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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  Great Value...Safe and Reliable - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By Mercster - February 7 - 6:56 pm

  Very safe and reliable car for us. Drives smooth and quiet you can talk in normal tone on the highway. The doors close with a heavy clunk. Trunk space is great...we fit all our camping gear and still have room left over. The car now has 60k and still running strong (bought at 20k). Replaced front brakes at 40k and new battery but that is it. Love to take it on long trips. We drove cross- country in it in less than 3-days (NY to AZ) no problems driving virtually non-stop. We do the maintenance as required...change oil and just replaced cooling and transmission fluid. This is our third Sable/Taurus and the other 2 have served us well as well (over 100k each).

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  My villager - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By Pochi - February 6 - 10:00 am

  Villager I own is one of the best cars I ever purchsed. I am so disappointed when I heared this model would be dropped after 2002.

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  2005 Grand Marquis ultimate edition - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By PAUL COUGHLIN - February 5 - 6:30 am

  After two trips to dealer for oil chg/filt. I have had no issues re: Quality or driveability. Vehicle is a pleasure to drive on hwy and secondary roads. It is responsive and as dependable as i expected it to be. I have experienced better than 20 mpg in local town traffic and expect high 20s on highway. It gives a ride that is incredibly smooth and quiet, but firm on curves etc. All systems satisfactory so far.

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  Love it!!! Love it!!! Love it!!! - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Jen from Indiana - February 4 - 12:43 pm

  I traded in my Escape for the Mountaineer and absolutely love it. Wanted something bigger, but not too big and this was a perfect fit. Wasnt planning on getting the fully loaded version and definitely didnt need it, but I noticed a BIG difference between the basic model and this (and didnt have a lot of choices for the good price). This drove much better than the basic model! I read lots of reviews before buying and I would say the petty things that were complained about arent worth deterring you from this vehicle. If you try the Premier, you wont settle for the basic model. The difference is remarkable and worth it! Not really a complain

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  A SUPER CAR SO FAR - 2002 Mercury Sable
  By DREAM CAR - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I FINIALLY FOUND A CAR I REALLY LIKE,NICE RIDE,NICE TO LOOK AT,HANDLES VERY NICE TOO..NICE SIZE AND COMFORT..

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  We love it - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By rodriguez - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I have to admit the seat warmers are a great asset to the car. I will never go without it again. I love it! Its very roomy. The turning radius is excellent.Imformative onboard computer.Great road side assistance. Fuel economy is poor. Overall we are very happy with our purchase.

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  great car with lots of value. - 2005 Mercury Sable
  By edward gambardella - February 1 - 7:20 pm

  I am very pleased with the car. It has a great ride, seems solid ,and has good pick up. Why over pay for a Import.

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  Mercury Villager Estate - 2000 Mercury Villager
  By RHenry - February 1 - 10:00 am

  My Mercury Estate is underpowered and has a difficult time achieving any fuel economy. My best highway fuel average is 24 mpg. It is also difficult to fuel completely. When the pump shuts off indicating it is full I can still add an additional 3 gallons or more. The ride is comfortable and it handles well. The body is prone to scratches.

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  2005 Mercury Monterey Premier - 2005 Mercury Monterey
  By Andrew - January 29 - 10:30 pm

  We have owned this van for almost 4 years. It has been a purchase. It is comfortable on long drives with great features such as DVD, Heated/Cooled Seats, and fold down rear seat.

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  Good Car To Own - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By paul - January 26 - 10:00 am

  I have put over 70000 miles driving this van. It handles nicely on the road. Average mileage in town 17.4, highway 21.2. Maintenance has not been a problem. Great family car and large cargo area.