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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  where have all the great cars gone? - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By ogdad223 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  for the price of this auto you would have to expect a better fit and finish of this one.auto and overall fit and finish not very good at all and some of the doors,etc had to be redone by the dealer.not the fault of the dealer should of been caught at the factory.get up and go was there great ride on the highway better than some fomoco units ive had.

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  1998 Grand Marquis - 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By bovic1 - June 21 - 2:00 am

  This automobile is extremely comfortable and rides like any luxury car. It has never been in the repair shop, everything still works perfectly as it did when it was brand new. Recently, with a solid month of below freezing weather, this car started up a the first try every time. Extremely well built.

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  So Far So Good - Part V - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By 04SableDriver - June 19 - 2:10 am

  Noooo idea who this review is for, but what the hell...here goes. Just shy of 36K and alls well. My Sable GS has yet to experience a single mechanical failing (the starter issue I mentioned in earlier posts thankfully hasnt resurfaced), and the car rides as well as when new. Thusly, Ive nothing new to report. My cars all one would expect; roomy, smooth riding and dull as your kitchen blender. Despite that dearth of flash however, I wholeheartedly recommend the Sable as a solid commuter tool, and accordingly as a "safe" used car buy.

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  Good on service - 1998 Mercury Sable
  By John - June 12 - 10:06 am

  I bought this wagon with 98K and I have about 175K now. I had some problems with the emissions control, brakes and tires, normal stuff. Just recently I brought it in because it was running a little rough. The station called me a few hours to say if needed a tune up, so OK. I did not tune it since I bought the car, so I though that was pretty good. As it turns out, I had original plugs in the car. 175K miles before its first tune up! Not bad and still going strong.

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  Not your grandmas car - 2007 Mercury Milan
  By Lab rat - June 7 - 11:53 pm

  I went to buy a Fusion but decided on the Milan after the test drive. Its just like the Fusion but had a better quality interior. Ive got 40,000 miles on it now and have had no mechanical problems, but all of the valve stems on the tires gave out at 30,000 miles, leaving me on the side of the road on the coldest morning of the year. Its a good little car though. I only buy American and Im happy with this one.

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  Best Automotive Value--Period! - 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By gd9704 - June 5 - 9:00 pm

  Lets start by pointing out Im not your typical Grand Marquis buyer--I just turned 39 years old. My 8 year old Chyrsler 300M needed to be replaced and frankly, nothing out there really excited me--unless it cost $30k or more. Ive always liked the look of Grand Marquis. They are a car-plain and simple. I found a nice silver 07 with leather and 16,000 miles on the clock for less than $16k. The ride is super-smooth, and the mileage is surprisingly good- combined city/highway of 22-24mpg. About the same as the 300m gave me. Some of my friends are giving me grief, but Im laughing all the way to the bank. Pound for pound, these cars are a steal!

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  Panther platform - 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By jnv9543 - June 3 - 7:50 am

  The Mercury Grand Marquis is a Great car. The Ford Panther Platform which is in its last year with the demise of the Lincoln Town Car. The Panther platform extends form the Ford Crown Victoria which has been the work horse of every police department from here to Kalamazoo. The Mercury Grand Marquis is just a more dressed up version. The front engine rear wheel drive provides a stable and luxurious ride. The Mercury is an intermediate between the crown vic and the ultra luxurious Town Car. It has great durability and more room than any import unibody garbage out there.

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  Overall Fine Vehicle - 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By irokk - June 3 - 6:46 am

  I have had the car approx 3.5 years. The first thing to go was the intake. Nice big crack on the frontside. Why?!...because it is made from plastic. The replacement has a piece of aluminum to correct this common failure. This was a $700+ repair. Now the control arm bushings and tie rod ends need replaced...why to manufacturers use greaseless bushings???? Other than these expensive problems, the car has been pretty good to us. Plenty over room and excellent gas mileage for the size.

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  Lots of room... - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By Misti Doty - May 29 - 2:33 pm

  This car has loads of room and fits car seats well but the 6 speed automatic doesnt perform as expected. Also fuel economy is not on par for a 210 hp small V6 that moves the vehicle along brisk enough I guess...

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  The Good and not so good - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Pat - May 25 - 7:00 pm

  The Comfort, looks and performance are Great. The Problems are few but Should be weeded out by the Mercury engineers: 1) I purchased this SUV new and have the towing package but have never used it yet the 2 rear springs are broken. Never overloaded it either. Cant figure out why/how this happened. 2) Rear tailgate has a plastic body part with Mercury emblem on it. It cracked even though there was no accident. Heard of other owners having same problem. Why did/does this happen? 3) Power windows freeze up in winter will not work until they are thawed out. Overall I like this SUV. Its a pleasure to drive. Hopeful that some Mercury People will see my remarks here and find solutions