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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  Villager Pros & Cons - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By BertBert - May 15 - 2:00 am

  The good thing about the early Villagers is that they all have the same shortcomings so when something goes wrong, its easy to diagnose. We have 104,000 miles on it, so we cant complain too much, but every couple months it needs some sort of repair.

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  Terrible buy!!! - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Toyota is bettter - May 14 - 4:20 pm

  I bought this car exactly 1 year and 2 months ago. It is a piece of junk. It rides well but it doesnt ride as well as GMC or the Japanese companies. This car has okay pickup and terrible gas milliage. The quallity of this car is cheap since it is a Ford product. Next time, I will either buy the Chevy Tahoe, Infiniti FX45, or the Toyota Highlander, or the Honda Pilot or CRV. They all ride better and are nicer. I was taken and I bought an suv with a terrible value.

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  2004 Mountaineer - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Camilllo - May 13 - 10:00 am

  So far, a real good experience...Solidly built vehicle. Feel safe driving it. When my wife drives it, I dont worry for her safety.

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  Wow! - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Niki - May 11 - 6:40 pm

  We love this car. It drives great and is very comfortable. It offers a lot of interior room. I reccomend the V6 premier with the leather seats. I feel like I am driving a car that should have cost $35,000. Having a family, I wanted something with interior room. This car offers lots of room and comfortable seats. We owned a Chevy prior to our purchase. I will go to a Mercury dealer for any future automobile purchases. We are very satisfied with this car and for once, we do not regret buying this one. We love it and have reccomended this car to our friends and family. My father drove it once and went the next week and purchased one.

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  finally - 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
  By DJ - May 9 - 12:00 pm

  Never had an american car. In this economy wanted great gas mileage,and american. My family wanted a comfortable back seat. My lease on my bmw 3 coupe was up. It was in the shop a lot. I had a tough time deciding betwen the fusion hybrid and the milan. the Milan seemed a little more plush and you dont see as many around. I felt this made a thoughtful statement for the times. its a real car. Its engaging and handsome. very few compromises. Considered the new lexus 250hs,but much more $ comparably equipped. write ups excellent as per car and driver, best hybrid on the market today

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  Comfortable Car - 2007 Mercury Montego
  By Robert - May 9 - 10:20 am

  No regrets purchasing this vehicle after 3 months of ownership. Handles very well and has a solid, safe feel to it. Not too impressed with the "audiophile" system - seems to lack midrange. Would prefer a 12V outlet in the backseat instead of inside console. Overall a great value for a better than average vehicle.

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  transmission woes - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By larry hancock - May 7 - 8:00 am

  I loved the car at first, smooth ride, nice looks and then about 30 days into the affair her true nature appeared. It started with downshifts, then went to pausing between shifts as the motor raced. The downshifting problem continued after to trips to the dealer, and now Im on my third trip to the dealer today. Might I suggest you not be fooled by her beauty and go to the internet for some facts. the dealer says there are no problems with this transmission... buyer beware.

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  Comfortable and worry free driving - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By KJN - May 6 - 8:56 am

  Ive now had my Sable for 2 1/2 years and 50,000+ miles with not a single problem. Im amazed and saddened that theyve discontinued building it, but I guess thats the way of the world. Its not flashy, just a good quality automobile with plenty of room and so comfortable to drive. The Sync system is very convenient and the all wheel drive and heated seats make our brutal Chicago winters bearable. Ill keep this car as long as I can and then go back for whatever Ford/ Lincoln-Mercury offers in its place. This car spells Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y and reliability at an affordable price.

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  Dog on the highway. - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By lugnutzz - May 4 - 9:08 pm

  Bought this van thinking that i might get better gas mileage than my old Olds Sihlouette. Boy was I wrong. 18 on the highway, 14 in the city. I thought a tune up would help... Nope. did it myself the first time and figured I messed something up. Took it to a reputable shop and had them do it... nope. Took it on a long trip. Great on the straightaways, but if you climb a hill, you have fully loaded tractor trailers up your butt trying to pass you. Also have had to replace the knock sensor TWICE. Having said that, this is the most comfortable car I have ever had. Bells and whistles work great and cargo is good.

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  Great Vehicle! - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By SGOODFEL - May 4 - 11:53 am

  I totally love my hybrid. I am averaging 30 mpg on my daily commute. What a great change from the 16-17 mpg on my Venture mini-van. Beware - you will totally become obsessed with how well your gas mileage can be. My high is 35 mpg and my low was 28 mpg (highway miles on a trip through the WV moutains). There are a couple of small things I wish it had: bluetooth and the built-in garage door opener. Other than that, the vehicle is perfect! I definitely recommend.