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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  2002 mercury mountaineer - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By papapochi - October 24 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle june 2001 and until now reliability has been very good.I recommend this vehicle to other consumers.

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  Our 4th Mountaineer - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By michele - October 24 - 10:00 am

  Serious vehicle. The 2004 has been completely re-styled and is better than ever. Top-quality look and feel. Great for families or sport enthusiasts - lots of room.

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  Grand Marquis - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By bryanh - October 24 - 10:00 am

  Largest car weve bought in several years. The ride is smooth and quiet. Instruments are easy to read, especially at night, and controls are conveniently located within easy reach of the driver.

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  Love My Mariner - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By Manitoba424 - October 23 - 12:00 pm

  This is one of the best cars I have owned. I love the luxurious feel of the interior. It feels like Im in an upscale SUV and its a Mercury! I have had an Escape and the Mariner is so much nicer. I cant say enough good things about this car. The V6 has loads of power. My only drawback is the gas mileage - but its an SUV so what do you expect?!

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  overall a great car - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By baldwin125 - October 22 - 5:46 pm

  I got this car in the summer of 08. had 143k on it. it rode smoothly. it was quick to accelerate and handling was very responsive. Never got stuck in the winter. had to travel on some really muddy roads sometimes and had no trouble getting through. one concern i had was the transmission. it lagged from 1st to 2nd sometimes but never became a huge issue. I had to repair the altenator twice and replaced the starter once. lots of interior room, huge trunk space. speakers were great quality. ac was beyond amazing, heat was slow but great none the less. i was in an accident in the winter. id say the saftey of the vehicle is excellent. it was a rear end collision and nobody in the car was injured.

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  2007 Mercury Mountaineer V8 AWD Premier - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Hinrich - October 17 - 4:00 am

  This is our 5th Mountaineer and not the best we had. Quite a few problems within the first 14,000 miles (check engine light on, 6-speed transmission shifting abrupt, airbag light on, bad body panel and door fit, rust on some body parts) required multiple dealer visits. The engine is powerful and more refined compared to the 2004 model we drove before. Gas mileage is bad, get about 14 MPG in mixed driving. Truck is comfortable except for a choppy ride over short bumps. Interior comfort is good with lots of space (Im 66" tall). Quality of some interior materials a step back from 2004 model.

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  Great Car, great price - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By jones203 - October 16 - 3:36 pm

  Ive driven this model in the 1980s and liked it then, but love it now. Many great improvements over the years, especially to the suspension system. Very well built car and fun to drive. Purcahsed used with low mileage. Compares favorably to my friends Lexus!

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  Dont waste your money - 2000 Mercury Sable
  By mykem1 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  After the first year, the cars mileage worsened and is still horrible today, although the dealers computer assures me I should be getting excellent mileage (now gets 13MPG city and 23MPG Hwy). Car has had multiple recalls, and has been in for faulty airbag. Now a new problem has popped up and it is much nastier (whole front end is shaking and lights all over dash). Car is 2 years old and only has 16,000 miles. Ford outdid themselves this time, my other Fords all went crazy just after 35,000 miles. This one cut that time in half.

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  Luxury not Zip - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By DC - October 15 - 6:46 am

  First off I work where they build the Merc. That said, this is not an ad to sell more but my real opinion of this car. It is what it is, a well built economical. (read really good milage for a big car)It isnt a hot rod but youre there at the next stop light with the rest. I see over 17 mpg in town driving and 28 and change on the road with three and a half folks inside and stuff in the trunk. I never have to ask; Hey you got enough room back there?, theres plenty, even the Shack might not complain. If you like more power its coming soon in 08 from what I read. I drove out through the mountains of CO. and did it without strain. Try one. Ok I do work there:)

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  MercuryMan - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By MercuryMan - October 13 - 12:03 am

  Wow! I bought this little SUV for my wifes daily driver, and I love the thing. She cant keep me out of this thing. It gets 29mpg highway and 22+ in city driving. I never travel with a hang up bag so I didnt even notice the lack of hangers in the rear. The seats are firm and comfortable. My wife opted for the Redfire exterior and stone cloth interior. I about gagged when she said tht was her preference. We owned a Mitsubushi Montero that I also liked and prior to that we owned a Toyota 4 Runner, both were excellent vehicles but the love was not there. By the way my spouse loves her Mariner as well. She just has a hard time getting behind the wheel of this great little SUV.