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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  Awesome Vehicle - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By cn03684 - August 23 - 5:03 pm

  This is a great SUV. Has excellent gas mileage compared to other SUVs in its class. Plenty of room all around and the two toned seats make a nice touch for inside decor. Fun to drive, no complaints. Hats off to Mercury on this one, best vehicle Ive ever had!

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  My Villager - 2000 Mercury Villager
  By Carfan57 - August 23 - 10:00 am

  Great handling and ride for a van. A little in the small side but good enough for my familiy.

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  The Best Car! - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By John Bermudez - August 23 - 10:00 am

  The car has been great trailering and driving to work everyday a sooth ride along with AWD control!

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  I will never buy another Murcury/Ford - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By I hate this car - August 22 - 9:10 am

  This is the worst car ever. I hate this car. The windshield wipers go off practically non stop without you even touching the dial. They are especially worse whenever I use the turn signal, and theyll go off about 10 times every time I turn. The transmission is iffy, it misses all the time, and is very jerky. It probably needs to be fixed! The brakes need to be serviced again, I already had them replaced once. (Ive got about 120,000 miles on it). Its got some nice features inside. I like the power seats, and its got awesome AC. But there is nothing worse than driving down the road with your brakes squealing and wipers going off like crazy. Dont buy one!

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  Its a great ride for the price - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By hajji - August 19 - 10:40 am

  Its my third one and they only get better. I never had to go back to the dealer for any problems. Looks good and drives great. I couldnt be happier.

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  Plenty of room fuel economy up to 24MPG - 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Bob Zykofsky - August 18 - 2:36 pm

  With my medical problems, this car is very easy to get in and out of and very roomy for the price.Drove 6000 miles and no service problems. this is an excellant car for highway driving. Good for city driving too. I have a loaded Palm Beach edition,and although I have always enjoyed cloth, the soft cashmere leather is acceptable to me.6045 miles.

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  Full Tilt Evaluation - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By MH from Dallas - August 18 - 1:20 pm

  I got the Mariner based on its larger appearing exterior and sharp looks. I am very impressed with the options on my Premier. Leather, rear spoiler, Sirius Radio, running boards, the wood interior trim. I was (and am) traveling from Dallas to Tulsa weekly and the roads vary in quality. I found immediately that the SUV was very comfortable, and Im averaging 22 MPG over just less than 4000 miles now. It is surpassing my expectations in all respects. No defects, no rattles, no hassles and tight steering. Mercury made a good one for 2008 and I heartily recommend it to anyone who likes the economy and doesnt have a need for a huge SUV.

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  Wow - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Darwin - August 18 - 12:26 am

  08 sable with sync black on black. Wow whata car. Excellent get up and go. Comfortable. Luxury feel for not so much the price. I would reccomend this for anybody! For the money you cant complain.

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  great suv - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By vincent l. - August 17 - 10:00 am

  a very good suv for its price a little on the low side for gas mileage but besides that i love my mountaineer

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  Mercury Milan V6 - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Lee - August 13 - 11:36 pm

  I bought this Milan for my 16 year old son as a B-Day gift because i felt that It was the best out of all the other midsize sedans it has plenty of Safety and Security Features which was #1 on my list of must haves and it has plenty of Luxury features at a great price the car drives and rides well and is safe and solid and has a cool sporty look and i have always be a big fan of Mercury they have always treated me as a valued customer i have owned Grand Marquis and Sables and still do But the Milan is the most modern one with the most up to date features and style so i think i made a smart choice by choosing Mercury Milan Safe,Solid,Sporty what more could you want Overall Great Car ...