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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  An Okay SUV - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By Car Guy - October 9 - 1:46 pm

  At first, we were very happy with our Mariner. It had the nice heated leather seats, Intelligent-4WD system, and a roomy interior. However, it has gotten to a point where road noise is nearly unbearable, wind noise is too noticeable, and nearly every bump we go over is transmitted into the cabin. On the plus side, we are getting 21.5 miles per gallon, we get good comments about its exterior, and it has good handling. If you want a practical SUV, the Mariner is a good choice. If you want a comfortable SUV, look at another one.

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  Best car ever!! - 1998 Mercury Mystique
  By Mystique _owner - October 9 - 9:43 am

  I bought my car in 2007 with only 12,000 miles and Ive since doubled the miles. I purchased it from my godmother who didnt put a cent in the car, other than changing the oil every 3K miles. I love, love, LOVE the car! Although its not a hot rod, nor one that will turn heads, it is the best car Ive driven and the most reliable. Its very comfortable to drive and has amazing pick up! Ive only had to change the battery since it was original - over 11 years old. I recommend this car to anyone who is looking for a modest and reliable ride with decent gas mileage.

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  This is the best car!!!! - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By luvmycar - October 5 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my car used and it is the best car ever. My last car was a Volkswagen Jetta and i hated it (needless to say i only kept it for about 5 months). The Cougar is a great car and i have had no problems with it and would recommend this car over a Volkswagen Jetta any day. It is a great car for anyone that is looking for a excellent car at a good price. I dont know how other people treat their cars but i dont have the same problems that everyone else seems to have.

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  not a good choice - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By florida - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Its no wonder rental car companies buy these. At 19,000 miles, i love it. I drove it to New York form Orlando.Past 25,000 miles, starts to show minor wear and tear(engine rattling).30,000: Brakes arer bad, i keep on bringing it in for brakes until the 40,000 mile mark.Did brakes 20 times(no kidding).Guy at the dealer told me to sell it before serious trouble happens (told me all of the cars are junk).43,500 miles: engine revs to 5000 RPMS when shifting from first to second gear.44,000:I look at camarys,brakes are mushier on camarys than on my sable (drove several camarys). I finialy trade it in for a Hyundai Sonata Do admit sable was very comfortable though.

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  too many problems - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By 2nd sable purchased - October 5 - 10:00 am

  list of problems before i reached 20000, miles. The fuel pump broke 3 times. Once while I was on vacation stranding me in the middle of no where. The second time in rush hour traffic. The rotors had to be replaced after 10000 miles, the drivers side power window and side view mirror also broke. Once the dealership fixed all of these problems i have not had one since. Fords service did take care of all of the problems but it still was a major inconvenience. I will be looking more at imports for my next vehicle.

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  Not bad car - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By Bill Gamelli - October 5 - 4:10 am

  Bought the V6 all wheel drive for wife. Perfect size for her and bought the Milan instead of the Fusion because Mercury is going out and got $4500 off sticker. Will always get parts for it but did not really think about my resale value since Mercury will be no more.

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  Mercurys are Mistakes - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By Colleen - October 1 - 10:00 pm

  I bought a 2004 Mercury Sable, I like the look of the car I like the size of the car I like the interior, but I have had some hugh problems. First it started with my Starter needing to be replaced ar 30,000 miles, then my battery kept dying, I have to date changed the battery three times and the dealership cannot figure out what is draining my battery, but the dealership is taking the easy way out and saying things to me like, "You must have left your lights on," not once have I left my lights on or a door open? Now the car has 37,000 miles and the transmission needs to be replaced. I will never buy an American car again.

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  04 Mountaineer - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Susan - September 30 - 9:50 pm

  Passenger windows on both sides wont go up and down. Been worked on, need more work apparently. Heated seats are fabulous. "Leather" on seats not holding up that well, showing wear and cracks. Runs great, no mechanical problems yet at 55,000 miles.

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  Good Car - 2002 Mercury Sable
  By Leslie - September 30 - 7:30 pm

  Like this car. Good things: runs great in Indiana winters, smooth ride, decent gas mileage, quiet engine, sturdy build (hit a deer 2 yrs ago and only small dent in hood), and love the power seat and pedals. Bad things: dead battery 2 weeks after purchase, water leak into blower motor during middle of winter, had to replace camshaft sensor, rough idle (so bad that "computer" had to be updated), a little sluggish, starting to notice wear and tear at near 90,000 miles. Overall, this car has run well for me, but it does feel like Im driving a boat. This car is a trooper and I feel safe driving it.

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  Not Satisfied - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Meg - September 30 - 2:30 pm

  This is the 3rd explorer/mountaineer in my family, and I am very disappointed. The first two were fabulous cars, hence I bought another one. It is 2.5 years old, 42,000 miles, and Ive had the following replaced (accident-free): tires, rims, shifter, radiator, intake fan, and belt. A new car should not need so many repairs especially when it is well maintained.