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:

• 

  A Very reliable car - 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By daniel - February 26 - 5:46 am

  Reliable Strong Comfortable .....very few tickets!! Im 24 , I think Ill be buying the same car next time and so on!

• 

  More van for less price than others! - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By DadsretiredfromFord - February 26 - 3:20 am

  First I drove the Nissan,Honda,Toyota,Chrysler, and Mazda minis. I Bought the Merc because A) My dad worked for Ford, and B) $14000 off sticker price! The vehicle is very sharp looking, inside and out, and there are tons of features included on the Luxury edition. For the same price I paid I would have got a base Sienna with none of the leather, heated seats, power doors, 6CD, trip computer, power pedals, memory power everything, etc. The engine is noisy, but once underway its quiet. MPG so far is 17/21, not as good as my old Villager. Problems so far: replaced pwr window motor, vibration in 2 tires, alignment off, squeaking brakes. Overall a good deal considering the low price paid!

• 

  A great car. Shes always there for you. - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Lindsey J - February 25 - 4:03 pm

  Wonderful car. I have had her for five years and have not had a single engine repair. Im now at 89,000 miles and its runing smooth. There seems to be a little trouble with the tire design becuase I have gone through more than my fair share of sets.

• 

  Not a Mountaineer - 2010 Mercury Mariner
  By tootz - February 24 - 6:26 am

  I got this vehicle after driving a Mountaineer for 6 years. The Mariner was a little disappointing-comparitvely speaking. I got a great deal on it however. Gas mileage is OK, comfort is OK, but the drive is noisey at best. And, while I did get the flex fuel model, there is no flex fuel to be found in my area of the country - what is the point?

• 

  130,000 miles and still going strong - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Stephanie - February 24 - 2:50 am

  I purchased my Mountaineer three years ago. It now has 130,000 miles on it! I have not had any problems at all. I love the options this vehicle has at the affordable price. After driving a Chevy previously, I was a little apprehensive about buying a Ford. I found it to be just as reliable, if not more than my Chevy. Sadly, I am trading it in due to the gas mileage. I wish I did not have to commute 30 miles one way to work, or I would keep this precious gem. I would advise anyone to buy a Mountaineer!

• 

  99 Cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Angela - February 23 - 11:53 am

  It handles ever so sweet. You are craddled in the seat. The only thing I would change on the vehicle is the rear view mirror. It obstructs your view when coming down or going up a ramp and you are looking ahead. I dont know how they could do it differently - maybe if it was off center and more towards the passenger side? But it is still a sweet ride.

• 

  Hate minivans but respect Villager - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By Hadi - February 23 - 10:43 am

  Bought my villager estate at 94K miles. Had to replace front CV Joints at 100K. Has 110K with no problems. As such a very reliable small van. Hate minivans but have to grudgingly respect the villager for quality and style. Wouldnt have bought it if it wasnt for the Nissan technology. My only gripe is that its very bad on leg room both front and middle. Captains chairs are heavy to remove and pain to put back. Like the front and rear AC feature...wish it was also the same for heat. Could have been more powerful and definitely could have been much better on gas. Gives me a measly 17 in the city and around 24 on the highway. All in all would recommend this small minivan.

• 

  so far its been great !! - 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By me - February 22 - 2:33 pm

  I had a 97 buick lesabra which was just ok. but after driving the Grand M. i was blowwn away & may still trade in for an older Marauder. much more leg & body room for a large guy. v-8 rwd. alot better then the v-6 fwd. I dont think ford will keep this platform after 08-09. Too bad. On the down side rear seat leg room is small but i like the big trunk.

• 

  WOW!! - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By JR1949 - February 20 - 10:00 am

  I went from an 85 Crown Vickie to this 2003 Grand Marquis LS Convenience. What a difference! The 03 handles like a car 1000 pounds lighter. The non-air suspension offered in this model offers just enough "road-feel" to make it fun to drive. Considering its size, frontal area & mass, the fuel economy isnt bad!(22 MPG avg-mixed city/hiway, ~26 pure hiway) My heart sunk when I realized I had left the windows open one evening during a moderate rain, yet the leather wiped off perfectly. So far, its about the BEST car overall, Ive ever owned; I consider it a mini- Lincoln! Ford-this ones a keeper!

• 

  Avoid Milan & Fusion with 5-speed Automatic Transmission - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By cesareoc - February 20 - 5:22 am

  This car looks great, drive decently, but it has a major problem: the Mazda built 5 speed automatic transmissions. This transmission seems to have a shorter life span than most modern transmission. Mine started to go at around 80k and completely shut down at 95k. It is a seal system that cannot be serviced, and it is expensive to rebuild. Even the used ones cost twice as much as any other used transmission. This along should be a good reason to avoid Milan and Fusion models with this part, and perhaps all Milan and Fusion.