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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  Great Vehicle - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Bill - November 6 - 10:56 pm

  Good handling, brakes, styling, driving position, ride comfort and room make this a good choice. Gas mileage is bad, but that is to be expected in a vehicle this size. Fit and finish are excellent and the quality of materials is a step above the Explorer and miles ahead of the domestic competition.

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  Looks, luxury, very good reliability - 1999 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Jay - November 4 - 9:03 am

  Purchased the vehicle in 2001, it has been a joy to own, excepting rear differential seal leak, shot EGR valve, and a bad rear wheel speed sensor. Vehicle is "old generation" SUV, huge inside and handling is kind of gimpy on the road. Minor suspension probs as the vehicle gets older. This model year received very good reliability ratings in the Consumer Repts guide compared to other model years. Recommended.

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  No other SUV comes close to Mountaineer - 2008 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Chris - October 28 - 1:46 pm

  This is a great SUV. Mercury really put their effort and time in this vehicle. All the details are very thought out and has a very stylish exterior and interior. It is very spacious and will fit any large family with up to 7. I really like how nice the ride is and is very comfortable. We were looking at other vehicles to consider, but we made a very smart choice and got this. This is a perfect SUV for a single person or a family of 7. And the V8 engine is very powerful and its just an overall awesome vehicle to own.

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  2007 Mercury Mountaineer great value! - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Vic Costa - October 26 - 11:53 am

  I have nothing but good things to say about this SUV. It does all I need it do do with comfort and style! Value wise it is a great investment. I have had zero problems.

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  Love it, but be careful - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By mep - October 26 - 1:16 am

  I love my car, but just had an issue with losing power and no warning. At @42,000 miles the throttle sensor malfunctioned and I lost all power without warning! I was traveling at night on the freeway, so this was especially frightening. That being said, I get aroun 30mpg on the highway and 27 in the city...love the size and feel. I am concerned about excessive tire noise...Ive been told this is a problem with the Continental tires which are hard. Ill be replacing them soon, but overall, with the hard driving Ive put this car through, its been a champ!

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  Dream To Own And Drive - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By Jerry - October 25 - 9:43 am

  This car is a dream if you are interested in performance. It has the power to merge into traffic on the freeway and the power to pass other vehicles on 2 lane roads. I am getting about 23 MPG on the highway and about 20 MPG in the city. It is so comfortable that I can drive this car for 350 miles without stopping and not get tired. There is plenty of room in the back seat for your passengers and there is a center fold down armrest in the back seat. The visibility from to the outside from inside the "cockpit" is excellent and all the gauges are easy to see. The console makes a handy storage area but unfortunately neither it nor the glove compartment lock. I love this car.

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  Must have car, nothing like it driving - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By stevejo - October 21 - 2:00 am

  This car is awesome, will give whiplash if not careful. Good fit and finish. Lots of attention from people especially when the engine is reving. Have not noticed excessive body roll.

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  The best car ive ever had - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By rayray36 - October 21 - 2:00 am

  From the immaculate interior to the extremly fast v8 the mercury marauder is by far the best thing that has come out of ford in a while..

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  Ford Brings Europe to U.S. Autos - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Scott Gurholt - October 19 - 7:00 pm

  The Milan is what Ford has been waiting for. It blends the best of European design, Japanese ingenuity with American quality and attention to detail. Finally an American auto manufacturer shows the benefit of what multi-national auto brand ownership brings. The ride is tight, yet smooth. The interior sounds is silent. The 6-speed auto transmission takes a little getting used to, but one you do its great and the extra mileage you gain is very much welcome these days. The car also looks sharp. It reminds me of the old Alfa 164 - edgy for its time. The Milan finally gives some style to an American sedan. GM should take note ...

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  Best Full Size Sedan in America. - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Austin - October 19 - 6:10 am

  The Grand Marquis represents an incredible value. I looked at the Avalon, Maxima and Camry and none of them even came close on value. The Grand Marquis has a reputation for reliability and low maintenance costs for thousands less than the imports. This is the most comfortable car that I have owned. Gas mileage is very good for a full size vehicle (23.5 City & 30 Highway). It has top safety ratings in all categories. Do yourself a favor and test drive one of these before you decide to buy an import.