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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  Cant Complain... - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By PlainJoe - May 25 - 5:43 pm

  Got this used with 25000 miles, now has 55000 miles. At first, I expected trouble but the car gave me none. Has not been to the dealer. CANT COMPLAIN. Im really happy with the performance. Does really well in NJ snow.

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  goodlilcar - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Badlilkitn - May 23 - 7:33 am

  I bought my Cougar in February 2005 its a 2000 Jet Black and beautiful! The previous owner took care of it like a baby. There have been NO problems so far (hope i didnt jinx myself) I have owned lots of sports cars and this one is smooth. Ive never had any problems with the infamous drink holder. I have Monza exhaust and Weapon R Intake. This car PURRS!

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  Poor design - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By lucky - May 21 - 9:20 am

  From reading reviews I guess I am lucky. I have a 2002 Mountaineer purchased new with about 77000 miles right now. The rear suspension rotted out on it 500.00 to repair, and now the ignition cylinder fell apart. 101.00 labor at the dealer and 100.00 for the part.About one hour labor. I am 62 years old and will be buying another new vehicle this year, but not a ford product. Toyota always has some vehicles in car and driver american made list. Which is why I did just purchase a new Toyota Tundra and will probably buy a Toyota car of some model.

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  So Far So Good - Part I - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By 04SableDriver - May 20 - 10:36 pm

  Wassup All! Just bought my new 04 Sable GS last week and so far, so good! I traded up from a Dodge Neon, so you can imagine my standards arent too high, but here goes... Foremost, I appreciate this cars very spacious interior. Im over 6 tall, and leg/elbow/shoulder room are not problems here. American cars are know for their smooth and quiet rides, and this Sable is no exception, but moreover I appreciate that the car is smooth without being floaty or boaty - overall it makes for a nice balance between "traditional" and "contemporary." Long-term durability worries me, but well see; material/build quality appears high; feature content is certainly excellent!(Part IIs a comin!)

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  My First SUV too - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Paul C. - May 20 - 5:06 pm

  Wow, I was looking into a loaded Eddie Bauer and could not get the options that I was able to get with this 2006 Mountaineer. I have every option except the Quad seat (have three kids) and the DVD Family Ent. Center (no jacks for games). I was able to get "A" Plan plus extra incentives for owning a 1999 Sable (almost $4600.00 off), I could not be happier. This model year on the inside is a big improvement over 2005. The ride is quiet and relaxing.

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  Couger 96 - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By LER - May 20 - 10:00 am

  One of the best cars I have owned. V-8 is a wonderful, maintenance free engine. Comfortable with fairly good gas mileage (23). Only complaint is from my wife who does not like 2-door cars with big doors. Interior has stayed pristine. I never did find the rear wheel drive to be a problem, but I did use snow tires in the winter.

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  Best Car I ever owned - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By bondianwolf - May 18 - 6:04 am

  I have owned Fords; Mercurys; Oldsmobile; Pontiac; Mazda; and a Mercedes. For the longest time the best car I owned was a 1987 Ford EXP. Yeah it was a tarted up 2 seater escort. But it was fun; practical and it never broke. Then I bought this 1997 mountaineer used (I am the second owner). The reason it is the best is because I got it dirt cheap and (after owning it a while) I recently drove it 4000 miles in blistering heat. At one point my wife and I were crossing the desert in 118 degree heat with the air conditioner running. Neither of us could believe the car didnt explode. It ran like a champ. All repairs have been minor and its easy and cheap to fix. Ford trucks r awesome

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  Love this SUV - Bad Gas Mileage! - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Petnannyz - May 15 - 7:20 am

  I bought this SUV used in Nov 2007 with about 18,000 miles for $17,900 and got an awesome prices. It is fully loaded and has the extra two seats in the back too. Have driven it now for 29 months through summers & New England weather. It does shift a little rough at times and has gotten stuck in Park but there was a recall for that so dealership will fix that for free. Love the AWD and how you can lock in the 4WD - pretty easy to do once you figure out the buttons. Love the extra two seats in the way back and they fold up & down so easy! Love my heated seats too; wouldnt get one with out them. Not too pleased with the speaker sound, sounds tinny to me. But otherwise love this SUV.

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  Nice roomy small suv - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By Nic - May 14 - 10:53 am

  Great small suv and very good looking. Lots of wind noise on the highway. Metal seems thin on exterior. Windows make a clanging noise when closing them. Base of door sits on an outer ledge that just traps dirt.

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  Bobs Review - 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Bob - May 14 - 8:36 am

  Have enjoyed seeing the remaining mileage change slowly while the average mileage builds from the 22 that it started at to over 29 for the kind of driving that I do. Still push it, having traded in a Lincoln LS for this vehicle. It feels stable for an SUV, having driven a few. Quiet is nice. With Hybrid we did not expect as much as we have gotten with drivability. This is a nice vehicle.