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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  A few problems - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By Fred Applegate - June 5 - 10:00 am

  At 5 1/2 years and 52000, after light suburban driving and regular maintenance, the car needed a transmission rebuild and a new front end at a cost of more than $3300. The mechanics seemed not to be surprised, and I know them. Our kids play soccer together, and he is an honest guy. I can only imagine how much this would have cost at a dealer! The biggest problem is that it is the ideal car for our needs.

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  1999 Mountaineer - 1999 Mercury Mountaineer
  By zcar690 - June 5 - 10:00 am

  This has been an outstanding vehicle. I have never bee nmuch of a Ford/Mercury fan but I will be buying another Mountaineer. Unfortunately this vehicle has been in several accidents, but It has saved the lives of my family due to its sturdy construction. It is a bit of a gas hog but its safety and reliability have made it worth the additional cost of fuel.

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  enjoyed my mountaineer - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By foodguy - June 5 - 10:00 am

  had the vehicle for 3 years and i am getting another this weekend. service was great, had a few minor problems that were rectified at once. dealer was great with service and working with. looking forward to another 3 years.

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  Best ever - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By pastkg - June 2 - 8:16 pm

  My Wife and I bought our 05 Mariner used only about a month and a half ago. We couldnt be happier with our purchase! bought it with 47,000 miles on it, and it preforms like new. enormous amount of room for being a small SUV. handles better than our ford focus we replaced for this. We plan to buy another Mariner (2010) when its time to say goodbye to our 05. This SUV has all the options I could ask for and more! leather, power window, locks, seats, mirrors, heated seats, mirrors, roof mount for garage door opener & glasses, very bright visor light (great for reading & night), auto adjust rear view mirror, auto headlights, etc. This is so far the best vehicle I have ever owned.

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  headache in disguise - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Terrell.le - June 2 - 3:00 pm

  i bought my 2002 mercury mountaineer used in January of 2009, Truck did good for 2 hours then the both the front wheel bearings went. Shortly after the dealership fixed this problems i was back in the shop again. The power steering pump went along with the rack and pinion. I have only purchased the mountaineer 2 weeks prior. I made it another month until the transmission blew out on my on the expressway. Took the dealership 10 days to rebuild my new transmission and it still shifts kinda funny. Now 5 months later and the front differential is beginning to go, thanks god for extended warranties! Word of advise for anyone buying this model, DONT! Save yourself the trouble!

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  Love It. - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By JB - May 31 - 10:10 pm

  This car hauls... Dont be fooled by its family sedan/granny car appearance Everytime that Ive let someone else drive it they end up squealing the tires their first time behind the wheel, it has a lot more get-up-and-go than they expect. Nice comfy ride and roomy interior. I havent had any major problems yet..(knock on wood) speaking of..the woodgrain interior looks pretty nice and I love the stainless steel door handles. Ive been considering buying a new car but dont want to part with my Sable.

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  The best SUV - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Wardo - May 31 - 4:06 pm

  This is the best SUV Ford ever built. I plan on keeping this thing forever. Great on and off road capability. The 5.0l V8 is one the best engines that ever came from Detroit. Its acceleration is very surprising in a vehicle of this size. The performance and off-road uprgrades are plentiful. Adding just a dual exhaust and a cold air intake makes this thing sound awesome. No problems yet and having AWD will hopefully stem some of the front end problems so associated with these vehicles.

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  Happy Mercury Driver - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By buggin - May 31 - 10:00 am

  I have had this vehical for 3 months and have put about 8000 miles on it. I have driven it on gravel roads, dirt roads, and ofcourse paved roads. Have not haf the heart to go off roading yet but one of these days I will. The mountaineer has a smooth ride and a quiet cabin with easy access to all the buttons. Needs more cubby holes for junk. Easy access cup holders. Indash CD player is great. However, it lacks the ability to go backwards or back to the begining of the song at the wheel ( a bit nit picky I know). I really like the back up warning system never thought I would like it as much as I do.

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  Nice Car for the Money - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By Richard - May 30 - 9:50 pm

  I bought this car used three months ago for a second car, mainly short haul. Its capable, comfortable and solid. Leather seats are great. I had a Sable Wagon 12 years ago and the difference is night and day. Makes me a believer in Ford again.

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  Better than the Japanese Imports - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By GEMINILAF - May 30 - 10:36 am

  Super styling cues. I love the 17" multi-spoke alloys. Lots of trunk space, especially when you fold flat the back and passenger front seats. Mercury has really raised the bar with quality materials. Love the Microsoft Sync, 6 disc in-dash CD changer, Sirius satellite radio, and all the bells and whistles you would pay extra for in other vehicles in its class.