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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  A solid, traditional, reliable car - 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Paul - December 11 - 9:53 pm

  I find the official review from Edmunds a bit irresponsible! I fail to see the logic in urging folks not to want a so- called "throwback" of a car when the Grand Marquis is a solid, reliable US/Canadian vehicle that gets the job done in comfort and safety. Competitor cars have iffy build quality are costly to repair. Does Edmunds want us to pay more for something "new" just because newness is somehow better? I disagree! I have a 2008 BMW 5 series too and the iDrive is a mess, the dopey flipper shift knob gets in the way, parts break often and its back to the $$$hop; its constantly nagging at me too! A lousy personality I pay a fortune for. Ill take the familiar, old school Ford V8 anyday.

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  Still Works Great - 1999 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Mobagman - December 11 - 2:00 am

  It has been a very reliable vehicle. I have changed tires, brakes, oil..thats it. Who ever buys it needs to change the sparkplugs. One of thoose cars that just wont let you down.

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  FELL APART AFTER WARRANTY FINISHED - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Marc26tx - December 11 - 2:00 am

  While under warranty it went in for transmission issue and a/c motor. After 36k was over, DOWN hill from there. Mass air flow sensor, fuel gauge broke,windshield wiper motor failed. Changed 4 alternators in 1 week and 2 different dealers who couldnt fix the problem and told me the car was possessed and I should sell it immediately! So then I took it to Carmax to sell it to them and it BROKE DOWN on the test drive! Since then, I traded it for an 04 Hyundai with 100,000k mile warranty and I will NEVER buy an American car again! Somebody at Ford needs to marry someone from Japan so they produce a reliable product.

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  Reliable Vehicle - 1998 Mercury Sable
  By Pat Wallace - December 11 - 12:46 am

  I bought this car used 4 years ago and have never had any real problems with it. It now has 90,000 miles on it and I have not always taken the best care of it but it continues to run and is a very reliable vehicle.

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  100% Class - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Ron - December 9 - 9:46 pm

  It is difficult to believe sometimes that this is the same essential vehicle as the Ford Escape. Mercury has done a VERY impressive job of tailoring the Escape platform to the tastes of those who want some style to go along with their versatility. The interior is the best of any vehicle I have ever owned. The exterior is sharp, lots of understated elegance. The ride is smooth and quiet, and the handling is reassuring. It is fun to drive. The only issues I have had with the car is that the heaters on the front seats frequently come on without being turned on, and that the offical EPA mileage estimates have so far proved unattainable. But I still love it. I truly love it.

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  2 ton of fun! - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By drjjjj - December 9 - 6:54 pm

  Ford F150 engine, drive train and frame with car body! Very reliable, cheap to maintain, upscale in out and 20mpg on regular! 2003+ are the best years-big changes in suspension & steering! Dirt cheap to buy used now and they stopped making them in 2011! May have baby boomer demand coming-sleeper used car?? They make driving relaxed and there is no substitute for a V8, long wheelbase and 4000 lbs of quiet ,mass on a long freeway trip!

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  Camry killer - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By M. Whit - December 9 - 4:16 pm

  With only 1000 miles on it, Im getting 28 mpg on the highway. Holds the road very well - like driving on velcro. Very good base audio system. Leather seats comfortable, especially with the heated seats option. Good over the hood visibility. Large trunk and tons of cargo capacity with 60/40 split folding rear seats. Transmission shifts smoothly and the quiet V6 provides enough power to move this car around. Fit and finish is good and the vapor silver paint job looks great on this car.

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  Mercury Montego is best in class... - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Better Fords - December 8 - 1:23 pm

  Im a long-time car enthusiast, reading everything automotive & owning too many cars. For the 1st time ever, I had to buy a car for comfort over sportiness. After 3 mo. of research & test drives, the Montego w/employee discount + $1000 won me over. The "underpowered" blather in reviews is off- base...horsepower ratings are over- emphasized. Its funny, too, that the new SAE methodology for rating HP (stricter w/independent observer reqd) dropped the Camrys base V-6 from 210 to 190 HP, a car often compared to the Montego. Honda didnt rate the Accord V-6, but their other engines that have been rated dropped. Im getting high 20s for mpg, many compliments, & riding in comfort & style.

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  My second Milan - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Sailor - December 7 - 11:33 am

  This is my second Milan. I put 60,000 on my 06 and the only thing I had to do was change the oil every 3,000 miles. My 07 is now 10 months old and has 37,000 miles on it and again, only oil changes. I spend at least 5 hours a day in the saddle and could not ask for a more comfortable car. Not sure if I should change with this kind of luck but I may try the CTS next.

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  a good car for the money - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By rickardo - December 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car with 21xxx miles on it when it was about one year old. I paid $9,995.00 + tax. . It has a fair amount of leg and head room. Im 62" and am reasonably comfortable in it. Its smooth running and rides fairly smooth. Its quiet even at highway speeds. The seats are comfortable. It gets about 27 M.P.G. on the highway, which is what its rated at. Its also fun to drive and I think it has a nice body style. They do depreciate drastically the first year but for someone just looking for a good deal on a 1 year old,I think the Sable is the way to go. I dont know why these cars get such a bad rap. Rick ( Chicago)