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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  Great car - 2005 Mercury Sable
  By E.A. Gunter - April 9 - 3:06 am

  I actually have a 2003 but I realy enjoy this car. I recent moved and you would not believe how mucg it cargo it can hold. I drove it 750 miles filled to the brim with cargo and the ride was just as smooth as when its empty and the gas milage was not bad either.

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  No complaint, for what it when through - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Like to Driver - April 8 - 10:43 pm

  I bought this car new in August 2000, fully loaded except for leather. I have driven the car very very aggressively from day one. Except for an alternator problem 1 1/2 yr ago. Had no problem. I have driven this car everyday since new, I have no back vehicle. Currently have 340,000kms on the car now, and plan to keep it until I have to dig a hole and bury it. All I can say is "take it for what it is." It a nice inexpensive sports car that looks good. If you are looking for a Sunday afternoon drive car, this is not it.

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  1998 Mercury Mystique - A GREAT car!!! - 1998 Mercury Mystique
  By Wonderwall99 - April 7 - 10:00 am

  I am a new owner of a (used, obviously) 1998 Mercury Mystique LS... and though Ive only had it for a short time I have fallen madly in love with it. Its sporty enough for my friends to envy and sensible and luxurious enough for my grandparents to want to purchase one of their own. I love the fact that it has a V6 engine in it, and it is one of the most comfortable cars Ive ever driven in. I would definitely recommmend it to anyone looking to buy a used car.

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  Seat Belt Problem - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By croke - April 3 - 2:33 pm

  I like the car in every way. It gets 19 mpg city/hwy. One can only sit on 3/4 of the front seats as the seat belt receptor is solid and sticks up through the seat. It can not be moved. Without that seat belt reception problem, one could sit in the middle of the seat and get support on the right side of the cushion. As it is one sits on the left side support and middle of seat: extremely uncomfortable. It would be ok for a small person, i.e., 100 pounds or less could sit in middle.

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  creacher comforts lacking. - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By insurance man - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Great ride especially on highway, front passenger and driver comfort excellent,poor front arm rests, they should have storage compartments for cds, and stuff, cup holder not eaey to get to. Rear passenger room lacking for such a large car. huge trunk, but placement of spare tire takes up too much space.

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  Mercury gets high marks - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Bryce Acree - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Lots of "bang for the buck". Commpare the Grand Marquis to models like the Toyota Avalon? Avalons price approaches 30k but a Grand Marquis can be had for between 21 and 23k . Then compare the price of repair parts and there is a huge difference. (The GM being far less expensive to repair, of course)

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  ok - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By gp - April 2 - 10:00 am

  We like the vehicle a lot so far. I wish the interior was more metal and less plastic. The plastic is cheap looking after it starts to wear a little bit.

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  family man with 91k - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By Urbanrob - March 29 - 10:00 am

  I bought the car with 84k miles and Im impressed. The Duratec engine starts easy in the winter and has ample pep. I get about 22.5 mpg on average (after tune up), which could be better I think. Its comfortable, quiet and roomy. No problem driving in snow. Huge trunk but the opening could be bigger. Its rather susceptible to cross winds when driving at highway speeds but otherwise smooth and solid (no rattle). The heated mirrors clear ice/snow build up pretty quick. Plenty of room for 3 kid seats in the back.

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  Still doing great! - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Almon - March 28 - 8:46 pm

  My van now has 52,000 and the only problem was to replace a lock on a sliding door. Just replaced brakes and tires this month. Getting 21 mpg over all. About half of my driving is highway miles. My wife and I still love the looks and the comfort on roadtrips. The engine has a lot of torque and is fast off the line and good at passing in the 45-60 mph range. The advance trac feature really keeps it solid on the road.

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  Surprised and Pleased - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By MARC - March 26 - 3:13 pm

  I had all but written off Big three products. I was coming off my MDX lease and was looking for a more gas mileage friendly vehicle. I was also looking to spend a bit less. The Milan just had the best look, quietest ride, fun toys(SYNC and CD changer) for the money. My prior departure from consumer reports recommendations (with ford) have ended badly. To my surprise CR gave the Milan a full red circle(highest rating) for reliability and Camry was only given an average rating. The unfortunate rapid depreciation put a quasi luxury vehicle under 2 years of factory warranty into the range of affordability. 28 MPG 60% highway/country roads. Comp Camry had 80k miles, to a Milan with 16K