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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  My Short-term Driving Experience - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By Gary Ciborowski - July 23 - 10:00 am

  From a die-hard big car buyer, I found the 2003 wagon easy to get used to and fun to drive. I found the small side mirrors hard to adjust to eliminate blind spots and the doors are low so I had to check for high curbs when getting out. Build quality could be better: I have to slam the hood hard to make it catch and the interior has fragile looking switches. The gauges are easy to read, even at night, though the headlamps are not very bright. The front bench center seat is about 11 inches wide. Who can fit there? For the money, not a bad value.

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  Real review - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By Leo - July 21 - 5:53 pm

  I am giving the car points by what it realy deserves. This car is decent looking, fairly comfortable, and has good mileage. The car is probably best value due to factory incentives. The problems are - not enaugh headspace for people 61" and over, engine is little bit noisier and definitely not silky smooth. It also lacks the power to accelerate - be prepared to be passed by moms in minivans. I had a problem with steering (pulling to left side), this was fixed by dealership (changed steering rod) as warranty repairs. Otherwise no problem with quality. Everything works fine. Also Ford improved the lights so you can drive at night and actually see.

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  Solid - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By Ben - July 21 - 7:40 am

  Got this car as a hand me down from my mom, which she bought used. The engine is solid, however the transmission can be suspect at times. Currently have 147,000 miles on it, with only wear parts being replaced, as well as the speed sensor at 145,000. Mileage is not amazing, about 20-24mpg city highway. Great highway cruiser.

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  Been a Great Car - 1998 Mercury Sable
  By zachtenfrugen - July 15 - 9:00 am

  This car was a fleet car when I purchased it in 2001. Although it had 170,000 miles on it at the time, it had been meticulously maintained. I actually am one of those "strange" people who loved the look of it. I still love the look. Its been a great car, and Ive put 40,000 more miles on it. Finally had to put in a $2,200 transmission in it last year, but I now have 205,000 miles on it and plan to keep it til it literally falls apart!! Good gas mileage, very roomy inside, very dependable car. I actually consider buying another one. This car just seemed to "fit" me.

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  Not your Daddys Cougar - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By purpix1 - July 13 - 12:23 pm

  The short, round the block test drive I took with the new 2002 Mercury Cougar (2.5 v6), did not do this car justice. I bought the car however, based on other factors as well (price, fuel economy, options etc). After a few days of really getting the feel for this car on the open road, I began to realize the true sports car nature of this vehicle. Crisp, sure-handling, power and performance make for an effortless, yet exciting driving experience. You can really feel the sports car lurking within the Cougar on the curves. Smooth and sure-footed. The engine and transmission are smooth and responsive as well, with plenty passing power on the freeways.

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  Too Much Gas - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Geof - July 11 - 7:46 pm

  Only concern is the poor gas mileage around town. During cold Minnesota winter a little over 10mpg is all we can get out of it. Compared to a colleagues V-8 Toyota we are unimpressed. While the official figures are under ideal conditions, this is the farthest off we have ever seen from a vehicle. Thankfully we use it only about 8,000 miles a year. Full marks for the dealership who were great with purchase and after sales service.

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  Too much money for Too little power! - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Michael Schenker - July 8 - 3:20 am

  This is a nice car but IT IS PAINFULLY underpowered. Its one thing if the Premier AWD model is under $25,000. Its another when its close to or over $30,000 fully loaded. For that amount of coin, I should be getting a V-8 with close to 300 hp. Or at least a much more powerful V-6....maybe supercharged. Dont pay $28-30,000 for Premier AWD model. Realistically, its worth the $24-26,000 range and supply will catchup with demand and resale value WILL plummet. The price wont go down on these but you will be able to get them cheaper with rebates in a few years.

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  Extra Special - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Liljim - July 6 - 10:00 am

  Have had a Grand Marquis for 3 yrs. Find it completely reliable, easy to maintain and very smooth riding. Lots of car for the money!!!

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  good car, good price - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By bobby064 - July 4 - 10:00 am

  good all around family car. reliable, safe, good equipment.comfortable.

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  Excellent Vehicle - Very Happy! - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By 1st SUV - July 1 - 9:13 pm

  I purchased this 2006 vehicle about 1 month ago from a private party, with about 28k miles. After reading all the reviews about poor transmissions, and all the problems people were having, I almost turned away a great SUV! I have had NO problems whatsoever (knock on wood) so far. Transmission is very smooth & very fun to drive. Interior design is very nice and unique, but the exterior presents nothing truly exciting. I have been getting about 385 miles per tank, roughly 20 gallons to fill up, at about $60 bucks a pop...but its well worth it, and its an SUV so that was expected!