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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  Very Nice SUV - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By jhalle - December 7 - 7:13 am

  We just traded in our 2003 Mountaineer for a used 2006 Model. We were very pleased with the previous model and are even more pleased with this one. It handles much better than the 03 Model and the interior is much more luxurious. Spent months comparing and trying 3 row SUVs. This was by far the best value. Sure the Highlander and Pilot were a little more refined but not enough to justify the extra $8000-$10000 price tags. Wish they would not have changed lift gate.Paid $17,500 for a loaded model with 19,000 miles on it. Some have complained of the door handles. Though a little awkward at first you do get used to it within a week.

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  Continental Replacement - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By Keigh Howland - December 1 - 9:10 pm

  A laypersons assessment of the 2006 Mercury Montego Premier AWD. I was looking for a replacement for a 1999 Continental; felt the Montego came the closest and Im not disappointed. CVT transmission very smooth and satisfactory for passing. General driving --26.9 MPG after 2011 miles.

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  Comfortable, but piggy - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Sue - November 25 - 8:36 am

  Big bang for the buck. Lots of incentives, and extras included. Most comfortable of all minivans, even the new HOnda. Poor on gas mileage in city. Hwy, ok, but city is more like 14 or 15, not 18 epa. Enough room for everything.

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  Perrenial Winner Grand Marquis - 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Chucktee1 - November 23 - 10:00 am

  This is my fourth Grand Marquis and Ive averaged around 200,000 miles on the previous three. The reason that these Ford/Mercury autos are used for livery and police cars is comfort, fuel economy, longevity and value. Buy Japanese, or German instead? I think not. Generally my experience is relatively negative to foreign autos contrary to published opinion. My 1998 GM repair bill was under $3,000 for eight years of use while I averaged 25 miles per gallon on the highway. Everyone loves the room and comfort of these autos on a long trip. You could buy smaller and perhaps average another 15% better gas mileage but the repair bill could easily reach 300% more, relative to my experience.

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  Great car for the price! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By wicked_gk - November 19 - 6:34 am

  I bought this car for $400 not-running. It had the common fuel-pump failure. Cost me $200 for a new one with labor. The mechanic then told me the engine had been over-heated which I suspected. Luckily Ford cross-platforms many of their vechicles so another engine was cheap ($350). Swapped engines and ever since its been running like new :) Interior quality is high quality and the suspension is rides smooth. Will be keeping this car till it stops running :)

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  2004 awd merc mountaineer - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By m. buendia - November 19 - 2:00 am

  tremendous improvement over older mountaineer models. ride is carlike and the seats offer great comfort to both driver and passengers. adequate power, good brakes, convenient and logical instrumentation. poor mileage (15 highway). well priced due to incentives.

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  Sad to see it go - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Sarah - November 17 - 9:50 pm

  I have had problems with my car since the day i bought it. Timing belt, alternator, transmission (TWICE), paint fading, A/C compressor and clutch, Serpentine belt, vacuum hoses, O2 sensors, fuel filter, battery, and i think there is more just cant remember everything right now, but when it was running good i loved this car! I cant keep putting money into it though time to let her go :(

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  My favorite car ever! - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By brooke - November 8 - 1:10 am

  I cannot say enough about this car. I have had it for about 13 months and absolutely love it. I get compliments all the time about its looks. It has power, it goes great in the snow, and it looks great. I have the silver exterior with the black leather interior, sun/moonroof, 6 cd changer, power everything. Love this vehicle!

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  No Roll! - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Heidi - November 5 - 6:06 pm

  For a woman, its been great! Great space. Plus has a smooth ride.

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  Mercury Villager Minivan - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By CT at ablaze - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Enjoyable vehicle. Ride is smooth with lots of room. Having electrical problems. Seems to be reliable overall with exception to electrical problems.