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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  Best boat on the road - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By ernest underwood - October 2 - 4:25 am

  Great bang for the buck. It asks for nothing but takes good care of you and the family. Best used car value, for big cars, in the market. I live in New England and search for the Gmarks in Fl as they are usually low mileage one owner automobiles. When the big northern winter storms arrive, I stay home as should everyone so rear wheel drive is not an issue.

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  Good Mini-Van - 2002 Mercury Villager
  By kcowboy - September 27 - 10:00 am

  Excellent mini-van with all the bells and whistles that wont break the bank. You can get a great deal on one because its the last year their making it. Its the type of vehicle that you dont have to pay sticker on! unlike some brands. This is our second Villager our other was a 93 and it never had any problems.

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  06 Premier- loaded - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By jsp - September 26 - 5:03 pm

  Great car overall. 500 miles and it is quiet, responsive and good looking. Would like to see more HP. Did 80+ with no problem. Heated, leather seats were great. driver seat could be softer like my ex-camry. Very sporty looking, lots of looks from friends. This is a must consider car. Ford is finally getting it!

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  Likes and dislikes of ownership - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By r Holmes - September 20 - 2:00 am

  The 5.0 engine is very adequate for this vehicle, and the AWD works very well in snow. The only problem Ive had is that the check engine light comes on all too often, and the dealership does nothing to repair the problem except to turn the light off and then charge a large bill for a service that takes 5 minutes

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  The Kitty Cat From Hell!!! - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By Justin - September 18 - 8:03 pm

  This rare 30th Anniversary Mercury Cougar is a lot of car for the money. This car came loaded with leather, power seats, one-touch sunroof, climate control, autoheadlamps and many other options. However, it has had its fair share of problems. It was trouble free up until 60,000 miles when the oxygen sensor needed to be replaced, causing the service engine light to come on. At 63,000 the ABS module went, which was very expensive to repair. At 65,000 miles the service engine light came on again and this time it was the ignition coils. At 68,000, the intake manifold gasket cracked which caused coolant to leak all over once pressure was built up in the lines. What is next to go?

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  marauder good idea - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By biscoitti - September 18 - 10:00 am

  nothing wrong so far.have not bought a new ford product since 1974.this car is well built and solid.

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  great ride - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By mick - September 10 - 9:30 pm

  i have driven explorers for the last 12 years, and i can say i enjoy my little mariner more than any of my previous fords. also with gas prices the way they are going a smaller suv for me is the way to go. handles well and is a pleasure to drive.

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  Great Van with few problems - 2002 Mercury Villager
  By 86bmw325i - September 3 - 9:23 pm

  This van is great. This is my 7th year of owning it and had a previous 1995 model Villager. I love the performance and semi sporty handling, better than the other minivans I test drove. The interior is well designed, except that it has so much plastic used. The dashboard rattles when it idles, so I took it too the dealership, but of coarse they said they couldnt hear it. Had an exhaust leak at about 90k, the mechanic couldnt order the right part because they quit making it, so he had to weld the old one. It still whines a little when you accelerate, nothing big, though. Also, I can feel engine vibrations through the steering wheel. But, other than that, its a great mini-van.

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  Super Nice SUV - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Mike Philpott - August 31 - 7:03 am

  Have owned this 07 Mountaineer Premier for just two weeks (and 600 miles) but its already an irreplaceable member of the household. We like just about everything about the Mountaineer. Looks great (love the color - White Chocolate paint with two-tone tan leather interior - as well as the overall style) plus its very comfortable to drive and extremely stable on the road. We also like the fact that the 3rd row seats fold down flat into the floor at the touch of a button and will accommodate two full-grown adults in at least semi-comfort. We are very happy with our purchase. A great vehicle that Im sure we will enjoy for many years to come.

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  Sport Ute Van - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By William Graham - August 26 - 2:00 am

  I only have 5500 miles so far. I like the room and the third row seat. The transmission is quite rough at times in the shifting. The V6 is adequate for my uses but a dog on gas consumption. The ride is not as choppy as my 1998 Explorer. I love the exterior appearance.