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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  Outstanding ar first - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By 2141marine - September 12 - 9:04 am

  This is our second Sable, the first was a 1997, and fourth Ford product. As time goes by it seems the quality does not get better. My 1997 Sable was a better vehicle than the 08. At first it was a smooth operating vehicle, after about 20k it developed transmission problem. The Radio/CD player broke and the suspension started to go. Now it is in the shop for an unknown problem, every light on the dash came on , its like the car put itself in safe mode. Dont get me wrong, this is a good vehicle with plenty of room, a strong AC and decent mileage on the highway. Test drive before you drive, after a while it will sound like a lawnmower inside and the transmission will shift hard.

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  Im A Believer - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By good2bqueen - September 10 - 10:00 am

  First off I want it known that I was a die-hard GM person. For 25 years I was strictly GM. I had always liked the look of the Cougars and decided that one day I wanted to drive one and see if I liked it. I fell in love with the way the car handled and rode not to mention that classy yet sporty look. It has been the best car I ever owned. I have not had one single bit of mechanical problems and even at 5 years old it looks as good as any of the new vehicles on the road and runs as well also. I know I will be looking for another Mercury or Lincoln product for my next car which may not be any time soon because I dont want to get rid of this one.

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  "The only car I want to drive" - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Cougar for life - September 10 - 10:00 am

  I previously owned a 1999 cougar which was my first car when I was a junior in high school, but I was foolish and traded that car in when it had 46000 miles on it. Now, I am a sophmore in college and I recently purchased a 2002 cougar. This one is the Ultimate version. Both of my cougars have been excellent cars. The minute I get into them I get a feeling like the car was made specifically for me. That is probably the best thing about the car. What else can I say? I havent had any problems with either of the cougars Ive owned.

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  Wonderful car!! - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By sadchevyowner - September 6 - 11:04 am

  My wife and I love her 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis "Palm Beach" edition. We purchased her Grand Marquis 14 months ago. It had 15700 miles. My wife had been driving a 2006 Lexus ES330 that was purchased new. It only had 18000 miles when we sold it. In many ways the Lexus was nice, but it had very uncomfortable seats. The Grand Marquis has exceedingly comfortable seats with lumbar support on both sides. Her Mercury also has the air suspension system and it rides like a dream. We would highly recommend this car. It is really a shame that it is no longer available as a new car, so my advice would be to find a low mileage late model Grand Marquis

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  great vehicle - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By suv driver - September 5 - 10:00 am

  This is a great vehicle that is fun to drive. It is easy to put passengers in the third seat. Everything works and has not been back to the dealer for anything.

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  Great to drive... - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Ronald James - September 5 - 10:00 am

  I have had this vehicle now for almost 3 years and the lease is about to expire. My Pros are the gas mileage is great for a car with its power and size. i average over 20 miles per gallon on the road. I have a factory ordered 4x2 with every option you could install on the car. My only con is it is just to noisy on the road. Lots of wind and road noise.

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  Our 03 Sable problems - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By ari1210 - September 4 - 5:03 am

  Purchased 03 Sable with 20,000 miles on it. Excellent car until two years later when the transmission went out 1,000 miles from warrenty expiring. I just today had to have the drums and back brakes repaired. Only has 42,000 miles on it. Other then that car has been reliable. I will never buy another Ford though.

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  CPA - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By The Nest - September 3 - 7:50 pm

  I am extremely pleased w/ the design of the vehicle, it is comfortable for 4 adults and luggage. Also the gas mileage is very good - power on highway is adequate - traveling 75-80 on interstate. Very roomy interior and trunk is very large. Vehicle handles very well in traffic and responds well. sound system is very good and I am just plain very pleased with the vehicle after 12,000 miles.

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  Very good overall vehicle - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By cmhennig - September 3 - 10:16 am

  I have been very happy with my purchase overall. The only regret is buying one with the 5 speed manaul transmission. I thought it would be fun shifting gears but its not.

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  Cougar gone wrong - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By madcougar - September 3 - 2:00 am

  I should of known the first day it was a lemon, when speedometer broke and my tire blew out. For the past year I have been in and out of the service shop because my car stops while Im driving, with no warning at all. I can be on the highway or on streets, and it will just turn off. I regret ever buying this car, I wish I would read these other reviews before I purchased it.