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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  good but could be better - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By RANDY BUCHKO - June 15 - 10:00 am

  the car has class and power it handels well and looks good from the outside.

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  Decent car - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By Big Chocolate - June 15 - 1:13 am

  This car is pretty nice to drive, but its nothing special. Weve owned this car for 5 years now and still nothing really stands out as special. It gets pretty good gas mileage under 55 mpg on the highway. Also, once it gets to about a quarter tank of gas, the fuel pump shuts off. We had to push it over a mile to a gas station, I mean, what a stupid design failure. Overall, this car is not very impressive

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  LED Brake/Tail Light Issue - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By kiwiaudio - June 13 - 5:05 am

  Fully agree with hsmith1. This LED lamp fault looks like becoming an epidemic, and is a safety concern. I would urge all to contact Ford 1 800 392 3673 +1 +5 to lodge your complaint. Also fill out the complaint form with NHTSA http://www.nhtsa.gov/ Until we push, Ford will not acknowledge !

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  Great Vehicle - 2002 Mercury Sable
  By billbo - June 6 - 1:20 pm

  This has been a great car. I have had no major problems and does well in the Michigan winters. I can haul just as much stuff as I did in my 98 Explorer I before it. Travels great on the highway and I get between 24-26 mpg and that is doing over 70 on the highway. My premium wagon has all the bells and whistles, including power moonroof and factory six disc changer.

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  Excellent Entry-level Car - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By jwtownse - June 6 - 3:24 am

  Ive had this car for about two years now and it has only needed routine maintenance (aside from some bad gas I filled up with from BP). The exterior is a little bland but has grown on me. Its the interior of the car that sold me and that I still love. The heated leather seats are great in the winter and the Sync system can be a little buggy at times but is usually perfect.

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  Will buy another one - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Howains - May 27 - 10:00 am

  Comfortable to drive and ride in,huge trunk,dependable and decent gas mileage for a large car.

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  Great car... - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Richard - May 26 - 1:13 pm

  Im quite happy with the new Milan...looks very European and has a sports type ride and handling. Gas mileage thus far is a bit disappointing for local driving, but highway mileage is excellent. I bought the upgraded radio but very disappointed in reception...likely due to internal antenna...would have preferred an external antenna and better reception. Build quality seems excellent. Excellent vehicle for a reasonable price when compared with many of the imports. Dealership experience was excellent. I considered Acura, Saab, Honda Accord and Mazda 6 but found that the Milan offered most of the same features for less money. Dealer let us have for an extended test drive...that sold us!

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  A fun four-door sports car - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By evansc6 - May 23 - 7:36 am

  Im fairly happy with my 04 Marauder. Its plenty fast (though Id love to add a supercharger), comfortable, and the fuel economy is pretty good at 20 mpg around town. I would recommend an 04 over the 03s because the newer ones have a better transmission (mine doesnt thunk into the next gear like the 03s). A little too much cheapy plastic inside, and the build quality isnt up to par with BMW, Mercedes, or even Honda. But overall a fun car to be had in the low $20Ks right now.

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  my milan - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By pete - May 22 - 10:43 pm

  my milan is fun and quick. i like to drive it everybody tells me how nice and sporty it is. i always liked the mercury grandmarquis but the price of gas turned me away and when mercury came out with the milan i had to have it and it was very affordable. i had the car about three month and i am very happy with it.

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  Not Bad - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By skp369 - May 20 - 10:00 am

  I have enjoyed driving this truck for almost three years. I was very suprised and impressed at its very good performance and handling on dry roads as well as deep snow. The V-8 is strong and steering is excellent. The 2000 Mountaineer has one problem area and that is its ride. The leaf spring rear suspension causes an uncomfortable ride on any but the smoothest roads. It has proven very reliable and adaptable to most uses.