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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  Mercurys version of the 94-6 chevy impal - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By john chmielowiec - December 22 - 10:00 am

  Mercury wanted something good to boast it sales. They knew only the oldies were buying this car. As of 2000 Mercury was going to discontiue productions of the Grand Marquis in 2003 until someone came out with this idea of the chevy version of the impala ss. Ford knew they could never compete with the Impala ss in the mid 90s. Look at the design of the engine compartment, they could never fix anything larger than a 4.6 in the engine compartment. Ford needs to design the whole car. They need to build a real hot rod. 350 motor in the chevy is the most reliable v-8 push rod engine in the world today. Remember ford does not build quality vehicles today.

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  Hot Car-Couple BIG problems - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Lois - December 22 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my 99 V6 just under 4 years with few problems. But a couple repairs would have been costly had I not purchased the extended warranty. I LOVE the look, the drive is Great! It corners tight. It is the best car I have EVER driven on ice and even snow. The biggest problem is the seats. All of the seats are tremendously uncomfortable and you could not take this car on a long trip. Because of the low-slung design, the blind corner in the rear side is larger than other sport cars. The remote trunk hatch did not work for 3 years - was replaced many times. My headlights did leak water and had to be replaced.

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  Great Cougar - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By Rayro - December 20 - 8:10 am

  We have owned this car for 6 years. Most maintenance has been done at home. Intake manifold problem at 50K miles-dealer replacement. Computer replacement at 66K miles by the dealer- my expense. Service was great. Its a great, reliable car based on a proven chassis. I would like to see Mercury use it as a base for a new rear wheel drive model to compete with the Charger/Chrysler 300C. Lets get with it !

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  Merc Marc - 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Elnino - December 18 - 10:00 am

  Headlamp lens were coroded inside lens,both front lamps. Dealer replaced, N/C. aLSO left rear door window was faulty, would go down using drivers door wdw.operation,but would not go back up. Dealer replaced door switch.N/C. Vehicle does not drive as smooth as I thought it should. Although I had a complete inspection of car by an independent mechanic, checked out 100% satisfactory. In town mileage 18.6 mpg.

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  I love this big solid car - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By Cashfan - December 18 - 10:00 am

  My main concern when buying a car is safety and the Sable ranks as one of the safest on the highway.Safety aside it is roomy inside with a spacious trunk.It has a good clean body style that is easy to wash and wax.The dashboard is laid out well and easy to see.And I cant imagine not having the mileage counter that tells you how many more miles you can go before needing to stop for gas. The inside is comfortable and nicely done.For my money Ford offers the best paint job of any car maker and the paint and chrome make this Sable an eye catcher as you ride safely down the road.

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  My 03 GM LS Ultimate - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By DRC - December 18 - 10:00 am

  A great car that I do recommend! Its a joy to own. The only (2) problems encountered were: a wiring harness replacement that took the Dealer three... weeks to fix, and seperate problem(s) with a FORD after market "remote starter" unit. Needed (4) snows, as I reside in the snow belt.

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  Not Bad For a Boat - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Gary Ciborowski - December 16 - 1:50 am

  Best highway cruiser Ive owned since my 74 Impala. Extremely quiet, ample power and at 22 mpg, you cant complain. Strong signs of ancient automotive technology like analog gauges, but the car seems rock solid. Would seriously entertain buying a sportier model than the GS when this one is used up.

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  Love my Sable - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Roberto - December 15 - 6:33 pm

  I have had it 3 months and have 6,500 miles on it driving from Pa to Canada to Florida and back to PA. No problems detected so far. I looked at Buick Lucerne, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima before selecting the Sable. I traded a 2004 Subaru Forester because it wasnt comfortable on long drives. The Sable has a very smooth, quite ride w/good mileage. Sync system took a while to master and performs reasonably well. The Sync system, Sirius and 6 CD player have overwhelmed me w/music choices for those long drives. Overall the Sable is a great value car.

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  WHOOP - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By Joe Momma - December 15 - 2:00 am

  I like this car, i bought it for money, and it is fast, whoo!!I like this car, i bought it for money, and it is fast, whoo!!

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  Marauder fills a niche - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By ufd60 - December 15 - 2:00 am

  What a great car! There are not any like this with the size and performance of this car. Turns heads everwhere I go. Everybody loves this car and so do I. Mine is getting better the more miles I put on it.