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 SUV - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Deeanna - October 18 - 11:50 pm

  This SUV is wonderful on trips. Took a trip south and averaged 23.5 MPG highway. In town driving I get 18-19 MPG I have owned several SUVs, 1 Chevrolet Blazer and 2 Ford Explorers...this Mountaineer will dance circles around anyone of them. I am very satisfied with the performace and comfort of this SUV.

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  Outstanding - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By James - October 18 - 11:50 am

  I bought my Mariner with 5mi on the odometer. Drove it off the lot and was very impressed with the power that the I4 motor has. I used to drive a 4cyl Honda CR-V and it didnt have the power my Mariner has. For the price I paid, the amenities you get (i.e. leather steering wheel, 6-disc changer, etc...) are well worth the purchase.

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  Couldnt live without it now - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By 1st SUV - October 18 - 6:46 am

  I bought my Mountaineer when I became disabled: easier to get up than sit down. It has everything I could ever want in an SUV, except for better gas mileage. My kids love the moonroof, the heater for the backseat and the ability to haul. I recently moved and used my Mountaineer and a friends Durango and had it done in a day and a half!

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  Second Best New Car Ive Bought - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Jayf - October 15 - 8:43 am

  The car rides great, is quiet as anything and the comfort is wonderful. There is plenty of room for relatives, who my wife and I drive around fairly often. While the fuel economy may not be great to some, it is much better than my previous two vehicles, an Explorer and a Grand Voyager, and a great deal better than the most comfortable new car I ever bought, a 1972 Buick Electra 225.

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  What a Lemon - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By What a Lemon - October 15 - 3:53 am

  I would not suggest anyone to buy this car. I fell in love with this car when I first seen it but in this case looks were not everything. I bought this car as a birthday present to myself and since driving it off the lot a year ago I have already spent $4000 in repairs. It is sitting at the garage right now waiting for another transmission. I have had it in the garage twice before with the same issues. Other than the trans my AC stopped working this past summer, the fan at the radiator stopped working, the headlights do this dimming thing that just drives me crazy, but hey, it has a great radio. Its seen the back of a tow truck more than the road itself.

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  2003 Mercury Marauder - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By ghinds - October 15 - 2:00 am

  Black, Black, Black, Fast & Fun. Great Audio system, handles great, excellent pull from 25 mph & up. Weak off the line then gets stronger. Nice exhaust tone. Well built tight & smooth handeling.

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  6 months and 12k miles after purchase... - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Joshua Lowe - October 12 - 10:03 pm

  I have owned my hybrid for 6 months now and driven over 12k miles so far. Most driving I do is highway mileage, and I average around 31. When I do drive in the city for periods of time, I average around 34. The engine is loud at times, and seems somewhat underpowered. However, when I accelerate to pass someone on a two-lane highway, the pickup is there. I am disappointed that I have several areas that make noise. The left of the dash rattles on bumps, and a spot in the middle of the dash has started to rattle softly. Recently the tailgate seems to rattle as well. After 12k miles, this is unexpected. Outside of that, I love the car and have enjoyed my infrequent gas stops.

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  Palm Springs to Highway 15 Drive - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By Indio to Idlewild - October 12 - 6:46 am

  ... the Cougar V6 performed quite well over the pass (zero to 4500 ft) from Palm Springs to Idlewild to Highway 15 up to Hemet. I had driven the Celica GT, Mitsubishi Eclipse GT and Lexus SC300 as well on this route. Fuel economy was impressive the whole trip. Overall good value domestic sports coupe.

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  Just like a little caddy - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By privateograv - October 12 - 2:00 am

  Traded my 1995 caddy in for this stylish newcomer. Looks great, handles very well and the gas mileage is very acceptable on regular unleaded. The interior is very roomy as I am over six foot tall and need head and leg room. All the little extras that come on this premier model make it easy to like. Highly recommend taking a test ride to anyone taken by it good exterior design. By the way, lifelong GM owner who is very pleased with this Mercury!

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  Big Highway Cruiser - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By roknrob - October 12 - 2:00 am

  This is standard suspension LS (not the performance version), well equipped w/leather, 8-way power seats both sides, factory CD, power pedals etc. I use this as a highway commuter, 66 miles/day. GOOD: 4 disc brakes, fuel economy (26 hwy), reliability, passenger and luggage space, safety, value for low buck. NOT SO GOOD: Numb handling, sensitive to cross winds. So-so ergonomics...long reach to radio, wide but unsupportive seats, no tachometer, slooooow power windows, no usable cupholders or driver storage (dumb split armrests...coulda been storage). Aging old-man styling, but still a respectable old-fashioned Detroit cruiser.