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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  a perfect fit - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By strypz1 - October 6 - 2:00 am

  besides a few minor hardware problems this vehicle is a steal for the money. bought this as a replacement for a grand cherokee that was driving us to bankruptcy with repairs. we haul 2 adults 2teens and 2 dogs comfortably. the v6 has plenty of power for us , we also tow a utility trailer no problem . get the v8 if towing campers.

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  So far no probs....... - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Tamcam85 - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Purchased in Oct 02, b-day gift to myself(gift that keeps on taking haha). I am paying $350/month-mostly due to my own poor credit, I will be paying like $20k by the end of my 5/yr loan-(I hope it stays worth it for that long). It hasnt given me any probs so far. I dont use the cupholders. In fact, I dont allow drinking/smoking in my car-so the faulty holders are not an issue for me. Going through a bad winter up here in the northeast has caused some interior noise issues while driving over the bumpy terrain-I can only hope warmth will tighten it back up. Everyone that sees my car loves it. No issues with the remote door/trunk lock, or the stereo.

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  LOVE IT!!!!! - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By DEBBY EGOLF - October 5 - 3:30 am

  IVE HAD MINE FOR 2 YEARS AND PICKED IT OVER THE EXPEDITION - GLAD I DID. I WILL TRADE FOR A NEW ONE IF THIS ONE EVER WEARS OUT. BEST CAR IVE HAD IN 35 YEARS!

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  Love this Mariner Hybrid! - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By b hughes - October 5 - 12:53 am

  I did quite a bit of research before buying a new vehicle. I drove them all from Honda, Toyota, Kia, Saturn, Hundai, Dodge, Chevy and the Ford Escape Hybrid. It drives nicely and is very comfortable. I like the exterior and interior design. So far, so good! I give it a ten!

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  Worst car I have ever owned! - 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By besaolli - October 4 - 1:29 pm

  For the past 25 years I have bought nothing but Ford cars; this is my last one! While many of the most important things about this car are good (comfort, handling, reliability, etc.) too many others are awful! The flimsy grill brackets, both visor mirrors, the gear-shift boot, the heavy plastic guard under the bumper . . . all broke or broke off within six months of the warranty ending. In the past several years many other things have mysteriously gone wrong; the headlights only go on if the cars in gear, the "air-conditioner" and heater both only blow HOT air and they blow it whether or not they are turned on! Hot air ALL the time! Im running out of space so Ill just say "Bye Ford!"

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  Milan is better than Accord and Camry - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By ALAN HEBERT - October 4 - 4:00 am

  This is my 2nd Milan Premier (the previous being a V6). I opted for the I4 and am extremely impressed with the 175 HP. This is a great car for the money. I test drove Accord and Camry. America, we have a winner. This car is extremely well appointed. The Tuxedo Black Metallic paint is paired with the standard Camel leather interior. I love the 9 speaker Sony sound system. The MicroSoft Sync is awesome. I am able to listed to my music via an Ipod or thumbdrive (via the USB port). The Milan is very driver friendly.

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  Great Buy! - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Steve - October 3 - 11:20 pm

  First off, Mercury has hit the jackpot! I drove the 07 Toyota Rav 4 and for a 6 tall guy, very uncomfortable! (Plus, not very manly!) The Mariner is just a great SUV that gets pretty good gas mileage. Ive averaged 27 hwy and 24 city. The construction is great too! All car manufacturers are going with a lot of plastic and we all know it. But the interior is very nicely put together. Try the Rav 4 first and then drive the Mariner... youll see the difference!

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  Nightmare to own - 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By 07Merc - October 1 - 8:30 pm

  I bought this vehicle in 2007 few months after I buying it I needed new floor mats. I have had to replace the navigation system once for overheating but the replacement parts still over heats. The CD changers works when it wants I only use this option rarely because I have had issues since day one. The seat heaters kick on at random. Keyless entry works when it wants too. I have had it in the shop on numerous occasions for ABS issues. Come to find out the ABS sensor and tone ring cant handle winter weather. When I take the vehicle in for most of the issues the magic phrase is there is nothing wrong with it. My wife and I have experienced the same issues.

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  My best car I ever owned - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By RichardTanner - September 30 - 12:43 am

  I love the color of my Mariner. I also like the high clearance below me as I go where other cars scrap. My car seems to also hold the road easily. I hope to have it for a long time. I wish this car would have been made before .My last Mercury was a villager.I liked it too. The sound system is really great as I dont ever remember a better radio/CD player in previous cars.We are planning a long trip this summer in the Mariner. Richard

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  Please take this car seriously!!! - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By bebopdeluxe - September 29 - 1:16 am

  Criteria: AWD, powerful engine, 3rd row of seats, 5000+ lbs towing capacity, SAFETY, and fun to drive (I own a 6-speed BMW 540i). The MDX fell short on towing capacity, and the engine seemed to lack "hop" when I hit the gas. The X5 was also no competitor here - not only no 3rd seat, but laughable space for a $54K vehicle. The M-Class? Great to drive, power, VERY safe. Build quality/reliability? The newer ones were thought of as more solid, but now the price had a "5"