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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  2006 Mercury Mount. - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Danyse Keiser - November 19 - 10:36 am

  My husband and I have had this SUV for one year. So far it has been the best vehicle we have ever purchased. It is comfortable and fun to drive. the kids love the DVD player and T.V. We now have peaceful trips to the beach. Thanks LLM.

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  Remarkable SUV - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By RoadKing - November 16 - 10:00 am

  Im at the end of my second lease w/mountaineer. My 98 and my 00 have been great. Im not a Ford fan and these are the first Fords Ive owned out of about 16 vehicles in my life. This is my last SUV (just dont need it) so its not that I am in any way dissatisfied. If Ford made anything remotely comparable to the vette I might consider it (on second thought, probably not). You wont second think you purchase of a Mteer tho.....

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  I LOVE my Milan! - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Milan Lover - November 10 - 12:43 pm

  Ive had my Milan almost two months and I LOVE it! We got the one with all the bells and whistles. It handles well, gets good mileage, and looks like an expensive European model. People have stopped to ask me what it is. Most people comment on the two-toned, stitched leather seating and the mahogny trim. I personally am in love with the grille.

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  Loved My Villager - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By 1122ldr - November 9 - 2:40 am

  Have been driving Villagers for 15 years--my 99 was my second one and Im very sad to be selling it and moving on. It was so easy to drive, a comfortable ride, and Ive loved the versatility and ease of reconfiguring the space for the load (even for a woman!). It carried my Girl Scouts and their gear camping and on troop trips--and as the "cookie van", it held over 1000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies without removing any seats!

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  Love this car - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By MJH22 - November 8 - 10:26 am

  I bought this car as my second vehicle when i was 17. I have now had it for over a year and i love the car. it has more power than i expected from a small car. it gets me where i want to go without any problems. Since i got the car i have only had to make some minor repairs. New tires, and i had to replace the rear bearings on the driver side. good sound system. lots of comfort in the front. the back is slightly crammed but the bucket seats are fun to sit in. overall i would recommend this car.

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  A 2003 Mercury Gr. Marq. review - 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By W. Shideler - November 6 - 9:40 am

  With all its looks, the dusgusting thumps, bumps and grinding wheel noises (dealer says tire is noise cause; he shyed away from:which tire is it?) its a much improved driving experience. I believe the noise is ignored for business reasons. It is disturbing and I will have an independent garage check it out.

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  Buying American Again - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By Robert - November 5 - 12:20 am

  Have owned 2 Honda Accords in the last decade. Both were very reliable. Test drove Sonata, Fusion and Milan. All were nice quiet ride. The Fusion and Milan had the better combination of ride and comfort. I opted for the Milan because it had the best combination of options that I was looking for. The 2.5 liter engine matched with the 6 speed automatic works well. I have put on over 1000 miles in the first week. Mileage was acceptable at 29.6 mpg. Interstate driving at 65-80 mph with AC on for a majority of the trip. Because of time constraints I was unable to get Sync functional, but am looking forward to it. Overall a very nice car. Hope initial quality continues.

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  Mercury Sable LX sedan - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By Ritter - November 4 - 2:00 am

  Have been driving for 50 years, Have owned 40 new cars, its the best car I ever owned.

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  A Pleasure to Own - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Gail Acuti - November 4 - 2:00 am

  Purchase was a pleasant experience. The comfort of long distance drives is worth every penny of cost. Previously drove a Chrysler Concorde...the comfort of a long distance is evident, when getting to my destination, I can exit the vehicle and not feel like a crumpled crippled non-human entity. The wide stance of the chasis gives a very smooth ride......I have been pleasantly suprised each and every day that I own and drive this car.

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  Nice small SUV for the price - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By Noel - November 3 - 7:43 am

  A comfortable small SUV with great traction in the snow. It performs well and has good around town MPG