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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  Help!!! - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Tom Mehringer - November 7 - 11:03 am

  We bought our 2002 Mountaineer new based on our favorable experiences with other Ford vehicles (Bronco, Windstar). However, we have had a very different experience with the Mountaineer. So far we have had the car in for transmission work 13 different times. The transmission shudders when shifting into overdrive and slips noticeably. The Ford dealership we purchased the car from finally overhauled the transmission last week ($1400.00 to fix of which we paid 10%, the dealership paid 10% and Ford paid 80%). Its still not fixed, so I am contacting dealership and Ford tomorrow in hopes of one day getting this resolved...HELP!!!

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  Old School V8 Sedan - Very Rare today! - 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Sanjay Mukherjee - November 7 - 10:06 am

  I always wanted to drive large 1970 styling cars like the 1975 Impala and cars of that era. I was surprised to find this car still in production! The Mercury Grand Marquis is for those who love old fashioned large V8 sedans and i bet this car will quench your thirst.

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  good van - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By -=$PEED=- - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I bought this van used at 80,000 KM and have put on 5000ks already, it was well worth the 10 grand and it has nothing wrong at all with it. The audio system could use some work, and the back speakers are almost impossible to change, but the rear sliding seat it perfect for my families lifesytle of allways being on the move.

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  A great car at a great price - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By ScottyRS - November 7 - 10:00 am

  This car is a capable road car for the package. I drive a lot on all sorts of road and this vehicle takes it all on with confidence.

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  Exceeds Expectations - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By gschwartz - November 5 - 11:56 am

  Exceeds expectations in ride, quietness, performance, fuel economy & transmisssion shift quality. 15,000 miles, about 1500 off-road on very rough roads ... NO squeaks or rattles. A world-class SUV bargain.

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  American Car as good as the imports :) - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By Fearnewine66 - November 5 - 10:23 am

  I have owned over 10 vehicles (Taurus, Camry, Scion, Sonata, etc.) and this one is the best. Was planning on purchasing a Camry but the 2009 Milan was too good of a car and too good a value to pass up. Lots of features for the money, great fuel mileage (31 mpg so far), build quality is excellent, it looks classy and its been dead reliable. I drive 50,000 miles a year and am pleased with the comfort level and fun-to-drive of this car. Ford is making good American cars and my Milan is proof :)

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  What a Surprise - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By TallChris - November 4 - 10:00 am

  I bought a loaded 2000 LS premium a couple years ago. I loved the car then and I love it now. I would recommend the Sable LS premium to anyone. Ive put more than $60K on the car without a problem. It looks great inside and out, the sound system has held up well despite my playing it loud enough to shake the windows of neighboring cars. The best part is the performance, the 200 hp 3.0 still runs like a top, and sprints hard when asked. I took a 1,600 mile road trip last summer and despite driving 90 mph I averaged 27 mpg. Im 68" and guarantee there isnt another car in the price range that is nearly as comfortable--I drove them all.

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  Mountaineer Rating - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By stonchef - November 1 - 10:00 am

  Most enjoyable vehicle we have owned in years. I like the styling as opposed to the 2002 Explorer. I also like the fact that not everyone has a Mountaineer. Ours is equiped with the 4.0 6cyl. We have made a couple of trips and averaged 20.1 MPG. I commute 32.0 miles to work a day and average in town/commute driving I get 18.5 to 18.7 MPG at 65 MPH. Comfort and Convience are all excellent. AWD makes for some different handling but when the snow arrives this year it should prove itself valuable.

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  Exactly What the Doctor Ordered! - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By Dan Berger - November 1 - 10:00 am

  Ive been in law enforcement for 28 years, attended all the high-speed police driving courses -- Im even a certified anti-terrorist driving instructor. I wanted exactly what the Marauder is: understated, beautiful, powerful, and comfortable. This one is a real head-turner! I simply added tint and a CD changer. It rides like a Lincoln on steroids with a real suspension; corners like it means business. But please dont buy one! I like being the sole owner in my area of such a fine piece of American automotive engineering!

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  A bargin for what you get - 2001 Mercury Sable
  By Helmut / New York - November 1 - 10:00 am

  This is my 3rd new Mercury Sable LS with the 3.0/V6 200HP engine, and I put on 37.000 Miles on the last one in a year without one problem. I get 30+ MPG on the highway and the engine performes great. You cant beat the price/value aspect of this car, especially as a used vehicle. Would buy again!