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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  Beautiful Car - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By KoJoe - December 8 - 10:00 am

  Great car, Birthday Present, Plenty of room Friends love the sporty look and just fun to drive!

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  One Great Car - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Margarita - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car brand new. Its the biggest car I have ever purchased. I have driven Cadillacs, Town Cars,and Buicks and I can tell you this car is equal to any one of them. It is a pleasure to drive.

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  Good Old Gal - 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Wes - December 7 - 2:00 am

  Yes, the Mercury Grand Marquis is my grandmothers car....except I bought one too. It is a big boat that floats over the highway. If you want near Lincoln luxury at Ford prices...this is your car.

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  Beautiful and practical station wagon - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By Peter - December 6 - 2:36 pm

  The medium red color and exterior look of this wagon elicit many second looks. It has been a very satisfactory car thus far. I have had no problems with the car. The large storage space in this relatively long wagon has been great for lugging purchases and for long trips. Eight foot lumber items are no problem with the rear door closed. All in all I am very satisfied.

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  Better than most - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By robandmarilyn - December 6 - 10:23 am

  I bought this van with 160,000 miles on it. Original owner had made no major repairs to it. It has almost 200,000 miles on it now and still running strong. Only problems I have is the front end components consistantly have problems (thanks Ford). Had it been totally built by Nissan it would probably be unstopable.

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  Best AWD sedan on the market - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By MountainGoat - December 6 - 4:03 am

  Surprise! The Milans handling is completely competitive with foreign cars! And the AWD coped easily with our icy winter. Our last 3 cars were Outbacks, but the current version didnt have enough leg room, so we switched to the Milan, which has exactly the room we need. Love the comfort, handling, luxury features for the price. Gas mileage averaging 23-24 overall is disappointing, but the V6 power is fun. The drivers headrest hurt my back by forcing my head to tip forward. I had a local welder change the angle. My wifes headrest didnt bother her, because its not in the way when the seat is reclined the way she normally has it.

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  Very pleased - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By gta - December 6 - 2:00 am

  Was leaning heavily toward Fusion but went for the Milan because I liked the exterior styling better. Ive read the other reviews and its all subjective, but imo this is a great car. The leather seats are probably the most comfortable bucket seats Ive ever sat in, and with 8-way adjustable seats plus tilt and tele steering wheel, there should be a comfy seating position for everyone. The lumbar support helps a lot too. Mpg is good, I get around 28 in combo city-highway driving. Build quality appears good. Very quiet at 70 mph, zero wind noise with the windows up. A little more road noise than I would like, but not a major problem. A few minor gripes (see below) but Id buy this car again.

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  Hard to Improve On - 2008 Mercury Mountaineer
  By dan ertel - December 4 - 4:16 am

  This is my third Mountaineer (had a 2002 & 2005). They keep getting better. Fuel economy not a factor due to my low mileage - comfort, safety, traction in the snow, room to transport items and style, these are what counts to me and the Mountaineer is a 10 in all respects. Large lease discount from Ford makes this vehicle a great deal.

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  WLC-Fla. - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Warren Clinch - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Improve fuel economy, change seat belt in the drivers position it almost never retracks proper

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  Mercury Monterey Premier 2004 - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By geophysbh - December 3 - 2:00 am

  We tested the vehicle over the weekend and decided it was what we wanted. We drove it to CO in Nov. and it performed well. When we ran into snow and ice in Leadville, etc, the advance-trac system kept us from slipping. The gas mileage is not great but averages around 20 miles/gallon. The van weighs 4600 lbs and handles very well on curves. It is very quiet in the cabin and handles bad road conditions very well. We remain happy with the van now logging over 7000 miles of enjoyable driving.The heated seats have been a plus this winter. It is a little early to rate the reliability but everything gone well thus far.