in my merc,

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  Great little car - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By RF - January 11 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned mine for 2 years now and still enjoy driving it. It handles like crazy, has a decent amount of power, and looks great. Everything has worked flawlessly - Ive only performed routine maintenance. I replaced tires early due to finding the cars handling limits. It sticks like glue!!

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  Unhappy - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By Unhappy - January 10 - 4:10 pm

  We purchased the Mariner over the Escape because of the nicer interior. The light grey seats seem to hold water stains and other stains and do not clean well. We have a very bad squeak on the rear left side - and drivers side window squeaks loudly when opened. Disappointed.

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  1998 Mercury Mystique 2.0L 5 Speed (Perfect College Car) - 1998 Mercury Mystique
  By thecptamerica - January 10 - 12:08 am

  Got this car for college for $1600 back in August with 117k on it. It now has 126k and I gotta say I really am impressed with this car. Very spacious upfront, huge trunk for how small the car appears to be, the 2.0L with the 5 speed is an absolute blast, transmission is pretty responsive, the independent rear suspension adds a responsive handling characteristic that makes the car quite good in the corners, the mpg is incredible (rated at 21 city, I usually get 24-26, hwy rated at 32, driving 70 mph I get 35, 80-85 mph I get 32). Grew up driving camaros, f150s, expeditions, Datsun/Nissan Z cars, SRT4s and I gotta give props to this little car for the amount of fun it is.

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  Most Reliable Car Yet! - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By shane52sk - January 9 - 4:57 am

  I have owned this car for 3 years and I cant say enough about it. I have had very few minor problems and absolutely no major problems. I am the second owner and Ive had it since it had 44,000 miles. It now has 110,000. No Problems! The car drives great and I average 25mpg city driving. The car has good pick up for a 4cyl SUV. Its very comfortable and is fun and easy to drive. I have received nothing but compliments since I have owned it. If you want a vehicle that is reliable; impressive; and wows others...This is absolutely one to look at!

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  A great car that his highly undervalued! - 1998 Mercury Mystique
  By mylespiper - January 8 - 10:00 am

  98 Mercury Mystique bought w/ 82,000km in Dec. 02 and have driven it over 60,000km (38,000 miles). Interior - well-built, attractive - nothing worn, broken, or faded - after cleaning, interior looks new - no rattling due to solid constuction - excellent seats for comfortable long- term highway driving Exterior - not the sharpest car but overall is attractive - paint is durable and still shines Overall - car performs very well - plenty of power - great highway driving - sport-tuned suspension provides a smooth ride with little roll when turning Have not had one mech. problem with this car. Recommend to anyone looking for a reliable, comfortable vehicle

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  DECENT CAR - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By KIRBY - January 8 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car for the money.I bought it used a little over 2 years ago with 18000 miles and now have 37000 on it. no mechanicle problems at all very comfortable to drive. city mileage could be better but not bad on the highway.

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  A Rock-Solid Ride - 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By CapnHawk - January 6 - 2:43 pm

  Bought my first Grand Marquis in 1992. Ran it for close to 350,000 trouble- free miles. My 2009 model seems to be no different than the 1992 model. Rides like a dream, great power from the V-8 engine, and more room than you could ask for. The segue from a 17 year old model to a new one could have been accomplished while blindfolded. Fit and finish is outstanding. I hope they never stop making the Grand Marquis.

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  Great Car - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Robert Claus - January 6 - 5:03 am

  The Montego is a great car for the money, it has all the options you want included in the price. The car handles great in town or on the highway. Gas mileage in the twenties . Power seat on passenger side is only two way. No key lock for the trunk. Side veiw mirrors are large, already have broke one. Visibility is great front and rear.