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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  mercury mariner hybrid...AWESOME - 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By M. Hertz - July 22 - 10:36 am

  The Mariner Hybrid gets great gas mileage, is great looking, comfortable, and handles the road beautifully. I searched far and wide for a family size vehicle with the best gas mileage. There was no other car that compared. The Mariner Hybrid is my second hybrid. I have driven the Honda Civic Hybrid for almost four years which is a great car also but is too small for all of us and our dog.

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  great vehical but it sucks gas - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Larry Parsons - July 21 - 2:00 am

  We Love it, drives great, runs great lost of power under the hood, lots of room inside, great looks, wonderful package, one problem average fuel economy is 16.5....... maybe it will do better after the engine is broken in we will see.....only 2000 miles on it....

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  03 Mercury Marauder - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By Lowell - July 21 - 2:00 am

  The mercury Marauder is a pleasure to own, drive and behold. I have never owned a vehicle that put a permanent grin on my face before. It is a vehicle that you have to drive to appreciate. Test drive one. You will find your own grin!

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  2003 Mercury Marauder - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By Lowell - July 21 - 2:00 am

  The Mercury Marauder is a dream come true. A full size luxury car with sports car performance. The smile on my face never ends. To like a car after one year of ownership is normal. To love a car after one year of ownership is not normal. After one year I love this car. Visit mercurymarauder.net.

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  Smooth & sweet - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By 12 paws - July 19 - 5:30 pm

  Ive had this car since 2005. Im very happy with this ride. Traded a Buick Riveria (very sweet) in to get this Cougar. Shes got the looks and power. Ready for new struts now,comfort is a must!!!

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  Awsome car - 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By jamesl8 - July 17 - 11:19 pm

  95 grand marquis ls has got to be the best car ford built i bought the car frome a friend for 500 and it had 219000 miles on it now it has 285000 on it all ive replaced is a water pump 24 bucks and thats it besides add a little oil every now and then cheak engine lite has been on since 240000 but everything still works great ac is very cold heat is hot car rides good the power is great with the intercepter engine the trans is strong no slips no hard shifts no leaks. the car has never failed to start i plan on driving it till it blows then ill haul it to the crusher because its not worth fixing just buy another over all the value of the car is great for 500 dollars u cant go wrong

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  HEAD TURNER - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By bad by choice - July 15 - 2:00 am

  This auto is a real head turner.Big and bold styling.The chrome wheels and metallic red paint drew rave reviews from family and freinds.The bucket seats are very supportive especially with the lumbar support.This auto has 302 horses from a 281 cubic inch engine.What more could you ask for! ABS,TRACTION CONTROL and great detail inside and out.Big by nature and a lot of fun to drive.

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  Sable 24V - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By Arrow - July 15 - 2:00 am

  The 24V DOHC engine is extremely smooth, quiet and pulls this solidly built car to highway speeds quickly and without fuss. The interior room and trunk volume are exceptional and unmatched by the foreign competition. The traction control takes a little getting used as compared to my two previous Sables without this feature, but is extremely effective on snow and ice. Who needs a vehicle to haul around all those 4WD mechanicals all the time? The leather interior is top- notch and the power sunroom adds a new dimension to my motoring. I would highly recommend this Georgia-built car to anyone looking for value in well- built car.

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  97 Cougar - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By jcp - July 13 - 10:00 am

  I have had no problems with the car. The V8 accelerates well and smoothes out on the highway. The car has a stiffer sport suspension option that handles nice. Leather is a good fit for the interior. The exterior is a plus with the pearl paint finish.

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  Probably good for another 200,000 miles - 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Chris - July 6 - 9:43 pm

  What more could I ask for? I dont want all the techno crap and I dont want to bump my elbow every other minute, which I seem to do in smaller cars. Granted, the cupholder is only just usable and the car could use a bit more storage in the front seat area. But you know what-I like every other aspect of this car just fine. I like its heft without being too hefty and I like how it moves. The rack and pinion steering is precise and the air suspension is great without totally isolating you from road feel. Leather, air ride, quality construction and a good stereo. For what I paid for a virtually new car with only 22K miles, I could never get a better deal.