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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  One Month and Going Strong - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By William Koonce - October 13 - 7:33 pm

  One month of driving...for whats its worth. I drive a Lincoln...the Mercury is for my wife. The Mercury cabin is quiet on the highway. For an SUV, the ride is incredibly soft, yet possessing none of the roll for a soft, high-sight vehicle. The interior finish is quality, with lines, not gaps. The GPS and all readouts easily show up in reflective sun (something important to me). The vehicle accelerates quickly, possessing power to pass on a hill. The exterior exudes an affluent demeanor. Regarding the platform, I found the “expert” reviews humorous, as some considered the proven platform “old” and in need of an upgrade. Give me a proven mature platform over a young, flashy platform any day!

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  Love My Mountaineer White/LtGrey - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Helene M - October 13 - 10:00 am

  Love My Truck.....rides great have 29,000 miles, never had a problem with her. She is quick n very comfortable, n she is very pretty,gas mileage is ok ,but its an 8 cyl!! Love it so much I released it 4 another 6 months!!

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  Mercury MontegoBest Car Ive ever owned! - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By ericjroberson - October 11 - 4:53 pm

  This is the best car Ive ever owned. Former owner of: 99 Contour SE Sport 00 Cougar v6 00 F-150 Lariat 5.4 liter v8 01 Taurus SEL 01 Cougar v6 02 Cougar v6 35th aniversary edition Currently own 05 Mercury Montego Premier 03 Mercury Mountaineer Premier Without a doubt, the best performance & handling (not to mention space) Ive ever seen in a sedan. This one is for keeps folks! A real winner for the road ahead. 30 y/o male in Houston, TX

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  Highly Pleased - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By CHIGS - October 11 - 7:06 am

  The Grand Marquis is a great experience. It has great acceleration and will pass anything on the highway while riding in luxury. I bought it because my wife, son and myself drive to our vacations and there is plenty room for luggage, a cooler in the trunk. My son sits in the back seat with his portable DVD player, toys, pillows and blankets with plenty of room to spare. last year we got 25 mpg on the highway with the car loaded.

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  Buy this car! - 2009 Mercury Sable
  By twindad46 - October 11 - 5:11 am

  What a car! I recently purchased a slightly used 09 Sable with 28K miles on it and I love it! Comfortable, good performance, tons of features, good mileage for its size and all for $17K. I traded in an 06 Chrysler 300 that I hated and the only thing I dont like about this car is that I didnt buy it 2 years ago. Its a shame they stopped making it, but if you can find one - BUY IT!

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  Best SUV on Market - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Ksde4321 - October 11 - 2:16 am

  We have owned this SUV for 2 years and have had absolutely no problems with it. It drives well both around town and on the highway. It is equally adept at towing a trailer or taking us out for a night on the town. If you need a car that gets over 30 mpg then get a Smart for 2. But if you need a vehicle that can do anything you ask of it then this is the one.

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  Lots of fun - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By CougarLover - October 10 - 6:13 pm

  I bought the cougar for my wife, and she loves it. It is sporty and very fun to drive, she rarely lets me behind the wheel. We have had 0 problems, we have not even had a problem with the fuel pump yet. ***Knock on wood*** I have had a blast with this vehicle and the silver looks fantastic. I only wish it had a moon/sun roof. But I bought used so I got what was there.

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  outstanding - 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Chuck Burkhard - October 10 - 8:33 am

  roomy, comfortable, gas mileage better than advertised, reasonably quick, cavernous trunk, with the LS trim level its a poor mans Town Car.

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  An Upscale Explorer - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Andrew A. - October 9 - 10:00 am

  I traded a 2002 Nissan Altima 3.5SE that I bought new from Norwood Nissan in Rhode Island because we needed the extra room and didnt want a mini-van. At first me and my girlfriend looked at a 2001 Lincoln Navigator but the payments would be around $800 a month. Definately out of our price range. We also looked and test drove a 2002 Mercury Mountaineer with everything and figured out the price a month, the salesman told us a brand new Moutaineer would only a little bit more money a month but still in our price range. We decided on a black on charcoal and grey two-tone leather Mountaineer Premier and love it.

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  Happy - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Happy - October 9 - 5:03 am

  I love my Mariner! I think it drives very smooth and takes turns like a champ! I love everything about my car! I feel safe and that was a number one concern I had when shopping for a car! So if you are thinking about getting one do it!