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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  Hate it - 1998 Mercury Mystique
  By Aramil - April 23 - 10:00 am

  When I bought this car on auction with hi mileage 120K and for only $1500 I expected problems. But so far it seems that everytime I turn the key something else goes wrong. Right now I Have already doubled the ammount I payed for it in repairs and still have a transmission problem and oil leak I have to force my shifter to get it in gear and i have a short in the in the line for my turn signals and my AC has gone out.

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  Good to Go! - 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Cone Maddox - April 23 - 2:26 am

  I sold my Hummer H-3 and purchased the Mercury Hybrid with 4-wheel drive. Twice + the mileage and I can see the other cars. Not too good off-road but a lot quicker than you would think on the street. The old black lab finds it easier to hop into the back. No problems whatever, so far. Got 30+ MPG last fill-up. Nice truck. It seems good to go!

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  Great Car - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By R. Long - April 21 - 3:53 pm

  The ride is very comfortable. My wife and I like the way the adjustable seating works. We both like the looks of the interior and exterior of the car. I like the view one gets while driving. We only have 3000 miles driven, but we are very pleased with the car so far.

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  Transmission Problems - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Ursula - April 21 - 10:56 am

  I have had many problems with my 2002 Mountaineer. I am so disappointed in my choice to purchase this auto. Soon after we bought it we had to pay almost $2000 to have the rear axles fixed, a couple years later we had to replace the back A/C unit & some other parts, and that was another $2000 +. I just found out yesterday that my transmission is going out! I am really frustrated with Ford.........I wont make this mistake again, its Nissan or Toyota for me!!!!!!!!!!

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  Happy Mountain Guy - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Steve from Ohio - April 19 - 9:20 pm

  I bought my Mountaineer new in 2002. It was a perfect vehicle for the first two years, then as with all Fords, started riding rougher and rougher as the years went on. I have a family of 6 and am 65" myself. All of us fit comfortably in the SUV. I have the V8 4.6 and get 14/18. I just filled up today on empty and it cost $82 to fill the 20 gal tank. I agree with the others that the transmission is a weakness. I have 111,000 miles after 5.5 years and just took out an extended warranty for $1,700, which covers all major powertrain items. To protect themselves, the insurance company has a 90 day/1,000 mile waiting period before you can make any claims

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By liltraverler - April 19 - 1:33 am

  I test drove the following vehicles, Hyundai Sonata, Chrysler 300, and a Ford Fusion and none of the cars compared to the Mercury Milan. Great riding car, excellent gas mileage, and great sound system.

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  Great SUV - Not for the big boys - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By jtsull - April 16 - 9:23 am

  Very stable compared to the previous design. Great safety features and build quality. Love the V8 with 6 speed transmission. Here is the flaw. I am 62" at 215lbs. The drivers seating area feels like it was designed by engineers 55" at 155 LBs and drive with the seat all the way forward. If I place the seat back, it is uncomfortable to reach for the steering wheel (not telescoping). Also the seat is so small my legs begin to hurt. The padding is minimal so your sort of sitting on the outside frame of the seat. The seat is actually 1" more narrow than the 2003 focus we own! Very disappointed in the ergonomics. The awkward door handle eats up even more room. If I could return it ....

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  my little fun suv - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By sheila - April 15 - 10:23 am

  I have had this car since the 31st of december and have had a ball driving it handles very well and really enjoy the heated seats on cold mornings. Would like the suv more if it had a navigational system or onstar available on ford products.

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  Lovin it! - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By ramona - April 12 - 8:43 am

  I have owned my vehicle a week now and am really enjoying it. After researching several cars thoroughly for price, amenities, style, crash tests, reliability, and fuel economy, I settled on the Mariner. I am surprised at how many men actually like it because it is a pretty metallic green color. It is really quite sharp, with its black trim and slate interior. We love our sunroof and find it functional in Florida to let the heat out. The upolstery is the best--wipes clean easily and is very comfortable----the seats are cushy and the ride smooth and solid. I never wanted to touch a vehicle with dark interior, but this is remarkably cool and comfortable. We find our Mariner very roomy.

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  Six months on, love it - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By fx - April 9 - 7:56 pm

  Over the past 6 years we have owned Jeep, Honda, Subaru, Chrysler, Mazda and VW. This is my favorite. The looks and performance beats all the others. I have had zero problems. Cant say that about the others especially the Mazda and VW. I have never owned Mercury and found this more by chance ( looking for AWD to replace Subaru). Besides the handling, comfort, looks etc. I also like the fact that there are very few of these on the road. where as it seems the Subaru is the Official State Car (Colorado).