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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  1997 Marquis LS - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By 1997 Grand Marquis - July 13 - 7:00 am

  I spent 6 months researching every make of used car, looking for the one car that had the best combination of room, power, style, safety, and economy. The car that fit the bill...my 1997 Grand Marquis LS. I have owned the car since 2002 and it has required only regular maintenance (oil changes, plugs, filters and the like). Because most buyers mistakenly view the Marquis as an old persons boat, super quality low mileage versions are readily available for reasonable prices. Ford got this car right and with the same basic engine and body parts being made since 1992...parts are not a problem. My Marquis is extremely fast, incredibly roomy, economical (18-26mpg), and very reliable.

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  mystique, or trique - 1998 Mercury Mystique
  By masss29 - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Man i thought this car was gonna be the bomb when i bought it, but it turned up to be a disaster. I paid 4000 dlls for it and i had to waste about 2200 more in the a.c., transmission, and several electric shorts that happened in the first 3 months that i had it. I gotta give it to the car that it was pretty fun to drive, because you could go about 100 and it wouldnt even tremble. But after about 3 months of 100 mph drives, the poor car ended up in the shop with damage of about 1500 dlls. if you want good advice, take it from me: never, if you can help it, buy a Mercury Mistique. it will cost you!!!!!!!!!!

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  Marauder loaded - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By MarauderRARE - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Had the car 2 months now. Im a young guy(30s) and beleive it or not, previously owned 2 Grand Marquis. Liked them but decided for something with a little more attitude. Certainly found it with this beast. I love the car, but it has fit & finish issues. Im very disappointed with inconsistent spacing between doors and roof panels. Not acceptable for a car that lists for $37,000. Dash started to come apart on pass. side. Dealer fixed that. Yet driver side doors are still mounted improperly causing paint to chip in door jams. Dealer fixed that, but gaps between door and roof are inconsistent with pass. side. How does this make it past quality control at the assembly plant? Unacceptable!

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  Well Pleased - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By lawlabor - July 10 - 12:20 am

  I have had the car for two weeks now and couldnt be happier. The efficiency is precisely what was projected, the creature comforts have exceeded my expectations, and even my 9-year old son thinks the car is cool.

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  Keeps tickin - 2005 Mercury Sable
  By Chet - July 9 - 5:30 am

  Extremely dependable, a great highway cruiser w/mpg average 23-25. This is my 4th Sable and will easily last over 200,000 miles in my experience. Weakest link is the transmission. However, if you change fluids on time, tell her you love her once a week- she will love you back. Very high rating on dependability and safety. This is not your dads Sable.

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  Junk! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By lawree - July 9 - 2:00 am

  I just traded my Cougar in & couldnt be happier! Fun fact...when I went to get my trade-in value the car chose not to start! I only had 40K miles on it and cant even tell you how many times I had to walk to work b/c the car was at the dealers. They, of course, never found anything wrong with it. Apparently, it was my fault that the check engine light and the airbag light would occasionally come on - that it would occasionally just choose not to start - that neither the hood/truck releases worked. And so on... Once I got the car back it would be fine for 2-3 months and then start again.

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  superior - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By klm595 - July 9 - 2:00 am

  I have enjoyed leasing and driving this vehicle very much, especially because I am 410" the gas and brake pedal come to me which makes the drive a very comfortable one. I am considering purchasing a 2003 when this lease is up in June 03--the vehicle I am driving is a 2000 leased 6/00--I am in the market for a 2003 to own not lease

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  ford dealership - 2005 Mercury Sable
  By herb cox - July 8 - 3:03 pm

  easy to drive,good ride handles well on road,smooth shifting trans.A.c.and stereo work smooth.

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  great car! - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By ctbruce - July 7 - 7:50 am

  I love my car! It is the best value for the money. It is very reliable. I have never had one problem with it. Bells and whistles are many.

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  Mother Earths Revenge - 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Jared Chesler - July 6 - 6:03 am

  This car is junk! The leather is cheap, the quality is no Toyota Avalon, It looks like junk, It is junk, it makes KIA look nice! The seats have no support and there is no rear leg room. The Mercury is great if live in the 1940. For the same price buy: Toyota Avalon For less buy: Honda Accord For more buy: Lexus or Linclon