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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  They Got It Right Car! - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Mechanic - April 25 - 2:36 pm

  This I-4 AT Mercury Milan Runs, Handles & Stops Excellently! The build quality is what it should be, with body parts that line up and are tight. The Milan was delivered with the Premier Package & has every feature that one could ever want. (Tilt/ Telescopic steering, 6 CD AM/FM MP/3 Radio, Multi Tone Leather Interior, Power Driver Seat, 17"Aluminum Wheels, Air Bags Front & Side, 4 Wheel Independent Suspension, 4 Wheel Dics Brakes With AntiLock, NiceLookingClock, 5Speed Automatic Trans, PuddleLights, Alarm,Stainless Exhaust System). Real world MPG has been as high as 35 on the highway and not lower than 30.2. City is usually between 20.7 & 23 although the latest cold weather stop & go was 18.7.

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  Well Built Car - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Chuck - April 20 - 6:56 pm

  We have the Premium edition with lots of toys and the car is equal in quality to a Camry or Accord. The only disappointment is winter mileage goes in the tank and 23 is great in the winter but 31 is normal for summer highway. A well appointed car and a great value.

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  More Power Than My Range Rover - 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Dorothy Reik - April 20 - 12:33 pm

  Driving this four cylinder hybrid is like driving an eight cylinder car. It powers up hills with a light touch on the accelerator. The hardest part is driving conservatively so you can maximize the mileage. The temptation is to go for it.

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  Mercury - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Hypercrew - April 19 - 11:56 am

  When I found the car online, I thought, there is no way this is a Mercury. Looking for a European sedan, I was very happy to find this styling and performance in an American car, all at a very good price. People have told me they thought I was driving a BMW or a VW Passat, both of which are taken as compliments.

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  1997 Merc. Grand Marquis LS - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By David Mahaffey - April 19 - 6:30 am

  This has been an excellent car. With the exception of a very slight noise problem on passenger side, this car has never cost a dime for repairs other than normal maintenance. A/C is as good today as first day bought. Always kept up with as far as maintenance and it shows in an excellent, comfortable vehicle.

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  Very Safe Ride. - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By Paul K. straker - April 17 - 9:03 am

  I just got my 2009 Mariner early Oct. 2008. On Oct.17 2008 I was taking my boys over to their friends going 40 MPH on a main street when a car ran a stop sign. Never seeing the other car I plowed right into it. Both front airbags deployed. Myself my oldest age 11 and my youngest age 5 all walked away from the wreck with a couple of bruises. My youngest was also in his booster seat which is a must for anyone of his age. I am very great full on how safe they made this vehicle. I can not wait until I get my new one and I will be getting another Mariner.

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  A Great SUV - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Bill75 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  I test drove the Explorer, Highlander, Murano, and Pilot. None of them came close to the Mountaineer for comfort and value for the money. The vehicle had more driver leg room than any other vehicle I tested. It handles well for a vehicle of its size. Excellent visibility. V6 power acceptable

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  marvelous machine - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Richard Barone - April 7 - 10:53 pm

  I was concerned abou the upgrade from the 1997 Mountaineer to the 2004 version as the size was larger and my initial reaction was that it was a moving living room. Quickly i realized the comfort, safety ease of handling and feel in love with this marvelous machine

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  Reliable, great buy!!! - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By JD - April 7 - 12:35 am

  Really comfortable car. Reasonable handling. Nice ride with Air Suspension (I know, the air scares some people). Have to watch for head gasket failure because of iron block and aluminum heads (different expansion rates). Proven reliable platform and 4.6 is rocksteady. Tuned for smooth power delivery and quite performance. Has no problem getting out of its own way. I bought this car with 50000 miles, put a little money in to freshen it up and I love it. Also put a new radio, being a 2000 still had a tape player(tape player in 2000?). The cup holders kind of suck but Im just nitpicking now. It now has 91000 miles, only costs are air conditioning and basic maintenance (oil, gas, tires). If you can get a low mileage gem with a good body its a good buy. If someone was looking at a car like this to pick up I would recommend. I still really like the car. I get some grief because its an "old mans car" but thats ok. Easy and cheap to fix. Not much changed till they stopped producing in 2012. They became more reliable and gas efficient. Its a real good car. No regrets.

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  52,000 miles and still strong - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By jammonit - April 4 - 12:13 pm

  cup holder sucks, but they fixed that. otherwise no mechanical problems. runs great, ~30 mpg with a light touch, put ZR tires and it sticks like glue, cargo for my skis, surfboard and a ton of junk when i moved.