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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  Great Car!!!! - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By Matt - August 8 - 11:33 am

  This is a great car. It just was ranked the safest large sedan and feels safe when you drive it. This safety allows a sense of confidence to overcome a driver min inclement weather. The Montego is also fun to drive. It has very good acceleration and turns well. The best feature of the car is how comfortable it is to drive. It is a great car and I highly recommend it.

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  Meets all my requirements and then some - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By Rick - August 4 - 9:20 pm

  Great looking, right size, comforable with enough power to get up and go when needed. Gets many complements. Its fun to drive. Had cars from T-birds to Mustangs plus many others. The last was a Honda Accord. Hated it, ride hard and uncomfortabe large heavy doors making access and exit difficult. My Milan beats it by a more than a mile.

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  best mercury yet - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By dd - August 3 - 10:13 pm

  I picked up my Milan this week with all the options. Its a great sedan -- very comfortable, sound system rocks, seems very well built with a great solid design.

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  My review of the Grand Marquis - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Big John - August 3 - 6:16 am

  This vehicle is comfortable and reliable. Especially good on trips on the interstate highways.

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  Traded the Prius for this, and am soooo glad! - 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
  By captainkey - August 2 - 3:42 am

  I had a 2011 Prius. That da** car had the absolutely worst seats you could put in a car. I saw this car on the Richmond BMW lot, pulled in, took it for a test drive and traded on the spot, which I have never done before. It is far superior to the Prius except in the gas mileage. The shifting is much smoother, it is a lot quieter, and the leather seats are like heaven. I could drive this all day and not get tired. I average about 38 mpg, and I have a lead foot. I have never owned an America built car.

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  Great car, get lots of looks!! - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Scott - August 1 - 8:40 am

  This is a great car, has plenty of power and I can pass most of the cars on the road. Ive owned a few Hondas and this definitely compares, but isnt seen on every corner. The V6 gives almost 28 on the highway with cruise and no AC on. Great car.

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  Good Buy - 1998 Mercury Sable
  By fyrebrd99 - August 1 - 2:00 am

  Nice Car. I have alot of fun with it, it handles nice, but has alot of room in it also.

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  99 sable great car - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By western mass - August 1 - 2:00 am

  We replaced our 1996 Sable with a 99 w touring package Nothing has needed to be fixed. Im picky and this car has been flawless. 200hp eng fun to drive, great in the snow.

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  WONDERFUL - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By D. Lloyd - August 1 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I have never been fans of American cars but, we love our 2003 Mountaineer. Its only three weeks old which probably isnt a true assesment period but we love the comfort and feel of this SUV. The only complaint we have is that the seat back doesnt adjust automatically when using the memory.

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  Best Hybrid in the price range - 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
  By rpp - July 27 - 1:03 pm

  One professional auto reviewer had it right. This is the first hybrid to drive like a regular car. It is also clearly superior to the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Camry Hyrbid, Lexus HS250, Prius, and Altima Hybrid if you compare carefully. I really wanted to like the Lexus, but it was noisy and didnt drive as well as the Milan. The only advantage of the Lexus was the interior leather IMHO. I have a 2004 Mercedes E320 and I replaced a 1998 Infiniti Q45 with the Milan Hybrid. Ive had the Milan for about 3 weeks now, and I am pretty satisfied. Averaging over 36 MPG with the A/C running, but have gotten over 46 going to work. As expected, mileage is very dependent on the terrain.