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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  Dont be fooled.. - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By tcmommy - March 26 - 1:11 am

  I bought this car used as my very first car. It had 55k miles on it and I loved it at first. It now has 153k miles and I dont even feel safe driving it. At about 70k miles I had already gone through 1 alternator and 2 batteries. The car started shaking really bad and I needed to replace entire transmission. All in all, Ive had to replace, many tires (more than usual), 4 alternators, 2..yes 2 transmissions, transmission and engine mounts, many batteries, the trunk no longer stays open on its own, check engine light will not go off, even though dealers have checked numerous times, lights have a film over them, and power window motor twice. It looks nice, breaks great, but just not worth it.

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  Great new car - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By eric - March 24 - 1:13 pm

  This is the best car ive been in, in its class. Beautiful in and out. Smooth ride, handling, and very comfortable.

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  Waited for 2008 and Glad - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By JFS - March 24 - 12:16 pm

  Almost bot 2005 Montego but backed out at the last minute. Was nervous over engine and quirky CVT. 08 offer sufficent power, smooth 6 spd trany. All other features - space, ride, safety, still there. USA Today auto editor said that front end bounces too much over sharp bumps. I cant find this at all. Some have said that 6 spd trans too slow to downshift and "hunts" too much for right gear. I disagree again. Exterior design may not be a medal winner but certainly not ugly. Is some tire noise w/ 18" Pirellis but no where near a deal breaker. A very underated car.

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  Great Car - 1998 Mercury Sable
  By sandy - March 21 - 11:56 pm

  Bought the car used, 10+ years ago, with 25000 mls on it. Car now has over 276,000+ miles. It consistently gets 21 mpg. We recently took a 1000 mile trip and got 29 mpg. Getting old and having some problems but has been a GREAT car!!! Will probably replace with a used, NOT new style, model.

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  Had to be a 5-speed manual - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Rich Lee - March 19 - 5:36 am

  So far, I am very pleased with my Milan Premier. The Milan is a best-kept secret. I had picked out an Alloy Fusion SEL but just couldnt go through with it. Odd- looking fog lights. So, I located a black/black Premier about 100 miles away, brought the print-out to my local dealership, and they arranged to have it delivered. During my first day, I continued to hear conflicting info RE: outside temp display. I called the service dept, and they told me where it was. Press EXT on the auto climate center. The gas mileage has inceased to 24 after 600 miles and is continuing to improve.

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  My Mountaineer - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By dhalliburton - March 19 - 2:00 am

  I love my Mountaineer. It fits me to the T. I wished all SUVs got better gas mileage but what do you expect? My children like it too. As a matter of fact, my son picked it out. Thanks Mercury.

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  Monterey: nice surprise - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By NT - March 19 - 2:00 am

  Easy to use seating, quick response, smooth and ultra quiet ride, somewhat pricey yet well above average in overall performance in its class- Monterey is a welcome addition to the stylish but practical minivan.

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  What a machine - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By styleguy - March 18 - 10:00 am

  I have a AWD Mountanier. What a vehicle! Great in any type of weather. You can not spin a tire. The vehicle has run flawlessly and only had a few minor repairs. The gas mileage does suffer a little, but you got to pay to play. The air conditioner will freeze you out on the hotest days, and pulls a trailer just fine. I think I will keep mine a while longer, I cant find anything that I like as much for a replacement. I Never thought I would like a Ford.

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  97 Mercury - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By RBPem - March 18 - 10:00 am

  this has been a wonderful car, I hate to sell it, but I have never kept a car 5 years. I do not use a car hard ( 78 year old widow) and I have had regular service. It never needed more. I had one parking lot accident, fender damaged.

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  Great ride, but falls apart too quick - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By kidfilter - March 14 - 1:43 pm

  Like many of the reviewers for this car, I started having troubles from day one, nothing too major front headlight was out and a recall for the steering, but still frustrating. My major problem with the car is the fuel system. Troubles started in 2003. I started running out of gas even though the gauge said there was gas in the tank. Now (2007) I cant let the car go below a 1/2 tank without worrying that I may run out of gas. I just replaced the alternator. The cupholder is dangerous. Sounds silly, but wait till you make a tight right turn in one of these babies and have a lap full of scalding coffee. Great handling, fun design. All trunk no backseat. Not good for people over 55".