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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  Love my hybrid! - 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Dian - May 5 - 1:23 pm

  OK so its not a high priced sports car (I have one of those as well) and it isnt high powered monster SUV (My husband drives one of those). However, for what it is: economical, comfortable, nimble and reliable (so far) I love it! Yes, it was high priced, but packed with every option, so thats not so horrible. The one down side is that the nav could be better. Im not asking it to compare to the ones Ive had in my luxury cars, or the aftermarket in my husbands Suburban, but I would really like to see some improvements there. Still, it;s fun to drive, easy to park, and very practical. I get 30 MPG without the AC and 27 with AC. Cant complain about that!

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  surpirsed - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By driver3 - May 4 - 2:00 am

  didnt expect to like this vehicle as much as i do, coming from an older bmw 735i. however, its the same size and width as the car, has lots of V-8 power and drives tight. substantial looking and stylish at the same time, the interior trim looks great. drove the explorer too, but the mountaineer edged out the explorer in every department.

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  Mountaineer - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Tommy - May 3 - 6:23 am

  Excellent handling SUV. Quality interior, great sounding stereo system, a pleasure to drive.

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  Great Car - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By seadog215 - May 2 - 10:00 am

  My cousin talked me into buying it. I have a Lincoln Blackwood and was looking for another car. and this car is a Gas. Fun to drive Corners like a big Saab but has that american feel for the road. Good gas mileage when cruising 60-70 great pickup from 40 on up. its so good I had to get a new radar detector. Huge trunk.comfortable seating. Decent sound system but nothing to brag about. But I think they only made 18000 of them each year for two years. So if you want afun car to drive that may go up in value this is it

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  The Good, Bad and Ugly - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By Jakesmommy1 - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought my car on October 31 2001. I loved this car until the engine, in 2003, decided to blow up on me going down the freeway. I had the oil changed every 500 miles and it still blew up. Now $5500.00 later, they took the cougar off the market to put in a mustang engine to replace the old one. The steering column came apart, the back seat is not meant for taller people. The trunk doesnt open unless you lift up on it, as you turn the key or push the button.There was a recall on a fuel pump part, which causes the hesitation in the get up in go! NOT A GOOD CAR IF YOU HAVE A BABY!!!

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  No Confidence In This Car - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By T-K - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Negatives: * Replaced fuel pump twice * Been in the shop 5 different times. * Turning radius is terrible (it reminds me of a semi) * Backseats are too small for adults. * Dim Headlights are too dim. * No compartments for change & stuff. Positives: * Tons of trunk room * V6 is fast & fun. * Mercury covered the cost of the fuel pump recall. I have had the car into get serviced many times. The fuel pump has been replaced twice. No one seems to know what is wrong with it. After the redesigned pump was put it, I figured my problems are over. I still have a sluggish engine and I am constantly worried it will break down. Basically, im selling it!

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  Mercury Montery Mileage - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Mercury Driver - May 2 - 10:00 am

  We traded a 2000 Olds Siloutte and are somewhat disappointed with the Montery in comparison. The gas mileage on the Montery is VERY disappointing. We are averaging 14 around town and about 19 on trips. This van is also much louder (engine/road sounds) than was our Siloutte. While the van looks great, we are disappointed with mileage and interior noise. I also need to note when the rear DVD player screen is in use it completely blocks the drivers sight view from the rear view mirror. This was not the case in our Oldsmobile. Lastly, the auto climate control is confusing in setting temperatures for driver, passenger and rear. The fan speed cuts back to soon leaving the car uncomfortabe

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  nice car - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By mick - May 2 - 7:50 am

  I went from a Ford Explorer, that used to be my daughters but thats another story, to a new 2009 Milan and it has been wonderful. I was worried about the power of the I4, but it has plenty for my taste. After driving the v6 and was certain that the I4 would serve my purpose. I drive it mostly to work, about 10 miles one way, but my wife ownes an Lincoln MKX and we are finding ourselves driving the Milan more and more. Great little BIG car from Ford.

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  Love the new Merc! - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By saleen #182 - May 2 - 4:36 am

  I love the new Merc. Mountaineer. It is a ceramic white Premier w/every option available. Took it on a 2300 mi. trip, performed great. My family loved the truck & DVD player, kept them entertained & even made a fan out of my "chevy loving" father. The truck gets lots of posotive feedback from almost everyone I meet. I got a really good price on it as well. Overall, very happy with the truck.

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  Best looking design in years - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Harold - May 2 - 3:33 am

  For my money this is the best looking car produced by FLM in years. What captured both my wife and myself was how clean it looks on the inside. I got a Premier with an automatic and loads of options for $22k with a 4 cyl. engine. The ride is very comfortable and quiet. If the price of gas ever comes down I would suggest the 6 cyl. engine as that would provide some needed power but after owning a 6 and getting terrible gas mileage during the summer in San Antonio, A/C season is from March- November, the 4 fits me just fine. Only had the car a week, will return with more info after Ive driven it a few thousand miles.