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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  Montego!!! - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By VOORHEES - October 17 - 11:40 pm

  Nice car, lots of options on the Premier. Handling is solid and power from the 3.0 V6 is very good. Not what the reviewers say. If you want super performance, buy a Mustang GT. Very happy with it. Comfortable too.

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  Would highly recommend - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By MOM1 - October 17 - 10:00 am

  This is our second Mountaineer. They just keep getting better. Very, very comfortable to drive. I love the back- up sensor. Kids love entertainment system. Just wish gas mileage would improve a bit.

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  I am happy - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By kittkatt - October 17 - 10:00 am

  After driving a Crown Victoria since 1997 I am use to the big car feel. The Marquis is very similar to the Crown Victoria and the drive is just as good.

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  Great Car - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Dwight - October 15 - 4:56 pm

  I bought this car new, enjoyed it very much. Has 60,000 miles, 23 average mpg, better on trips. I think its a quiet car overall, the only thing I dont like is a start up engine knock but its been doing that all the time and I lost a center hub cap. The car runs great, plenty of power for me, good ride.

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  1999 Villager from Mechanicville, NY - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By Vermilyeas - October 8 - 6:33 am

  We are a Family of 5. Three growing boys, our Villager is great. We have bucket seats in the second row. We always keep one seat out for the added room, and put it back when we need it!Our Villager has served us well!

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  Awesome - 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Fab - October 7 - 11:36 am

  Love it! Fun to drive - feel good about it being a Hybrid. Makes me want to take a road trip. Great performance, averaging 32 mpg.

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  2006 Mariner Premium 4WD - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By peter1438 - October 7 - 5:43 am

  I went into this vehicle from an 05 VW Touareg and what I expected was to find a basic American truck that would be breaking down left and right. I was mistaken and I am very impressed with the Mercury, I am now thinking that the VW was the problem child. The interior is very well done, except for the cookie cutter central dash. The seats front and rear are very well done and quite comfy. I have had zero issues with the vehicle and the on road performance has been terrific. Its very nimble to control in heavy NYC traffic, terrific brakes and very good get up and go. I would highly recommend this vehicle over many foreign brands. American vehicles have caught up and surpassed.

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  Will only buy grand marquis! - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By candy - October 5 - 4:40 am

  I had a 1996 model with 201,000 miles on it when I bought this 2001 model. I had no problems at all.I will only buy the best and this is the BEST! Thanks Mercury for your great performance and continue building them the way they are.

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  2008 Mariner Premier FWD - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By marshismellow - October 4 - 6:00 am

  Let me start off by saying that I have never owned an SUV. Let me also say that my two previous automobiles were a Mercedes C240 and a BMW 325i. I have been incredibly pleased with my Mariner since purchasing it. I love the styling, I have all of the same options that I had in my luxury sedans (heated seats, moon roof, CD players, power everything). I actually have a few more options on my Mariner Premier that I didnt have on the luxury sedans (heated mirrors). The Mariner is fun to drive and extrememly roomy inside. It feels big but is actually shorter in lenght and width than my Mercedes was. I researched the hybrids, but for the lease rate I received I couldnt pass this up. I wouldnt have ever thought Id own a Mercury, but its elegant, stylish, and a better value.

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  Best Family Sedan Ever. - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Aaron - October 2 - 10:56 pm

  The new 2008 Mercury Sable is great it has all the features you could ever want at a price you can afford. The new Sables 3.5L V6 has plenty of horsepower to move the car without any problems and the engine is good on gas so far on highway driving I have manage an excellent 29.2mpg. I love the overall design of the Sable. It looks like a big Milan. The interior is comfortable with plenty of leg and headroom. The materials are great quality. I love the wood trims and the clock in the dash. I think it looks really classy. Also the Sable was rated the safest full-size sedan in America so I feel secure knowing my family is always safe. I really could not ask for a better car. It has been great so far.