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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  BAD CAR breaks down monthly - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By makemelaugh - September 27 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my cougar since 1999 and it has low miles but there is ALWAYS something wrong with it- engine light coming on for months, then breaks, then had to have switch on LIGHTS for 300 some $$ then broke down twice on vacation overheating and was towed for electrical problems again when we wanted to drive to Fla.! This things a BAD CAR.

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  Overall, a great suv. - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
  By gregory wu - September 27 - 2:00 am

  Aside from the gas mileage and the noisy moonroof, the car is solid as a rock, reliable, and powerful.

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  Good Car - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By JerryM - September 27 - 2:00 am

  The Sable is a very nice car. It has a good ride and handles well. Also,very nice looking and nice functional features.

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  Ownership of Mercury Sable - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By Jim and Janice - September 27 - 2:00 am

  Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, my Mercury Sable is by far the best vehicle I have had the pleasure to own and operate. Five star rated safety, reliability, good design, ride, interior comfort, excellent options and features make it a very excellent automobile. It suits all of our needs and requirements for and all around tranportation vehicle. Kudos Mercury Sable.

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  Nice Midsize Sedan - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By JM - September 24 - 6:40 am

  I have been impressed with my purchase of my Milan Premier with the 202a package. It has a dueretic engine that gives the 4 cylinder a boost. The reason I gave it a 9 in performance is due to the noise on a harder accelleration. Build quality I gave a 9 only because fingerprints are more noticeable due to their finish on the dash area. The sound system is top notch and I love the video camera for backing up as well as the blind spot indicator in the sideview mirror. Unless it is extremely windy the ride is quiet. Fun to drive I really could not rate. I have mainly driven in city and have had 27 mpg so far. Im not a lead foot. I am extremely pleased with my purchase.

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  2009 Mercury Mariner - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By ILS - September 23 - 9:00 pm

  Within the first 6000 miles the transmission began to "clunk". I took it to the Dealership and was told it was a "characteristic" of the transmission. It is loud and it sometimes takes a second to "engage" and then the "clunk". I am not happy about this. The material on the drivers seat is loose and "puckered up" where I sit. I weigh 120 lbs and I am the only driver. Looks terrible! Sync is a great feature for phones but it is not compatible with my cell phone! Forget trying to figure out the Media! Even the dealersip didnt have a clue. I buy a new car every 2 years and this is the first American Car I have purchased new, wont do that again.

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  Smooth ride, great pick up - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By sandb - September 22 - 10:00 am

  Drove the Ford Explorer first then drove the Mountaineer. I was sold. Basically the same car, but much smoother ride due to the different suspension system. Powerful engine, surprisingly easy to manuver. Only issue so far is once in a while when I start the car and dont let it warm up (even on mild days) I threatens to stall when I stop at the bottom of the hill in my neighborhood. It lunges forward and repeatedly reves until I shift into Park then back into drive a few seconds later. I need to get that checked. Overall, I highly recommend this smooth driving, fun SUV

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  Fit for a diva! - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By jae - September 20 - 9:46 pm

  I recently had some serious electrical issues with my 2001 Volvo S-40 and was at the mechanics more than I was at school or work. Like most people my time is one of my most valuable assets. I saw the Mariner on a snowy day and thought ,why not? Warranty, New, Cheap parts after warranty,good in the snow (supposedly), and lets not forget the rebates that helped with the negative inequity on the Volvo.

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  My Milan after 9 months - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By TKOlive - September 20 - 12:43 pm

  Ive had my Milan for 9 months now. I still am in love with it. My husband begs to drive it. I think he loves it more than I do! This is a large car (to me at least) but it still handles well and brakes wonderfully. Two problems Ive had are the lumbar support blew out and had to be replaced, and both visors pop out of joint when you fold them down. Other things Ive noticed are a very wide turn, loses a bit of road control if you accellerate out of a turn too quickly.

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  Runs like a %@$#&@i#$!!! - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By maggycat - September 20 - 10:00 am

  Within 4,000 miles a bolt broke in the engine - took two weeks to fix and dealer wanted me to pay for rental car- unbelievable! Love the way the car looks inside & outside - drives harder than my 1981 Ford Fairmont Futura - very disappointed with the car and I only have 25000 miles on it - dealership even more disappointing - glad my lease is up in 10 months - also HORRIBLE in snow!