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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  Ultimate Grand Marquis - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Mike Elliott - December 25 - 10:00 am

  This is an excellent automobile for the consumer looking for confort at an affordable price. The gas mileage is acceptable as it averages about 20 mpg on regular fuel and around 28 mpg on the highway. It has plenty of power for passing and driving in mountains. I personally prefer the rear wheel drive over frontwheel drive as it handles much better. The rear air suspension really smooths the ride. It is so quiet that the driver hears hardly any wind or road noise. The only thing I would change are the inside door handles. They should be chromed metal and not the hard plastic, after all this is the ultimate Grand Marquis. .

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  Not an LS, But An LSE - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Taxman - December 24 - 9:43 am

  I have an LSE, which was available in 2002; bucket seats, center console, 235 hp engine, dual exhaust, handling suspension and 3.27 rear end gearing. Had a 94 Grand Marquis that was so bulletproof, I bought another Grand Marquis. This one has been flawless as well, other than the drivers door speaker needs replaced or tightened. Starts, runs, and drives without any complaints. The car is much quicker and handles better than the 94, but the exhaust is noisier, the ride is firmer, and the steering much less isolated from the road. Not sure which I prefer, but the basic goodness is still there.

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  OK, could be better - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By nvs - December 22 - 8:33 am

  Overall its been OK but the build quality could be better and only has 42k. So far we have had to replace the tires 3 times can’t buy just one its AWD. Wheels are going bad from rust/corrosion and the chrome is peeling. Been in shop two times in 6 months for wheel bearings. CD changer ate the disks and they won’t come out. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. The power is great. With the 5 speed and the V8 on the freeway it gets 20 mpg or more but around town it’s like 15 or less.

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  Fantastic SUV - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Norton - December 21 - 9:56 am

  Love the handling, mileage and yes, the power. Plenty of passing power. And with 36+mpg, few trips to the gas station!

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  Montego Luxury = Superb Value - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By slbroug - December 20 - 8:16 pm

  We purchased the Montego for our second home in Florida. This is the first American car for us in many years - we expect better than average in every aspect. The comfort and versatility of this car are tough to match anywhere near the <$22k that we paid. It delivers loads of space, very comfortable leather seats, a factory incentive, and 24 mpg average in mixed driving. We are happy and impressed.

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  Mercurys Best Kept Secret ! - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By ExCO - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Just bought the vehicle last month, purchased it new with the LS package, fully loaded, Spruce Green Met w/ tan leather interior and bucket seats w/ floor console. I just love everything about this car, from the powerful Duratec V-6 engine, responsive handling, smooth braking system, ride quality, and such sound construction of vehicle. I had previously test drove Altima and Toyota Solara prior to my purchasing this vehicle, and in my personal opinion, they couldnt stack up to what the 03 Sable LS had to offer. So I did the right thing, saved a few extra bucks and bought a far better car !

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  DONT BUY!!!!!! - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By TRICE - December 19 - 1:03 am

  Right now I am waiting for a buyback from Ford on my orginal mountaineer. I have to get another one from them. Issues: (1) transmission constantly skipping; feel transmission switching gears; (2) car has died on me 4x since I purchased; would not start; needed to be towed. If I had my option, I would be looking at another car manufacturer at this time. I wish I could afford the time & an attorney to push forward, but I cannot at this time.

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  Nice for the price - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Deeeeetroit iron - December 18 - 7:16 pm

  We chose the Milan after testing the Pontiac Grand Prix and G6, DCX 300, Chevrolet Impala, and the Ford 500. The Milan offered good looks, a quiet ride, great handling, a very nice interior and pretty good gas mileage. For the money, this is the best car (at least from the cars we test drove) hands down. I would stongly recommend at least a test drive before you settle on something else.

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  Better Than I Expected - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Matt R. - December 18 - 5:56 pm

  Just bought my black V6 Premier with all the options yesterday. The interior is very classy and you do not feel like youre sitting in a 20- somthing thousand dollar car. It feels like youre riding on smooth glass, even on the gravel/oil roads in my area. Compared to my 02 Focus w/ 86K, the Focus drives like a shopping cart. It had come down to the Milan, Sonata, Accord and Camry. The Milan may not be the fastest or have all the gagets, but I beats all of these in ride quality and most of all looks. Dont get me wrong, I thought engine performance was the most important thing, but just driving it home I realized I just wanted to drive it nice and easy enjoying the ride.

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  After the Accident - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Falina - December 17 - 8:10 pm

  I was recently in an accident in my new Milan and I was impressed with the overall safety of the car. My two year old son and I walked away, but my Milan suffered more damage as they started to repair the front end of the car. I would recommend the Milan again and again for safety plus I love the two tone leather interior, sound system, and sporty look. And the best part is the value for the price. Very good.