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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  Love this Car! - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By Flyguy313 - June 11 - 2:30 am

  Just traded in a 2008 Accord LX, Wanted a fully loaded Fusion or Milan with Navigation. The Ford incentives with $3500 cash back was too good of a deal to pass up.The dealership was fantastic and the buying experience was a pleasure. I wanted the Milan Premier with Navigation,spoiler and rear parking assist with heated seats in Smokestone/Camel, and thats what I got. Love the Sync system and Navigation. The Navigation system was rebated off the sticker $1600 so it only cost about $200.

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  Great SUV - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By mfc7 - June 9 - 10:19 am

  I was not sure about getting my Mountaineer las year with all the missinformation out there. I just wanted tp let everyone know, it is not true. My SUV even had a savage title and has been GREAT, it is an awsome vehicle and you wont believe how much space, comfort and how reliable it is in the weather conditions I live in.

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  Marauder Review - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By theactuary - June 9 - 2:00 am

  This car provides an excellent combination of size and power for a very reasonable price. The interior is well appointed. Seats are big and comfortable. Instrument poanel is easy to read. This car flies once you get it moving. Smaller cars will beat you off the line, but you will blow their doors off on the highway.

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  fun little car - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By Mr. Fields - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I owned the car for 5 years till somebody lost the load they were hauling on the highway. It was a total loss. The car ran beautifully at all times. And obviously a safe car for the road. I walked away without a scratch from the accident. I would recommend owning this car for almost anyone that enjoys a small sporty car without the sports car insurance rates. The seats were always comfortable and held up to the wear of 20k miles a year.

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  I love my cougar - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By StaindLibra - June 7 - 10:00 am

  i bought this car used and still it drives perfectly new! I love it!

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  I love it!!!! - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Judy - June 7 - 7:43 am

  Best new little car I have ever had. smooth ride, peppy, sleek and fun to drive.

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  great salesman car - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Jim - June 6 - 11:36 pm

  i feel that this car was built for all sales people. great trunk space and great ride

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  5 years old & looks like its brand new - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By Thomas - June 5 - 3:40 pm

  I purchased my 01 Sable LS Premium in Sept.2000 and i have loved it and took great care of it since then my Sable is great it has a smooth ride and for the most part its very quiet and it handles very well the V6 engine performs well to be a 3.0L with 200HP and i just enjoy driving it i have never had any problems with it it runs as well now as it did when i bought it the interior is of good quality the wood grain could be nicer and it has plenty of space front and rear and the trunk space is amazing and my Sable looks just like the one edmunds has pictured above except mine has a chrome grille instead of black one.So if you own a Mercury Sable you have got a wonderful car and i Love them ..

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  2004 mercury mountaineer premier - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By arthur p.hang - June 2 - 2:00 am

  I THINK MERCURY MAKES A VERY NICE PRODUCT THAT IS RELIABLE WITH VERY GOOD QUALITIES IN THE VEHICLE AND RIDE.

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  Gorgeous car - 2001 Mercury Cougar
  By Wr85H - June 2 - 2:00 am

  Bought my cougar just over a year ago and have had not a single problem. I have the ZN package and everyone takes a second look at this car. Excellent cornering and braking with the 17" tires. Interior is great looking for a car of this price.