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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  2006 Mariner a real joy to own - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By K-Shizzle - January 10 - 2:16 pm

  A true joy of a car to own and drive. A real plus is the fact that youll see 50 Escapes to your 1 Mariner. All Escape owners shirk as they notice the classy styling of the upgraded Mariner.

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  Big Improvement Over Previous Models - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Transpower - January 9 - 8:50 pm

  With the blacked-out B-pillars, the 2008 model looks more grown-up than the 2005-2007 models. The CD player is now in the center stack not under the passenger seat, the navigation screen is much bigger and is touch-screen and utilizes a DVD. There is a 110 volt power outlet, and automatic headlamps. The view is commanding. The handling is nimble. The fuel economy wonderful. There is sufficient power to pass tractor-trailers going up steep hills. The brakes have a good feel to them. The steering is well-weighted. The vehicle is very well-balanced front to rear.

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  Owned mine 8 years so far. - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By wallywow - January 9 - 7:30 pm

  Purchased this brand new. Excellent car. No breakdowns in over 8 years. All I did was routine maintenance. The coolant temperature sensor went bad 3 years ago, but everything still works fine. Surviving 8 Michigan winters with no rust, and the original exhaust system still in great shape is a miracle. If gas werent so high Id be buying another one. I do mostly city driving, but my car still gets great mileage on the highway. Its like driving in the safety of a tank with a sofa inside.

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  Awakening - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By tomcarroll - January 9 - 10:00 am

  great car most impressive style stand out features turn heads

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  Money Wasted - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By Bha45146 - January 8 - 3:20 pm

  I bought this car used with only 80,000 miles on it. 3 days after purchase the trans went out, thank god for 30 day warranties, but then the blower for the heater went out, the wiring for the AC burnt up so now no heat or air, coils burnt out, the drivers side window keeps getting stuck, will go down but not back up,even put a new window motor in it 3 times, still have this problem. I paid $5,000 for the car and have put $4,000 in it and still have nothing but junk!

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  Upscale Ford Escape...Very Upscale!!! - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Jay - January 7 - 11:30 am

  Ive driven a Ford Escape and traded it in for this beauty. Excellent interior and exterior design althought I know its all Ford Escape within. I loved my Escape and didnt think it could get any better. Boy was I wrong!!!

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  More than happy - 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By BARRI - January 7 - 11:23 am

  I bought my Marquis slightly used and at a huge discount. This car does everything right with a giant sized trunk, 6 passenger capacity and 21 mpg on average. Reliability has been perfect so far and I certainly appreciate the super low insurance rates. Being larger than average, the interior room is excellent and the safety rating is reassuring. This may be close to the last car Ill ever buy and Im only 42. I hear all the stories about sloppy handling. Those people should get a Corvette. This car is designed for cruising and does so very well. This is basically a lincoln town car with a $25,000 rebate. All those cops, taxicab drivers and government employees cant be wrong.

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  Not too bad after 128k miles - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By skmcobra - January 7 - 10:58 am

  My wife bought this car in 2010 with 81k miles. She bought the extended warranty but I believe only needed it at around 115k miles for an oil pan leak. Today at 128k miles the radiator coolant fans have quit running. Ford dealer quoted me $750 parts & labor but I had done my research and found fans for $100 less at OReillys. They honored the price and dropped cost to $650. Getting it fixed today. Over all this has been a reliable and safe car. Great to drive in the snow with the all wheel drive. Gets about 22-24mpg on the highway and about 17-18 in town. I cant speak to the tranny issues many mention, but it may have been fixed before we bought it.

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  nice car - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By vondale1988 - January 7 - 4:56 am

  a nice riding grand marquis is exactly what i been looking for and this is a nice car

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  Environmentally Responsible SUV - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By scott4370 - January 6 - 8:10 am

  My wife and I bought the Mariner a week ago. We have always had Toyotas and were skeptical at first. I have to say that this runs better than any other hybrid I have ever driven. The smooth transitions between electric and gas modes are amazing. The mileage is close to what the sticker says. The Mariner is comfortable and fun and Ford deserves a BIG pat on the back for developing this vehicle. I only wish they were not so hard to find. I also hope more people who need an SUV check this one out. It is truly amazing!