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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  Its not what you think - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By jscheide - December 5 - 2:00 am

  This car has the ride and confort of a 70s boat. But thats all it has in common. This car handles better than my 93 escort did. It gets better gas milage than my 98 ranger 4cyl .It has plenty of power This car is a great minivan alternative. All 3 of my kids (two in car seats) fit comfortably in the back. And you can buy a model that is a few years old at a dirt cheap price. I am basing the relibility in part on my 1984, which would put any toyota or honda to shame.

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  Truth in Advertising (not) - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By chet - December 5 - 2:00 am

  Compared with my 1997 grand marquis which was quite economical (25-26 mpg hwy & 18-19 local) My 2003 gets 22.5 hwy and 15 mpg around town. Very disapointed in the 2003 as I was expecting similar economy on the 2003 since the window sticker claims 19-25 mpg just as it did on the 1997.I blame it on the unnecessary increase in horsepower.Truth in advertising!!???

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  My Mercury - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By Mike - December 3 - 10:36 pm

  Not a bad SUV except for the lack of outside temp and reading lights for passengers. This unit is the first Ford product I have ever owned and I am not sure it is not the last. I traded in a 2005 Equinox for it and am not sure it was a good trade. The equinox outside temp. and reading lights for the passengers also more room and easier to get in and out of. The flat floor pan made getting in and out easy. Did not like the Contential tires that came on it either. They were noisy and road hard.

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  I Love It - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By TheJew - December 1 - 2:36 am

  he I4 is awesome, plenty of power, and easy to upgrade, same engine as ZX2 and SVT. Lots of aftermarket parts available. I bought it with 74K miles on it, and it still gets an impressive 27mpg in the city and around 30mpg on the highway. I upgraded the rims & tires, and added a Cold Air Intake, Aftermaket exhaust, throttebody spacer, and new plugs with NoLogy spark plug wires. Previous owner had already put Koni Gas Shocks on it. It now Dynos out at 235whp, and 220tq at the wheels.

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  AWD Transmission leak? - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By emil schmultz - November 29 - 10:00 am

  Great vehicle, new rear suspension handles well, have had occasion to seat 6 or 7 passengers, all comfortable. Plenty of space for cargo, and we traded a T&C, but still satisfied. This is the wifes car, who really appreciates the height & forward view. Her favorite features are the back-up alarm and heated leather seats. Im happy she liked a real truck, not a blown up wagon. Plenty of towing iron beautifully hidden behind rear bumper.

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  Love that Cougar - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By shelkatt - November 29 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely love my car!! It is an XR and bright red. It is very fun to drive and in my opinion it is the sharpest looking car around the small town I live in.It is too bad that they are no longer made.

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  Love my Milan - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Sara Youngblood - November 28 - 12:10 pm

  The Milan is a very well-built sedan. It has all the most important features, like power windows, locks, 6 way power seat, remote keyless entry. An excellent radio, mp3, cd and speakers. A tilt/telescopic steering wheel with cruise and volume control. The gas mileage for in town is good. The air conditioning is exceptional. It really keeps the car nice and cool. I really like the message center where you can get information on you oil pressure, doors closed or open, brake fluid, are just a few of the items. Its loads of fun to drive and has more power than I expected for a 4 cylinder engine. Im very very happy with my milan. Also the price for the car is very afforadable.

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  Love It - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By KEG - November 27 - 2:40 pm

  I just bought a used Cougar. The service engine light was on when I got it and after just a few hundred miles it the light started blinking and the car started acting like it was going to fall apart. Once the light stopped blinking, the car started driving right. I am going to get the car checked soon, but overall I love the car and it stills looks brand new and like some of the others say it gets looks and that is what I like. I have a Firebird and Xterra, but would rather drive the Cougar now.

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  Very Happy Customer - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By Maggie in Arkansas - November 27 - 2:56 am

  Had a Mercury Villager with 100,000 miles and no problems at all. Decided on the Milan and am very pleased with its performance. The Sync is just great, the stereo system awesome, A/C, as on all Lincoln/Mercury products is the best and the coldest! Love the moonroof, heated seats, the leather, the "get up and go" is as good as any vehicle ever. Overall, beats the Camry, Honda,Malibu and all the others in this price range as well as those higher, even some of the Mercedes!Good mileage, great looks and turns heads. What more could you want!

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  whoo hoo! - 2002 Mercury Sable
  By bmmbells - November 25 - 5:46 am

  the interior was awesome as well as the sound system the kids love it and play in the trunk and