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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  Car of the year - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Gary Senecal - April 11 - 12:10 pm

  The style of this car caught my eye as soon as it came out. It is made extremely well. Very sound and tight. This car definitely turns heads. I am sure it will be an award winner. The only draw back is its slower than average pick up. but Iam retired and not in a hurry.

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  99 MOUNTAINEER - 1999 Mercury Mountaineer
  By tomc15 - April 11 - 10:00 am

  GREAT IN RAIN OR SNOW, FEEL VERY SAFE DRIVING IT. GAS MILEAGE IS TERRIBLE. LIKE IT BETTER THAN DRIVING A CAR.

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  I love it! - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Mrhdaisy0 - April 11 - 10:00 am

  I wanted a cougar for years before I actually bought one. Im not at all disappointed. She could handle a bit better in the snow, but overall, I love her!

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  For the money - GREAT car! - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By Scott - April 11 - 8:20 am

  I didnt know what to expect from this car. I traded an 04 STS Cadillac, and thought I was giving up a lot. Didnt happen! Love the room in this car. Love the comfort (I drive 35,000 a year) and love the fact that everything works, no squeaks, and great milage. Around 25 mpg. I am VERY happy with this car, and cant wait to buy an 2010. Love it!

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  2nd Marquis - 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Boston Girl - April 9 - 6:26 pm

  I had already owned a Grand Marquis and was looking for a new car. I test drove a Chevy Impala and Ford Fusion. I bought another Marquis because the price and ride was great and I know that it wont need a lot of future repairs. I wish it was sporty looking instead of a grampa car.

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  Upside Down in Missouri - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By yelsew - April 9 - 12:23 am

  Purchased to replace 2000 Grand Caravan. We purchased over other makes because of great style. Drove Honda, both Dodge and Chrysler, looked At Nissian, and Freestar. Window sticker claims 23 mpg. We have yet to get close. Our best fuel mileage, just over 19 mpg on the interstate with cruise control set @ 70mph. Back to dealer several times. Power sliding doors out of adjustment (way out) took two trips. Arm rest fell of front seat. Rear wipper wiped body not glass. A/C compresser locked up at 10,000 miles, dealer replaced complete A/C system. Ask Dealer to note poor fuel economy on every work order, they reported it would get better with more miles. It hasnt YET!!!

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  Transmission Problems Again - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By OneThunderbird - April 6 - 9:36 am

  This could be a good SUV if Mercury would fix know problems with the Transmission. Back to the dealer for the fourth time with OD Light flashing and Service Light on. Dealer claims it takes days to recieve parts and then after installing, the same problems return. Gas Mileage is awfull and paint failing. We no longer trust this SUV as it fails to shift and has stalled several times while in traffic.

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  Its Pretty Good...! - 2000 Mercury Sable
  By RT - April 6 - 1:36 am

  Having owned this car for 6+ years, we are very familiar with the breed. Its been quite a good car. Its very unassuming--but it serves its purpose: reliable transportation. The moon roof is a great feature as is the ventiliation (something that always stands out with Fords). Good buy at an exceptional price back in 00.

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  i never had one just love it - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By mike33pimp - April 5 - 10:00 am

  it is great i love to always be in this car cause it is great thats why its my favorite

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  My mariner - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By GEORGE SCHOTT - April 4 - 2:56 am

  The vehicle is very noisy there is a lot or transmission noise and vibration.The instrument cluster is a disaster (information center)95% of the time you cant see it due the reflection the charactors are difficult to read. The compass is useless it is stuck over in the extreme left corner using a little stick figure for information.Seating has almost no lateral support. There is no indication if the transmission is in 4wd or 2wd, is gives you a unsure feeling when you are wet or slipery conditions. So far i am not impressed with the gas mileage best i have done is 18.5 At normal speeds. The overall noise inside the car is excessive my last 2 trucks didnt make this much noise