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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  Ill miss it - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By cougarluv - February 12 - 11:36 am

  I owned this car from day one, and every trip is a joy. I loved sitting in it. I loved listening to music in it. I loved driving it. It looks so interesting and unique, inside and out. Havent had any serious engine problems with this car at all, but a bunch of strange quirks have been showing up this year, and after having to go to the shop every other month to stop the annoyances, like the stereo turning itself on randomly, the moon roof getting stuck open, the drivers window not rolling up, etc., in addition to the repairs Ive had to do for wear and tear, I think its time to say goodbye. Its current gas mileage is still better than some newer cars you can buy today. A really amazing car

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  Sticky gas pedal - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By abinitio - February 5 - 10:00 am

  This has been a great family vehicle, which we got after trading in a 1993 that had over 100,000 miles with only warranty and recall repairs. However, one real problem developed - the gas pedal began to stick when I went to accelerate (fortunately it never stuck while depressed). This could have been hazardous if I had been trying to accelerate in an avoidance move or something similar. My dealer fixed what he called "carbon buildup" which he said he rarely sees. However, I see in another post here that someone else has had the same problem, so Im thinking it may be more common that were lead to believe.

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  good car, good value - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By me12 - February 5 - 10:00 am

  so sad to see you go

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  Great Car for the Money - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By Dreamer - February 5 - 10:00 am

  A lot of car for the money. Has a big car ride. Very comfortable with a secure feeling as far as road handling, particularly on a highway.

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  Buyer Beware!!! - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By emon07 - February 5 - 10:00 am

  I did not like the third row seat. I drove the car for about 1 1/2 weeks and the ABS light would stay on. After three days I was able to pickup my vehicle and the following morning the ABS light came on again. I returned the vehicle for service the following Monday. I waited one week and three days for the repair to be completed. The vehicle message center it shows that I am getting 9mpg on the highway and 8mpg on the street - this is crazy. I called the dealership and was made to wait two weeks before I could bring the vehicle in for repair.

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  2003 Mountaineer - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By John Riley - January 25 - 7:33 pm

  Putting an average of 21K miles per year requires a reliable vehicle. So far, we have only replaced tires with 70K miles and no major or minor issues. Gas mileage is poor. Even though this vehicle has a 6 cyl, acceleration is good. Like the looks and overall performance. Short turning radius is one of the more impressive features.

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  Noises - 2007 Mercury Mariner
  By Mike - January 25 - 4:36 am

  Nice little SUV to drive but the road noise gets on my nerves. Dealer tried new tires but they did little or nothing to help the problem. Also was surprised at the disappointing mileage. The readout states 19.5 mpg while city driving but the gas tank sure seems to empty fast.

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  Disappointed with the paint. - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By hov - January 24 - 12:50 am

  I really enjoy driving the Mariner. It is fun to drive and handles really well. I was disappointed in the design after I found that the paint below the rear passenger doors (where the body flairs out) was badly chipped after only 2k miles of careful driving. We put on mud flaps and it was re-painted, 2k later, the same result. Ford claims this is a vehicle trait. A very poor trait to have in an otherwise good vehicle. I am curious to see if anyone else has noticed this premature wear.

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  Decent Ride - 2002 Mercury Sable
  By Skywatcher1138 - January 21 - 12:16 pm

  This is the first car I ever owned. Bought it as a used rental in late 2002. Ive had it ever since. Its been a great car. No major mechanical issues, except wear & tear stuff. Had to recently replace the thermostat & the inner tie rods. The car drives well. Not the fastest on the block, but decent for a sedan. Very good gas mileage. I do mostly highway driving & usually get 24-26 mpg.

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  Just got it - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Stephanie - January 20 - 12:40 pm

  Ive only had it for a week (Luxury FWD Satelite Silver), but I love it. (I sold my 2001 CRV no power at all, but reliable). It is a bit fuel greedy, feels solid, sturdy, rides like a car, rides better than my Honda, acceleration is good. I noticed some vibration in the gas pedal below 60 miles per hr, but that seems to be disappearing the more I drive it. (I only have 650 miles on it).