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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  Glad I didnt pay to get this car! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Art Jackson - September 19 - 10:00 am

  I got it because my father couldnt drive anymore. Styling nice, but has ergonomic issues. Center console hits my leg in an uncomfortable way. Door wont stay open easily. Cup holder is PATHETIC! Radio has VERY weak reception! At about 57000 miles the maintenance headaches started: oil pan gasket leak, catalytic converter replaced, A/C leaked refrigerant, oxygen sensor failed. Oh yeah, at 36500 miles (just barely out of warranty) the C/V joint broke leaving me stranded on a freeway onramp.

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  Excellent Value - 2002 Mercury Villager
  By Stevenff - September 19 - 10:00 am

  We purchased our 2002 Villager Sport ussed with 11,000 miles on it for about half the sticker price. Like buying a new car for half price. We had a 98 Windstar but wanted a smaller van. The Villager is perfect. Large enough to be comfortable, small enough to be easy to manouver. It is a shame they discontinued it. The Villager filled a niche that is fast disappearing as most minivans keep gaining weight and size. Sometimes "bigger is not better" for everyone.

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  Good, but not great. - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Brian - September 17 - 10:36 pm

  I purchased a brand new black 03 Crown Victoria based on reviews by Edmunds, Consumer Reports and J D Power. About everything they reported has panned out as accurate. The front bucket seats are extremely comfortable, great for long trips. The rear bench seats lack lateral support. Steering response and tracking are vague which requires more minute corrections to stay on course than in other vehicles Ive driven. The interior is quiet. The gray monochrome leather contrasts nicely with the black paint scheme and the car does not heat-up as much as you would expect in our hot Southern summers. The car will cruise at highway speeds (75-95 mph) with aplomb. Hope to drive her 7-10 years.

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  wow! - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By my merc - September 17 - 10:00 am

  i have changed the intake fuel pump. but, yesterday i changed the front shocks and the alternator. it was the one the car came with 11 years ago. thats a long time. i recommend the monroe sencra-trac on the front and back. dont buy a alternator from autozone they dont know a damn thing. had to take the alternator back the new 1. had to replace it. but the car rides damn good, has 305 hp, and really good mpg. when it is time to get another car, no doubt MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS! Autozone awful!

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  2005 Mariner - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Erik - September 16 - 8:13 am

  It has great visibility. The ride is fantastic, more like a car than a traditional SUV. I have a little trouble with seating comfort, I feel like theres no where to rest my arms. It really has good get up and much better mileage than my old SUV.

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  2005 Montego All Wheel Drive with CVT - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Call me Satisfied - September 14 - 12:56 pm

  This is really a nice car. Moved from a Linclon LS to this. The engine is a little underpowered but this is a very comfortable car to ride in and it has tons of room and lots of leg room. The interior is well appointed. I already have two door dings which may be caused by the increased height of the vehicle, but overall, it is well designed, very comfortable and attractive.

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  Luvvin It - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By scf21 - September 13 - 2:00 am

  Our 2nd Mountaineer. The 2004 Premier is worth the price (if you stay near invoice!). DVD player - WOW! Quad buckets are a blast. The sound system is rich and the radio comes ready for Satellite - go figure! Seating is very comfortable for 4, 3rd row seating looks nice but only kids will love it. Interior and exterior appointment is extremely well done. Youll like the improved ride on the 17 inch tires - smooth and great handling. The interior sound at highway speeds is better than previous cars .. even the radio has a compensation for highway noise .. we are definitely spoiled. Thanks, Mercury.

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  Wonderful car! - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Danis Klatt - September 11 - 11:43 am

  Ive only had the car for a few months and its wonderful! I cant find anything bad to say about this car. I wish I would have bought a Mercury sooner. It rides smooth, its a beautiful car, and it has Cadillacs beat all to heck. I strongly suggest that if anyone wants to buy a midsize luxury car this is the one they should consider strongly. I drove a rental which was a Sable two days prior to buying mine and thats what made me decide to purchase one. I cant get over the incredible gas mileage I get on this car. Its unbelievable. I cant say enough good things about this car.

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  2002.5 Mountaineer - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Jay9890 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I took delivery of a 02.5 Premier Edition Mountaineer on 4/29/02. So far so good. The ride is very smooth for a SUV. Much better then my 96 Explorer. I test drove the Explorer and the Mountaineer. For the me, the Mountaineer was a better choice, and cheaper.

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  unreliable - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By beau66 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  Although this car looks good and has some of the best features for the price, it is unreliable. Ive had the cougar for almost 2 years now, and I have put over a 1000 miles on it just from taking it to the shop to get repaired. It has had problems since day one. Ford customer service is a joke. They wont do anything to help me get out of this vehicle, they do fix the problems that occur, but when all you have is problems something else needs to be done. Sure the repairs are warranted, but, its not worth having a new vehicle if you cant count on it.