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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  Finally replaced my villager and WOW - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Heather - May 14 - 8:10 am

  The AC recently went out on my 93 Villager (I cried) and we made the desicion to start looking for a replacement. We looked at the Ford version of this, but were blown away by all of the extras that Mercury added. We got the Premire and it has everything. We took it to San Diego for a week from Utah and were surpised at how much more room it has than our Villager. Luggage for a family of Six with room to spare! The older kids love the captains chairs and travel through 105+ temps was a breeze! My in laws took theirs through the Mojave the week temps were 120+ and had no problems. If it is anything like our Villager it will be with us for a long time.

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  2003 Mercury Grand Marquis LS Limited - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Matt - May 14 - 6:00 am

  Beautiful car, comfortable, powerful, reliable. This is my second Grand Marquis (94). The best used vehicle you can buy period. Good choice for a new vehicle too, but they depreciate fast. Bought it with 30,000 now at 72,000. Only problem: A/C only blows out of defrost.

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  Impressive craftsmanship - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Mephisteles - May 14 - 12:13 am

  This beast has given me absolutely no problems since I first purchased it from my uncle. You get what you pay for in this world and this car was worth every penny.

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  too many problems - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By Nkb310 - May 10 - 4:06 pm

  the second day i braught it home, it has trouble starting, i got new battery, new starter, and it still wont start properly..its not reliable...i dont want to be stranded, a week after having it i had to get 2 new altenators put in...and it howls wich i dont like...i have had nothing but problems since the say i baught it which is too bad becuase i love everyhting else about it, i love the driving, the stereo, the appearance, and even the annoying cup holder...

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  lovethisthang - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By TOMMI - May 10 - 10:00 am

  Its fast, comfortable, nimble, and absolutely reliable. Gas milage is surprising for a car of this size and horse power.After 1 year of ownership I have had not one problem of any kind with this car.

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  Disenchanted - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Old Coot - May 5 - 7:20 pm

  The car has had numerous problems. I could not have kept it without a warranty. Example, all four window regulators have failed at 300 dollars each to repair. Add the expected cracked intake manifold plus much else.

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  We love our Mountaineer - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By R. J. Robinson - May 5 - 12:26 pm

  It handles well and there have been almost 0 problems since we bought it. The outside paint job has held up like it is still new (and it is not a garaged car). We bought it new 5 1/2 years ago and the only thing we notice as it ages is that the "quietness" in the ride that was first there is beginning to wane, but not real noticable.

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  LOVE THIS CAR!!!!!!! - 2000 Mercury Sable
  By lovemysable13 - May 4 - 11:29 am

  I love my 2000 sable!!!! Its amazing. I have owned it for several years and the only type of maintenance I have had to do is standard! Battery, tune ups, oil changes, etc. In 60,000 I have not had to even do the brakes! I wish they still made the mercury sable! I LOVE MY SABLE!

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  A Great Mid-sized SUV - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By S.Perez - May 3 - 10:56 am

  Ive had my Mountaineer for about a month and am really enjoying it. The dual a/c, rear a/c, audio system, turning radius, and comfort seating is just great. Gas mileage and the 3rd row seating not laying flat are the only complaints I have. It is my first SUV and I couldnt be happier.

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  Great full size rear wheel drive auto - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By RB.toolman - May 3 - 10:00 am

  This is our second Grand Marquis. We hope that Mercury continues to make these cars.