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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  A Real Car - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By A Wayne Carnell - September 18 - 10:30 am

  The rear wheel drive remains appealing to this buyer given the mechanical simplicity of the power train. Proper winter snow tires are essential for driving on snow and ice and where permitted studded tires improve traction immeasurably. I have owned Lincolns through the years and the Marquis is of equal space and ride quality at a significantly lesser price.

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  Mariner Premier V6 FWD VOGA Edition - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By Bill - September 16 - 1:13 pm

  New engine and transmission deliver smooth performance with more than adequate power. White suede paint looks good. The black and cashmere interior is very sharp, and the stylish look has garnered many positive comments particularly from women. Controls and displays are well laid out and easy to use / monitor without diverting attention from the road. Getting almost 20 MPG in 65% city / 35% freeway driving in the Austin heat with the AC on. Steering gives the car a very light feel but is accurate. AC very powerful for front passengers on hot days even set at 78 degrees with fan on a low setting. Very little sun glare on dashboard or center displays.

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  Great Vehicle - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By DarkCherryRose - September 16 - 5:20 am

  This is an awesome vehicle. It drives great, is comfortable , great stereo , LOVE the sunroof. This was my first car and I only paid $500 for it, it needed a new head gasket and a few other fixes which cost me about $300 and it was up and running great. I love how you can set your lights to come on by themselves when it is dark out

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  Totallt satisfied - 1999 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Dr Don - September 13 - 2:00 am

  Had a 95 explorer..excellent sold with 163000 mi never a problem. Bought 99 Merc Mountaineer with 23000 mi, a joy to ride and drive, never any problems, best vehicle EVER had!

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  Happy so Far - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By Desert Mariner - September 11 - 3:43 pm

  I never expected to buy a Ford product, havent owned one in over 25 years. I fully expected to by a CRV, RAV4, or Saturn Vue, only reluctantly looked at Ford/Mercury. Ended up with the Mariner because it was the best combination of styling, comfort, power, and features. The Saturn was my favorite styling but the seating was not comfortable - just too much smaller than the competition. The CRV had bland styling and no bluetooth or any cool features. The RAV4 had roomiest seating but cheap looking interior and the spare on the door was a minus, plus bluetooth only on fully loaded vehicles. Like the Mariner styling; like front grille & rear tailights better than on Ford Escape.

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  Our 1st SUV - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By linwoodrascals - September 11 - 10:00 am

  This is our first SUV. This vehicle appears very large but actually is an inch shorter than our previous sedan. The interior is spacious and well appointed. The only change needed is a new location for the seat warmer switch. Its down on the side of the seat where it cant be seen or easily found by touch. My daily commute has been very enjoyable. The V6 provides adequate power. Merging and passing on the highway are no problem. Fuel economy has been better than expected averaging 18 mpg. Handling is predicable and secure. Parking is simple especially with the rear sensors. The cabin is quiet. The sound system with 6cd changer exceeded my expectations. I wholeheartedly recommend this SUV.

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  Its great - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Ann - September 8 - 12:40 pm

  I had a 2001 Tribute that I got rid of in 2006 when I purchased a V6 RAV4. I was never really happy with the RAV4, it just didnt have the things on my Tribute that I liked so I went back and found the Mariner and love it. Its like coming home. I will admit it does not have the pick up that the RAVhad even though I have a V6 currently. But besides that it got lots of room and comfortable seats. We just drove 8 hours in one day for a vacation and had no problems with our backs.

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  Love this car! - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By Pam - September 7 - 2:16 pm

  Ive had my Milan for a week now, and love it. On my first tank of gas I am getting 23.9 MPG city. Have not had a chance for Hwy yet. I test drove several vehicles, 08 Fusion, 09 Sonata, 09 Corolla, 08 Malibu, 08 Optima, some were better buys I will admit, however, I love the way this car drives and is very comfortable for me. I really wanted a sunroof and heated seats, however, there were none available at this time in the area so I gave them up because I really wanted this car for the comfort. I purchased the White Suede Metalllic with Camel Leather Interior. I would definitely recommned this car.

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  I Love This Car - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By kathy - September 7 - 10:43 am

  Great car for family of 5. Lots of room, lots of comfort. Plenty of power. Lots of fun to drive. I love the high set front seats. Theyre great for short people. The leather interior is wonderful. With all the luxury features this car has, it is really a great value. And it looks great.

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  Love it! - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By Skeeter - September 2 - 11:33 am

  I have had my 09 Milan for 3 months. We have taken one long trip in it. The rest of the time has been spent driving within 50 miles of home. Right now I am getting 30.4 mpg with a cruising range of over 500 miles. With employee pricing and rebates, I was able to buy this awesome vehicle for less than $20,000. We live in the country so Sirrus radio is wonderful since we cant always pick up a good radio station.