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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  New Purchase Observations - 2007 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Ray - January 27 - 5:16 am

  Weve had the Mountaineer a little over a week now and we are very happy with our purchase. I got all the features I wanted: luxury with towing power, but not a huge SUV that is unweildy to handle in city traffic and a problem parking. I particularly liked all the luxury features being "standard" on the Mercury vs. optional equipment on the Ford Explorer. I think I got a great value for the price.

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  Awesome Mountaineer - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Jberezo - January 24 - 10:00 am

  It definitely has a few more options than the Explorer, like an underseat storage area in the second row. So when Ford announced a 2250 cash back rebate, my wife and I went looking. She likes the styling much better, I guess Ford would like that, it was suppose to be designed for women. There were WAY more Mountaineers around than fancy Explorers too, which helped us get exactly what wanted. We got the Premier Edition, which has dual exhaust, satin nickel luggage rack, 17" wheels and tires. She calls me several times a day to tell me how much she loves it. She did NOT want an SUV. She is so surprised at how much she likes it.

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  I love the Cougar!!!! - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By acearley - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love this car! Its everything I ever wanted and its affordable!

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  Nice Ride - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By ChipDale - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Very nice to drive, alot of power when you need it. Good on gas when everyday driving.

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  I love my car! - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Momtoncc - January 21 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love this SUV! The extras in my model are awesome. I love the moon roof, the 6 CD changer, the heated seat. I would reccommend this car to anyone and especially anyone with kids. I have 3 kids and this car is perfect!

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  First Ford, I mean Mercury - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By D. Reid - January 21 - 10:00 am

  A fantastic Car. Been nearly a year since I bought it. Only expenses have been gas and oil. Great on long drives, sporty get up and go, and a head turner in all ways. Only real con for me, gas mileage not as high as I would like it ( 35 per canadian gallon or about 28 per US gallon), but that could be due to my heavy right foot.

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  Greatest Largest Best Car - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Albert Jindra - January 21 - 10:00 am

  A very large, but great handling car which suits my needs to hold clients in confort. I am a Real Estate Broker, and looks make the difference. This Car matches any car on the road for looks and ride, with a price which is extremely low. I look forward to having this car many years.

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  Most fun to drive car ever - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By asah - January 20 - 11:53 am

  This Car is a must buy for anyone looking for a car. I bought mine new in Feb of 2000. Ive only had the issue with the fuel pump recall. The cougar only came out with this bodystyle for 4 yrs which makes it not your everyday driver. Its a quick little car with tons of potential for the motor.

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  This car is functional and fast - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By Terry S - January 17 - 2:00 pm

  I owned a 96 Chevy Impala SS before trading on the 2004 Mercury Marauder. I wasnt really sure I was doing the right thing, because I really loved the Impala SS. But, having the Marauder for over a year now, I can tell you this car is really the best car for a big guy [64", 275 lbs]with a family. When you need to get the family to church on Sunday, it has ample room for five adults. During the week, when you are driving alone for work or pleasure, it has the same high performance the SS had. It has very nice handling to go along with the power, and the brakes are nice and tight for quick stops. I give this car an "A" and plan to hold on to it for a very long time. Total reliability!!!

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  buy a Mercury - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By truckcrazychuck - January 15 - 10:00 am

  My family and I bought the Mountaineer not to long ago and we have fallen in love with it. It has 3 rows of seating and gets good gas mileage for an SUV. It also handles like a car.This is probaly the best vehicle I have ever own or driven my only regret is that I didnt get a V8. My wife and I traded in an 99 Explorer that I was partial to, but we havent regretted getting rid of it.