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 minne van - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Lloyd Staveteig - February 8 - 3:16 am

  This van is very nice to drive but there is more road noise than I expected but operates well both on the road and in town how ever it is at the present time making poor gas milage, they tell me it will get better with more milage, will wait and see on that.

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  What a Great Buy!! - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Okie7597 - February 7 - 10:00 am

  I looked at many of the midsize SUVs, and the MM won hands-down. Styling, build quality and performance were all as good or better as anything else in its class. The fact that I got mine for $24k brand new didnt hurt either. Fuel economy is not nearly as bad as I had expected; Im getting 19mpg in combined city/highway driving.

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  Saying goodbye to a friend - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Rob - February 5 - 10:00 am

  This SUV has been a great ride. At 140,000 miles it needed a transmission and transfer case - think my son learning to drive had something to do with that. Now at 220,000 miles, its time to replace it. We really dont know what to but next. We prefer Mercurys, but Ford is ending that. Mariner? Too small. Ford Edge? Pricey. Maybe we wont sell the Mountaineer!

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  Reformed Honda Owner - 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
  By Topekan - February 5 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned a Mustang, a Taurus, and 5 Hondas (Accords & a CRX). This time I chose the Mercury Milan and Im glad I did. No Honda ever had the same "substantial" sound I hear when I close the door of my new Milan. I regularly get 38 mph and I tend to accelerate a little rapidly from a complete stop. The fit and finish well exceed my last Honda (2005 Accord. The technology behind the accessories, safety options, and advanced hybrid system have no equal in Honda products. This car could be the start of a new series with Ford Motor products!

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  This is a pretty sweet car - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Lindsay - February 5 - 9:00 am

  I have only owned this vehicle for one month, but it is better than all the other cars I have owned combined.

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  A well rounded large car - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Loh - February 1 - 2:00 am

  Owned a "97" LS. The 2003 is far superior in all areas, especially steering and ride. Fuel mileage on local driving is 20 to 21. Open highway is 28-29 with A/C on. Not bad for a car this size and weight. Self leveling is a plus.

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  Killer Coupe - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By owee - January 31 - 7:46 pm

  If cars like GM could have as beautiful as Mercury cougar, Id buy one. Look how the car stand exterior and interior and tell me your car is better looking than this one. No one even come close... Poor marketing made this wonderfull car suffer.

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  great car - 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Kyle V - January 31 - 2:33 pm

  I love the handling, the performance is awesome, it is one of the most comfortable cars i have ever owned, not to mention i have never ridden in a car that i have felt safer in, these cars are great

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  best for the Money - 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By bystander - January 29 - 2:00 am

  You can buy a better auto but you cant buy a better auto for the same amount of money. Comfortable, smooth, powerful engine and a car design delight for the eyes.

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  No Regrets - 2010 Mercury Mariner
  By ernie - January 28 - 6:43 pm

  Being that dad worked for FORDS, I figured it was time to get rid of the Honda Odyssey and downsize into the Mariner. It is a great vehicle and coming from a minivan I was impressed, I dont feel like I am missing anything. The quality is outstanding, and I simply have no regrets!!