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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  I Love My Villager! - 2000 Mercury Villager
  By godzgirlprayz - August 25 - 9:47 am

  This is the best vehicle Ive ever had! It has nearly 150k mi, I got it with 39k mi. It handles well. No major problems, have only had to do regular maintenance until just recent. Now its starting to run rough, like its going to stall out. Shimmy in the steering when I go over 70 mph. Replaced timing belt at 100k. repaired ac switch (front & back) around 120k. No probs with windows, radio, doors. Oxidation and paint peeling but its 11 yrs old & we live in FL! Otherwise its beautiful! We are gonna try to get it repaired bc I love this van!

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  Love my Mountaineer for the most part! - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Amurr1991 - August 23 - 5:10 am

  I have had My Mountaineer for quite a while and Love it! I have only had to replace ball joints and Put new tires on it (standard maintenance). This vehicle is such a workhorse and handles great in all weather situations! The fuel economy is awful though, (only about 13-15 combined). Overall I have been pleased with this truck. The only complaint I have is that the interior quality could be better. The truck has 110,000 miles and does tend to have some minor rattles, but not too bad, other cars I have had dont generally start to rattle until much later, but hey Its a Ford not a Mercedes!

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  Perfect vehicle for imperfect families - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By spencersdad - August 21 - 10:00 am

  A handsome package, flexible, capable and about the only "mini" van that can comfortably carry SIX passengers in comfort up&down I-5 without a mutiny.

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  Plain Jane - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By pfeiffer - August 21 - 10:00 am

  One year and no problems. Exterior looks good, but interior ordinary. Lots of "no cost extras" make this car a good value for the $$. Comparably equipped competitors cost thousands more. Have not had any of the problems some of the owners have described and am happy. Depreciation is bad, so shop carefully.

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  Solid Car for the Money - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Clark - August 21 - 10:00 am

  The Grand Marquis is what most cars today arent: spacious and functional, not "hot" and gimmicky. Its drive is very smooth, expecially on the highway. Its a true 6-passenger car, unlike other pseudo-"full size" cars that dont come close. Its huge trunk gives you a lot of flexiblity, as long as youre careful not to injure your back (it depth makes for a hazard if youre picking up something heavy). The interior could use some refinement, but not (we hope) at the expense of a price increase, since VALUE is what makes the Grand Marquis compete.

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  OOH- shiny! - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By chris1016 - August 14 - 2:43 pm

  I bought the LS Premium with about 22k on it 6 mo. ago. AC compressor went bad after a couple months (luckily I had the extended warranty, but it still cost me a little over $100 deductible). Otherwise, car seems pretty solid. Somewhat luxurious (compared to the blander Taurus anyhow). But my LS came without a 6disc changer! Also, as others have said- the trunk, while of a decent size, is hindered by a too- small, oddly-shaped opening. And yeah, drum brakes? Shame on Ford for that one... Otherwise, Im liking this car quite a bit.

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  Good car but early transmission problem. - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By mtango - August 12 - 10:00 am

  Greatly enjoyed our 03 mountaineer until transmission died at 12,000 miles. Dealer promptly repaired under warranty and provided loaner vehicle. Compared with Explorer with similar options Mountaineer is a better deal. Paid $500 over invoice. (Thanks Edmunds!) Also looked at Acura MDX and Volvo XC90. Both were more expensive and not as flexible with the seating space.

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  interior - 2010 Mercury Mariner
  By MarinerDriver - August 11 - 10:26 am

  Overall, happy with Mariner Premier FWD. I get 26 mpg on mostly highway. Fun to drive! Heated leather seats get too hot, too fast. Other reviews correct about headliner having frayed exposed cut edge. Dealership says its a Ford design flaw they cant do anything about. Navigation system is not the easiest to pick up without reading manual. Rear view camera is great. Like watching TV! My new car had a scratch in paint that dealership smoothed out, but is still visible. Smooth ride. Side step bars, dont get: just get pants dirty when get in/out. Lots of head room. 4 cyl not too peppy but fuel economy makes up for that.

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  Love it!! - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By smt921 - August 6 - 6:23 am

  I had a V8 Mountaineer and decided I needed to go with something smaller and more fuel efficient, but worried about the comfort/size of the smaller SUVs (especially with 3 dogs - one who is 100 lbs!!). I really like this vehicle and all my dogs fit good. Ive got the Premier V6 and thought after a V8 there would be no get-up- and-go, but this is pretty peppy.

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  Fun but had problems - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Myrddin157 - July 29 - 10:00 am

  Fun car to drive, relatively quick and handles very well. Major complaints involve the electrical system (fuses, switches, spark plugs/wires etc.) which failed rather often. Car went through brakes very frequently. No major repairs to the engine. Most repairs involved interior components, electrical system and the exhaust system. (2 catalytic converters were replaced)