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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  08 Mariner Premier - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Tyler - April 3 - 3:53 am

  My new 08 Mercury Mariner is an awesome SUV it has a smooth ride it handles great has plenty of cargo space and to be just a 3.0L V6 it has plenty of get up and go and it runs very quiet and the transmission shifts very smooth and the Exterior looks great i love the design and style and the fit and finish is very good inside and out and to be as small as it is it has plenty of space for you to get comfortable and i love the way all the radio and climate controls are made and i like the display screen at the top of the dash above the a/c vents the interior design looks great i love everything about this SUV i couldnt be happier i really think you should check the Mariner out cause its awesome

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  Burned!!! - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By kingsime1 - April 2 - 6:04 am

  I have bought and paid for a 2008 Mercury Mariner, and on the day I made that last payment...my 2008 Mercury Mariner literally started to fall apart! From the "torque converter" to the cigarette lighter...you name it, and theres a problem...of which I see thousands of complaints online, yet no recalls, or any attempts by your company to right these wrongs your company has done by knowingly selling faulty products, and doing absolutely nothing about repairing these problems after youve taken the money! I swear, I will NEVER purchase an american product (not only cars, but anything with "made in U.S.A." on it) in my life. Its no wonder the american car companies folded to the foreigners!

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  Rabs 2001 Cougar - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By Rab5862 - March 30 - 7:13 pm

  This is an excellent car with good handling. Bit short on power but alot of fun to drive.

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  What a disappointment - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By crossed by the cat - March 30 - 10:00 am

  I have had to had to put so much money into this car and it only has 45k miles on it. At 40k my transmission had to get replaced. at 43k I needed a new alternator. And now at 45k the brakes will hopefully be the last repair I put to this money pit. I am on edmunds to read up on reviews and see if it is possible to trade the kitty in. Ive had it.

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  MercLS - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By sobogo - March 30 - 10:00 am

  Driving is enjoyable, you sit in the seats, not on them. Seat controls and driving controls are all at your fingertips. The ride is very good and cargo space is both accessable and plentiful. Air bag rear suspension seems to give better stability, especially when you are hauling a load.

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  This car saved my life - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By anned1993 - March 30 - 8:05 am

  Bought this car in 2002, my mother drove it for about 5-6 years and then she gave it to me (19 year old daughter) when I became old enough to drive. Shared it with my siblings on and off for two years. drove it everywhere, had about 110000 miles on it. Boyfriend was driving the car after a long day of hiking, I was in the passenger seat. He dosed off and swerved across the lane hit a fire hydrant that tore off the wheel and then hit a pole that sent us upside down. Airbags deployed on impact and we were wearing our seatbelts. We both walked away from the accident with 2 stitches each. If & when accidents do happen, you want a car that will keep you safe. I thank god for this car.

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  Still Like it -- at the 3yr anniversary - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Ithantech - March 29 - 2:26 pm

  I went into my search expecting to go with one of the Japanese sedans, but quickly found they all have a center console that juts into the leg room of the middle backseat passenger -- so they were eliminated. I bought mine 3 summers ago -- now with the warranty set to expire, I wondered: do I keep it or trade it in? My answer -- keep it, I like it so much. When the Montego crossed my radar, it met or exceeded every criteria -- very roomy interior, good gas mileage (31mpg on a recent hiway trip), trunk that can hold many sets of golf clubs, sun roof, cvt, awd. And the price was very reasonable. I feel a little luxury every time I drive it, and I didnt overpay.

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  The Brown Bomber - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By highman001 - March 29 - 12:43 pm

  Smooth ride and tons of trunk space. Leather interior and good sound system makes this fun to drive. On a cold day it has seat warmers and heats quickly. A/C blows cold and I love the color of Arizona Beige even though I nicknamed it the "Brown Bomber" good pickup and speed

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  I wish I bought a Toyota instead - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Dai Nguyen - March 29 - 6:33 am

  Ive owned several import cars in the past (Honda and Toyota) and a friend talked me into this "mistake". needless to say were no longer friends anymore. This has been the single worst automobile I have ever owned! I have owned it for 3 months now and only been able for drive it for approximatly 3 1? 2 weeks. My fuel pump has gone out, the power window motors on both front door have been replaced, AND the transmission has blown up. Never..NEVER will I buy another domestic car as long as I live!

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  Watch out for leak - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By tom - March 29 - 1:13 am

  Purchased mariner 4 months ago. Ran great then noticed fluid leaking from transmission coolant. Knew the Escape had this problem so i purchased the mariner. Good thing SUV still under warranty at 33,000 mi.