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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  Mystique or Mistake - 1998 Mercury Mystique
  By Paulyblues - April 9 - 10:00 am

  This car and year had a lot of recalls. I have used this car for many trips and have driven it all over the place with no problems. I warm it up in the winter and make sure the oil is always changed regularly. While it is not powerful (4 cyl), it has always been reliable and has a pretty smooth ride.

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  mercury villager - 2001 Mercury Villager
  By pedro - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Overall a great vehicle.

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  retired - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By huffman - April 9 - 10:00 am

  to much road noise! nice ride

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  norms review - 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By norman - April 6 - 10:00 am

  One of the best and trouble free vehicles I have ever owned.

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  From Montego to Sable - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By Sverige - April 5 - 5:46 pm

  After 65,000 good miles, mostly highway, on a 05 Montego with only one latent factory defect that was readily fixed, I traded for a new Sable. About the only thing I really wanted was a built in satellite radio. After putting about 800 miles on the Sable I think Ford has just about got it right with the changes between the two models. Both are very roomy and comfortable on long trips.

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  Traded Chrysler 300 for Montego AWD - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Rico - April 4 - 6:00 pm

  After 2 winters of Chrysler 300 RWD, I wanted an AWD vehicle. Liked the value of Mercury Montego. Added a spoiler and chrome trim on doors, side molding and trunk to spruce up the looks. I am very pleased overall with the car. Very comfortable.

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  Good Buy - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Mercury - April 2 - 10:00 am

  I am 63 and have been buying Mercurys for 10 years. This car is comfortable and takes the bumbs well but handling and gas is a diffrent story. I would buy the Nissan Altima or the Toyota Avalon before I boght a Mercury or Linclon but my brother works at Mercury in L.A.

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  99 Mercury Cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By MrFroge - March 30 - 2:00 am

  A great car for those who like the "New Edge" style of automobiles. A coupe with a hatch back that allows cargo as large as a Queen size bed.. It gets a lot of attention at the traffic light.

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  Road Noise - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By ams - March 28 - 10:43 pm

  Biggest complaint about this vehicle is the road noise from below when driving. My husband, who drives a Diesel, comments every time he gets in this car about how noisy it is and I have to agree. I am surprised to see all these reviews claiming 30+ MPG. I have had this vehicle almost 2 years now and on average, 26-28 MPG is what it gets.

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  The last great American sedan - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By JimBeam - March 28 - 5:20 am

  The Grand Marquis isnt a perfect car, but its close. Driving is effortless. The base V8 provides more than enough power to get you into trouble. The car gently glides over bumps and potholes instead of jarring the passengers like most cars. Handling is surprisingly sharp for such a large car. It has enough room to seat five adults comfortably and an extra seat belt if you have to take six. I have the LS Limited, which is almost as nice as a Town Car for a lot less. Because Ford rarely changes them and the old cop Crown Vics flood the used market, there are plenty of deals available. These cars last forever, so even a used one will probably last longer that most new cars.