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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  This has been my favorite car - 2002 Mercury Sable
  By pyzik - January 31 - 8:12 am

  I bought this car in 2005 after having a 1997 Sable GS. The premium came with an extra 52hp which really added some pep. The seats were comfortable but the leather was somewhat fragile (I made two small tears in the rear seat). I got tons of complements when I had this car. The exterior wasnt the greatest styling but the interior was wonderful. I ended up selling it because there was a short in the electrical system that cause multiple wires to melt together causing a complete failure in the electrical system (did not effect the drivetrain. Heater was stuck on, windows didnt work interior lights didnt work, instrument cluster didnt work. I would still be driving this car otherwise.

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  rear differential - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By markm - January 30 - 2:20 am

  lease 3 vehicles all mercurys.my 2006 mariner has by far been the worst lease in last 10 years.after rotating tires,then purchasing 4 new ones,still road as if i had snow tires .sound was loud u couldnt have conversation. rear differential was replaced under warranty. 15 miles out of service dept rear fell out -almost got killed after swerving into oncomming traffic. lets see if ford reads these reviews!

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  A real peformer - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By Robert Hemlak - January 29 - 3:03 am

  I researched this auto for eight months before purchasing. I agreed with the negative comments about slow acceleration from a complete stop,I also agreed with the poor performence of the "audio" system. I corrected the slow acceleration problem by enlarging the air intake and the exhaust from manifold to tail pipe tips. The standard 3.55 gear ratio was lowered considerably. I addresed the audio problems by replacing the monoral amp.with more power and upsized the factory woofer with a quality larger one.

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  Ausome - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Neverbethesame21 - January 27 - 10:00 am

  AUsome car

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  Really nice car - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Robert - January 26 - 10:00 am

  Most driving is around town. A very comfortable city ride over railroad tracks and street bumps and the many turns made at intersections.

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  2005 Montego Premier AWD CVT - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Dave Croft - January 26 - 2:33 am

  This is probably the last car Ill ever need to buy. I like everything about it. Ive had dozens of cars and trucks before. This ones a keeper. Its comfortable and fun to drive. Ive found the 3.0 liter to have plenty enough power for my needs and the gas mileage is amazing for this class of vehicle. Average 23-24 local driving and on a long trip using cruise control this thing jumps up to an average of 32-33 mpg. Since 2007 Ive driven it 40,000 miles. I bought it with 23,000 on it for a total of 63,000 miles. It runs like new. The Montego is built like a tank, rugged. The AWD coupled with Traction control and the CVT transmission work together allow the car to walk over any ice or snow.

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  Could Be Better! - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Meo - January 25 - 10:00 pm

  Negatives 1.Windshield glare from front dash area (have tan interior) 2.Perreille tires good for 24k thats it 3.Rear door panels hold water 4.Service Bulletin rear disc brakes 5.Transmission rough when cold 6 HID front head lights heat to intense for internal yellow turn signal materials 7.Paint quality could be upped a notch 8.Rear bumper needs top external flange so to not scratch the bumper when raising the trunk. 9.Side Mirrors too larger can block visability 10. AC Weak (car is black)

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  Perplexed - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By Kevin - January 25 - 5:06 pm

  Purchased used from local dealer with 68000 miles. The gas pedal sticks and the headlight harness burned out near the lite socket. At about 85,000 miles on a hot summer day about 200 miles from home I experenced a sudden loss of oil pressure. Indicated by the light and noisy lifters. Continued to drive as I had no other choice for 200 miles with intermittent oil pressure. Changed to a heaver oil and no problems for 1 year then the same story. Changed to a heavier oil again then no problems. Now have Over 111,000 miles. I do not understand what is going on with the oil pressure but the vehicle has been very reliable and uses no oil between changes of 12000miles.

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  Great Car - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Snoo - January 22 - 8:03 pm

  I loved the feel of the car from the first time i test drove a Milan. Plenty of room for my wife and toddler son. Trunk has enough space for stoller and groceries! I love the look of the car as well.

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  my first suv - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By puritan al - January 21 - 2:00 am

  The first day we pick up our new suv,we traveled to Boston about 233 miles oneway.I have to say that,I have test driven many suv,s but on a long trip this suv comes into it,s own. The ride,leg room and enough head room even with a power sunroof was great.