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:

• 

  Great ride - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By C.Brooks - January 27 - 12:10 am

  Was a little skeptical of anything Mercury, but this car really caught my eye. It has the V-6 which is fine for my family needs, but still has a lot of power. This is a beautiful SUV for sure, was a little put off by the low resale value, but look at it this way, I didnt want a car payment, and to buy a Tahoe with twice the mileage it would have cost the same. Everything works great so far, and I can say this, having owned two S-10 Blazers, a Dodge Grand Caravan, and a Ford Windstar, the Ford products have been better rides, the electrical has certainly held up better, and the cars have seemed all-around sturdier.

• 

  Really like my Sable - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By Kleveland - January 21 - 10:00 am

  I am really bonding with my Sable - as I drive about 40,000 miles per year and my car is my major tool. I appreciate this car more every day. The ride is firm yet comfortable. Radio and heater/AC controls are ergonomically well placed. Ride is very nice. Purchased this car with 17,000 miles on it for $11,400. How can you beat that? Excellent everyday work mobile.

• 

  Mercury Marquis Luxury Car - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By VPaul - January 11 - 2:00 am

  I loved my Lincoln Town Car I bought in 1989 and was confident the baby Lincoln (my marquis) would be as good. I am comfortable with it an there has been a few mechanical and electrical issues, but overall, I love it. Only spent $2,883.95 on maintenance/repairs since acquiring it in March, 1997. The damn catalytic converter croaked and it would cost $2000 to repair it. The hell with that!

• 

  Overall great car to play with - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By cmarek - January 10 - 3:30 pm

  This beastly ride is great! It may not have the initial tire-chirping torque that marks a true muscle car, however it does get up to speed quite quickly and keeps up better with traffic than its crown vic, police interceptor, or grand marquis brethren. Not to mention the leather seats are comfortable and make you feel very relaxed, and the car rides smooth down the highway thanks to the self-leveling air suspension in the back. This car is a real head turner also, even bone stock cause its one you dont see everyday unless you personally own one like me :D. This ride is a great keeper for anyone who is lucky enough to have one.

• 

  better than most - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By myquest - January 9 - 10:00 am

  Working as a courier, it is imperative that I have a reliable vehicle. One that I can run the heck out of and still count on for tomorrow. I had to replace the transmission at 190,000 and currently have almost 230,000. This includes carrying loads of up to 2000 lbs. Starting to have some issues now, so I just bought another one. Its a Nissan Quest- built Ford tough.

• 

  Big and Quick - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By SprepnS601 - January 9 - 10:00 am

  I have now had this for 8 months and I truly love this vehicle. There is two and only two cons about this choice, in the V8 fuel economy, and second, not the easiest thing to parallel park, without the backup sensors. Other than that it has an excellent value and features for the money, and a great resale value as of now.

• 

  97 merc mtnr - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By buzzbaylor - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Consider the 97 Mercury Mountaineer as one of the best cars I have owned. Would buy another one if I could get as good a deal as I did on this one.

• 

  Been a good car thus far - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By atxredhead - January 6 - 12:38 pm

  We bought this Milan in Sept 2010 with 36,000 miles on it. We have put approximatly 20,000 miles on it already and we havent had any problems. Transmitions fine...Gas mileage is decent, its comfortable and roomy (even with two car seats in back) I have notices one thing though, when I first start it the RPMs run high, but if I give it a second (literaly) they go back down to normal. Certainly the best used car Ive ever had. My husband missed the "get up and go" of our 3.9 liter Impala that we had before it, but we have two kids and Im not trying to haul ass around town or anything, so its perfect. I LOVE the side cutain airbags, makes me feel like the kids are safe! Good car thus far!

• 

  Very good return on investment - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By Mike B. Beats - January 3 - 3:33 am

  I purchased mine in 02 with 46K on it for 6500. In my opinion, I couldnt have spent my money more wisely on a car. I got everything I wanted in the car besides a cd player. It gave me roughly 100K miles with minimal problems. The trans went out at 145K and it costs to much to repair, given the value of the car, but its a great car otherwise. the heat/AC is stellar. The HP is good. It doesnt handle the best, but were not racing here. The inside is very comfortable, and my favorite part is that it doesnt draw any negative attention. It is difficult to steal too, which is always a bonus. For the money you spend, you get a good product in return. this car is a road warrior.

• 

  Stylish, affordable car - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By SteveEE - January 1 - 10:00 am

  This car is serving us well so far, It has a comfy, big interior. A somewhat smooth ride thats usually disturbed only by the worst bumps. Passing power is good and the engine is smooth when warmed up but kind of raggy sounding when its cold.