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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  Mels Review - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Mel - July 11 - 4:40 am

  I have only had this vehicle for a week. However I feel it is a good and reliable vehicle. It is also very classy looking. I had an Expedition prior to this and it was not good on gas at all. I can truly tell a difference.

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  Excellent Choice for us - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By stevensample - July 8 - 10:46 am

  Our family bought a Monterey to help move my college bound daughters. We were sold on its design and functions, especially the huge area of cargo space. we fit in a 88" couch and moved kids from central Illinois to Wisconsin with easy. The ride is superior and the features are wonderful. We are currently downsizing and this vehicle is doing the job again. Beat any pick up truck, and can be quickly converted into a seven passenger van with little effort and luxury appearance and feel.

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  Reliable car good value - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By marquis97 - July 8 - 5:03 am

  I bought a Marquis for my son 5 years ago for $2700 and was in perfect shape with clean title. It had 72000 miles on it. Since then he put 142000 miles on car. Had some repairs over the 5 years that I believe are common on Marquis. Replaced intake manifold(Rock auto) Has to replace front ball joints and tie rod. Had to replace window actuator on driver side door. Replaced battery and just recently replaced rear bearing. Fortunately I was able to do these repairs myself otherwise they would cost a lot of money in my area. Bought parts through Rock Auto, Autozone & Advanced Auto.

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  Milan delivers - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By baugie - July 7 - 4:43 pm

  Just picked up new Milan last week. Drove around town and on 5 hour wkend trip, and it didnt disappoint. Very comfortable seats, smooth quiet ride. Decent mileage (upper 20s) for driving 80+ mph. Overall, the style of the Milan is very supple. From the aggressive front end to the two-toned interior, I feel as though I am in slightly more elegant environment. It has some flaws such as an audiophile stereo w/out the resonance I would expect. The interior w/ sunroof is not built for a taller person as I have to adjust my seating (Im 66"). The engine shifts very quickly from 1st thru 3rd gears. However, I am very satisifed with the car and hope the reliability holds up.

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  Great ride - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By vlmelm@aol.com - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Its been a good suv for me. For i have 5 grandchildren and they just love it. I had my daughter putrchase one also. She sold a friend on buying hers so she bought one also.I cant wait to but another in 2 yrs.

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  gotta try it - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By 5yr Cougarowner - July 4 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Cougar for 5 years now and I have no major complaints. I have had the alternator replaced and some computer problems with the dash, but overall I have been pleased and feel I have gotten my monies worth out of it despite some problems that needed to be fixed.

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  Cougars go Roar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By My First Car - June 30 - 2:30 pm

  I got this car used on October 20 of this year. I havent had many problems with it, other than my heater core on it is broken and it sometimes leaks transmission fluid. But other than that I love this car. The engine is so much fun to listen to. Its pretty fast for a 2.5 V6. Everything works fine in the car. It has a pretty decent sound system, but Im looking to put some 12s in it. The only problem is that I drive long distances sometimes and I worry about my engine over-heating with my transmission fluid leaking, but other than that Im very happy with the performance and stability of this car. And Im glad its what I got for my first car.

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  Rave review - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Eaglefan - June 26 - 10:00 am

  Im about to return my Mountaineer after a 33 mo lease and Im going to miss everthing but the fuel mileage. Ford did a terrific job with the quality of this vehicle. I had a few problems with the radio but that was fixed under warranty. I had more probelms with a Hinda I bought afterward than I had with this Ford. I recommend the vehicle for any bad weather region. It was great to have and fun to drive. Nice job Ford!

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  My Cougar - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By cougowner - June 22 - 10:23 pm

  I bought this Cougar as a first car in 2006 and so far it has been a pretty grear car. It is an absolute blast to drive! It could use a smoother ride and a new cup holder! I have recently had some odd issues with my electrical (Gauges act weird when started and mirrors and courtesy light just stopped working.) So far nothing major has gone wrong with it though (crossed fingers!)

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  Wish I Never Sold It - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By Harry Nuccio - June 20 - 11:53 pm

  Bought this van used and put 75000 miles on it in 3 years. Sold it when it reached 115000 miles, and replaced it with a 2005 Chrysler Touring. The Mercury was a much better vehicle - especially in the ride comfort department. The Mercury rode quiet and solid. The Chrysler is noisy and you feel every bump in the road. The only complaint with the Mercury was that it was underpowered with a 3.2 (?) engine.