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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  buy used! - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By aguywhoiswritingthis - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Compared to 1992 it replaced it has better construction quality, I think. But, worse ride, (still very good) more unattractive, smaller gas tank,(a mere 350 mile range) and an oddly shaped, although still large trunk.

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  OK for the money - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By whome? - April 14 - 10:00 am

  This car is definately a looker. The C@ pkg really adds to the look. DO NOT plan to have more than 2 people in it! Gas mileage is very good. The car handles curves extremely well. The engine is sluggish on start, but does well once on the road. Make sure you watch your blind spots - this car provides several.

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  RADIO ANTENA - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By A. BUYER - April 13 - 3:10 am

  MERCURY HAS TAKEN A VERY BEAUTIFUL CAR THAT ALWAYS HAS HAD STYLE (MERCURY OWNER SINCE 1986) AND MADE IT A SECOND CLASS CAR BY PUTTING THAT "CHEAP" ANTENNA ON THE OUTSIDE!!!!!(REAR FENDER) IF IT MUST GO ON THE OUTSIDE MAKE IT A POWER ANTENNA!

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  Been good to me - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Zoey - April 8 - 5:23 am

  I bought the car new, it was cute and got great gas mileage. I have the 5 speed transmission. Everything held up great. I took good care of my care and can recommend it as a used vehicle if you are looking for good gas mileage and nice sound system. I didnt have any of the negative experiences mentioned by other owners. The tires went to 78K original, the tire tools clunk around, but you can fix that. Great sound system. Not a speed demon, but got me to where I wanted to go and didnt cost me much after the purchase price.

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  Nice little car - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By rltr - April 7 - 11:56 pm

  I was researching the Ford Fusion when I took the Milan for a test drive and liked it so much better. Its a fun little car to drive. Ive always had a V6 so the revving of the smaller engine is taking some getting used to, but it holds the road good and drives easy once it reaches steady speed. Its great in the rain compared to what I had before. So far Im getting 28 MPG highway, but its steadily climbing.

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  Mountaineer, bad transmission, good looker - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Linda Davis - April 2 - 10:03 am

  I thought this would be the perfect vehicle. But two transmissions in 2 years at $1500 dollars and wheel bearings in less than a year was a little too much. The air conditioner shows no results on leakage testing, but it was filled 2 times a year, it would be freezing then high points on vents would be cold and lower vent warm. Ford could not find what the problem was, but suggested another Mountianeer because this was a used purchase. Another problem was the transmission stick is located on the bottom and will require a special instrument to check fluid level. bad idea.

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  A "solid" car - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By MrLypage - April 1 - 2:00 am

  "Solid" because it has meet / exceeded exxpectations. I bought this car in 9/2002 with ~ 70K on it and for $6300. Within the following two months, put in a CD player (a must!), 4 new tires, a tuneup, and a battery (a little over $1000 total). And it hasnt disappointed yet. Although Ive never had to do this with previous vehicles (maybe because of GMs big engine size), I did have to make it a habit to put in a bottle of Heet with each tank in the winter to counter hard-starting probs.

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  2007 mariner hybrid - 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By hidalgo - March 25 - 1:30 pm

  harsh truck-like ride stupid navigation system and screen tilt steering wheel needs to go higher ac should be automated with thermostat, only runs when gas engine working no outside temperature gauge good gas mileage, fuel tank could be larger. good road feel

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  Decent car - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Jeff - March 21 - 9:23 am

  I leased this vehicle for 2 years & put 36,000 miles on it. The only problem I had was leaking ATF lines. Was fixed under warranty, but the dealer kept the car for a WEEK to replace some rubber hoses! Whether the cause was a bad design or improper installation doesnt matter to me, it reflects poorly on Ford. Other than that I only have a few nit-picks. The ride IMO was stiff. It sort of bounced over bumps, didnt absorb them. The AM/FM button was too small. The seats were too hard. The transmission could be quite clunky in shifting from 1st to 2nd (esp. when cold), otherwise it was downright buttery shifting. The engine was smooth, quiet & powerful enough for me.

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  Long Term Review - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Brian - March 18 - 9:23 pm

  In short, this has been a really pleasant vehicle for the past 5 years. This was my first SUV, I wanted something with storage but not something huge. I have a small roadster that I drive most of the summer, and every time I get back into the Mariner Im reminded about how comfortable it is. Easy to drive & park with a very comfortable interior for short and long trips. My only problem was a radio with a defective speed sensor (which was replaced under warranty). Recommended if youre looking for a small SUV.