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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  Oh such fun! - 2000 Mercury Sable
  By stbbrn - February 9 - 6:23 pm

  This car is so much fun to drive. The seats are comfortable, the size is just right, and the engine is so responsive.

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  Very fun to drive - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By elanor - February 9 - 8:56 am

  I love this car. It is incredibly fun to drive, and has a lot of power to it. So far it has also been very reliable. It is fun and sporty looking, and really hugs corners. I would reccommend this car.

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  an awsome car - 1996 Mercury Cougar
  By Ford4v460 - February 7 - 2:00 am

  i have the 4.6L in w/sport suspension, great car, everything the mustang is and more..........

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  my big merc - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Ford4v460 - February 7 - 2:00 am

  great car, the style and feel, i will buy another one when this ones has had enough......

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  My 2001 Mercury Grand LS - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Julia - February 5 - 5:23 pm

  Second Grand Marguis LS Ive owned and its because they drive and ride so easy and have such power. Roomy, comfortable, luxury at its best. I love it. Someone backed into me in the Arbys parking lot once and I had to have it repaired. The Robert Hutson dealership did a great job. I always had service done at 3,000 miles and have not had any problems.

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  pricing vehicle - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By john doe - February 5 - 10:13 am

  nice vehicle to ride on bumpy roads with.

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  It is what it is... - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Steve - February 5 - 5:00 am

  If you are looking for a performance sedan, this probably isnt the best choice of vehicles. If you are looking for a CAR that is actually comfortable for 5 people who might have luggage, this might just be THE BEST car on the market --> especially when price is a consideration. Backseat head and legroom is excellent in all three seat positions. The six- speed automatic transmission takes some getting use to, but gets the job done. I preferred this to the Ford 500 for the two-tone leather interior, HID headlamps and LED taillights. Gas mileage has been decent so far averaging about 26 mpg in mixed city/hwy driving.

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  Love This Car - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By colonial64 - February 4 - 9:10 am

  My first two Mercurys were Sables and I was impressed by their quality and reliability. The Montego has given me outstanding service. It is comfortable and a real pleasure to drive, both in town and on long road trips. The fuel economy surprised me, since the Montego is a large car. I routinely get 29-30 MPG on the highway and 26 in town. In all, a fine package and a good value.

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  Not suggested - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By JJsoares - February 2 - 10:00 am

  Though it has been a good car overall it seems ford needs to take the time to redesign their transmissions. Since I bought the car I am now about to put the third transmission into this car. At a cost of about three thousand dollars per transmission, I have put more into it than I have payed off. one transmission had lasted 108,000 miles, and the other has die at 181,000. I have had a lot of trouble with the car but by far the most serious has been the transmission, which if you talk to any ford dealer mechanic they will tell you it is a common problem.

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  Lots of fuel pumps - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By mattamypat - February 2 - 10:00 am

  My car has slightly over 36,000 miles on it. I just had to replace the fuel pump for the second time, imagine with only slightly over 36,000 miles. I am 76 years old, I had to have my car towed yesterday in 90 degree heat. It cost me over $540 for a stinking fuel pump for the second time. I have contacted Mercury via phone, both the 800-521-4140 number and the number you get when you join their user club or whatever it is. They wont do a thing, they wont let you talk to anyone who can make a valid decision. You get to talk to phone-flunkies answering flunkies and that is it. Some support, I have owned my last Mercury.