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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  retired owner - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Adolph Lobato - September 17 - 5:56 pm

  Auto is smooth riding, no wind noise, i like the cvt transmission you never feel when it shifts, cup holders are to close to each other that could be improved mileage is good for a car of this size

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  Great Vehicle! - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By C. Caban - September 17 - 2:10 pm

  I have had my Mariner for about 2 weeks now. I traded a Malibu for it. I love how high I sit and how well I can reach the dash and all my accessories easily. I love how well it handles. I drive highways and when I put it on cruise control my gas mileage gets better. I am running considerably lower than what the sticker says, but it will take it a while to break it in. I love the modern design inside and outside. The chrome accents make me want to sing the country song. LOL. Fun SUV and overall really great!

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  Best Ive owned - 1999 Mercury Villager
  By b0bbyj0nes - September 17 - 1:33 pm

  Bought Villager used with 22,000 miles. Only problem was sticking gas pedal and normal maintenance until 110,000 miles. Since then have replaced front ball joints and drivers side window control unit. Currently the tachometer is sticking. Get 20 mpg around town and 22 mpg on the highway with the 6 cylinder engine. With over 120,000 miles still runs perfect, burns no oil, and passes smog with flying colors.

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  In love with my Mariner - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Donna - September 16 - 6:40 pm

  I did quite a bit of research before I made my purchase. It was between the Chevy Equinox and the Mariner. I found the Mariner a better buy for the dollar. It is such a quiet and smooth ride and I love the front wheel drive. My favorite thing is the ice blue display and the display at the top center of the dash. Its very comfortable to drive. I have dogs that go with me often, so the back seats folding completely flat was very important to me. My dissapointments are few. The plastic front grille, only one hanger hook in the entire vehicle and plastic covers over my wheels and last, only a four speed transmission.

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  Driving it til it dies - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By Love my cougar - September 15 - 3:03 pm

  Bought my car 6 years ago for an awesome price from a friend. A couple car dealers, and mechanics told me that it was not a smart choice, had electrical problems, etc. I was hesitant and nervous I would be fixing it a lot, but I still couldnt pass up the price. Six years later, I have put nothing more than basic wear and tear money into it. It is by far the best car I have ever owned! Wouldnt trade it for the world! So glad now that I made the right choice!

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  They dont make em like they used to! - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Jesse - September 6 - 10:00 am

  Its too bad we regulate fuel economy and wont tap into our own fuel resources to make gas cheaper. It has caused all these new cars to have overly fragile transmissions and week motors that fall apart. I purchased this car 9 years ago with 150k miles it now has 228k miles very reliable no major repairs except I did replace the heating box in the dash because it only blew hot air (a flap inside malfunctioned)$400. There were no check engine lights on until a couple 1000 miles ago the parking brake light came on not bad for a car pushing a quarter million miles. Im returning a 07 Ford edge off lease with 38,000 miles feels like its shaking apart at 60 mph transmissions shot.

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  I love my car - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By W_Sh3a_J - September 4 - 7:33 pm

  Even with my Cougar being a salvage, its awesome. I fixed/replaced some things, all parts were cheap, except getting the reverse fixed. Now my car is all good! And yes, the heater/air is excellent - its real powerful! My Cougar has dual overheads too and they say its rare and that its fast! Also my Cougar is beautiful! Plus, it looks small but its roomy with a big trunk for my system.

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  2000 Grand Marquis LS - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Fred Nelson - September 2 - 8:13 am

  I bought this car used in 2003 and it had only 9,200 miles on it. It now has 100,000 miles on it. The actual repair costs have been less than $1,000. I get 21 MPG around town and 25 MPG on the highway at 70 MPH. Its, without question, the best car I ever owned. I cant understand why Ford is discontinuing manufacture of the Mercury line. I guess they are trying to force us into "golf cart" cars.

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  Ford/Mercury Greatest Achiement - 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
  By Bill Palermo - August 30 - 3:56 pm

  When I first turn the ignition key on I expected to hear the gas engine come to life. Instead the EV System quietely allopwed me to drive at a in city speed of 30 mph. When accelerating the engine seamlessly engages without labor or hesitation. The ecvt transmission is smooth and dont expect to feel any shifting. The enterior design is elegant and the leather seats are very comfortable. Air climate control is quick and responsive to weather conditions. Steering is very agile and responsive. Outside noises are at a minimum. Great engineering job by Fords Engineers.

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  This SUV is underated! - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By fairlanecobra - August 28 - 10:00 am

  This SUV is great. We looked at several others, ie Pilot, Highlander etc. While slighty more expensive the feel of the SUV is so much better than the others, very comforrtable and space for every thing the family needs. Ride is great and very quite.