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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  Upscale Explorer - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Rob78 - October 7 - 10:00 am

  After my wife totaled our Contour, it was time buy a SUV. We looked at the Explorers for the longest time. We couldnt find the right Eplorer without the ugly brown interior, so we started looking at Mountaineers. This is the one of the classiest looking SUVs on the road. Get all-wheel- drive!!! If you cant, get the limited- slip diff.

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  The 06 Mountaineer - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Wolfmann - October 4 - 9:46 am

  The vehicle I purchased lacked only one thing as far as my needs where concerned, daytime running lamps. Other than that the car is fun to drive, sure footed on wet pavement. Responsive 4.6L from the 4.0L in the 02 version. In upstate NY on RT 17 theres a hill 5 miles long and goes up about 2700 ft, no problem the 06 doesnt shift out of O/D to maintain 64 - 67 mph with cruise control on. Im 6-2" and driver and shotgun are very comfortable, 2nd row probably ok for 5-9"s , 3rd row kids only. The rear area HVAC is great for cooling down the car and holding it cool on hot days. The 6cd w/satelite radio has great sound. Its a car you get into n say this is the way they should have done it.

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  Great Value-Great Car - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By TT - October 2 - 10:43 pm

  Bought this car a few weeks ago. I had been shopping Honda, Hyundai, Ford, etc. This car is great looking and they did a nice job with the interior- love the contrast stitching-leather very rich looking and feels great. Sync takes some time to learn but is great once you learn how to use it. The steering is also great-heavy and accurate. This drives and looks like a much more expensive car. Sticker was 26,620 and I paid 22,900. What a value.

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  Love the Mariner - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By R. Vondenberger - October 2 - 5:20 am

  This is the best car I have ever driven. It handles very easy. Very comfortable. Room enough for family and has room for lots of things. It has alot of power. Love driving it. Looks are excellent size is perfect.

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  47000 miles and NO PROBLEMS. - 2008 Mercury Sable
  By KJN - September 27 - 12:50 am

  This has been a great car in all conditions. All wheel drive has been marvelous in two exceptionally brutal Chicago winters. Sync system is a joy. Heated seats, navigation system and all the other goodies have also stood up well. A true reliable and dependable full sized american sedan.

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  This is my best friend - 1998 Mercury Sable
  By Barbara Erives - September 25 - 12:40 pm

  For an American made car, this car is great. Reliable, comfortable and for a V6 good on gas. I have never had a car with this much milage that I could say that about. I will be getting another Sable soon, only because of body damage done to this vehicle by an incompetent employee at an auto repair shop, and the companys insurance company decided it was a total loss and I will use the money from that to buy a newer model Sable. I think Mercury was crazy to discontinue this model for 2010 because it is a good solid car. Since Ive had it, nothing has gone on it that wasnt normal wear and tear.

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  1st car and love it - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By mark dichter - September 25 - 4:06 am

  first of all the ride in this car is smooth on the road and tight in the corners thanks to volvo. Mercury was smart in designing this car because they put a wonderful engine in a light reliable chassis. i average 400 miles to the tank and for a V6 with some ponys and some torque thats amazing. I overall love my car and would recommend it ti anyone who wants a luxurious car and if they want to have fun every now and then (but of course in a safe way) this is the car for you. For the parents on here this car is reliable safe and will make your son or Daughter love you for ever. trust me because this is coming from a 17 year old. 1 last thing is i got this with 30,000 miles for only $13,500

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  Cydnis Car Named Poopsie - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By Cydni - September 25 - 2:00 am

  I have had only minor problems with my transmission. Now I am in the process of getting those fixed. When you purchase a used car you have to be aware youll have to fix the mistakes of the previous owners. Nevertheless I love my car, and she loves me. It has been back and forth from Chicago to Alabama 3 times since I purchased it...NO PROBLEMS !!!!

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  Love at First Sight - 2011 Mercury Mariner
  By piqued - September 23 - 11:32 am

  Okay, we were at the car sale so my husband could get a feel of what kind of car I was interested in and what features I wanted. I wanted a small SUV that would fit in our garage that had two non-negotiable requirements. The glass on the back-hatch had to open, and I needed map pockets on the back of the front seats. I spotted the Mercury Mariner (complete with moon roof!) and it filled all of the requirements. The ride is smooth, the interior is quiet and I find braking assertive. I like the bluetooth phone feature and all the bells and whistles. Our car and truck are older, so everything is a marked upgade. The price was excellent, too! Bought it right away!

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  nice car - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By mjwhetst - September 20 - 10:00 am

  I bought used with 32K miles. Now have 36K miles. Avg 24.0 MPG for those 4K miles. Very quiet ride, I like the full size. Like the ABS and traction control. Previous car was 91 LINCOLN Town car. Transmission should be OK since it is the same one on my 2000 Ford E150 Van (4R70).