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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  1 year ownership - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Richard Miller - May 24 - 3:50 pm

  Solid SUV with all the features we wanted including a strong towing capability. One body flaw found was a piece of weld metal the size of a pea on the roof that was painted over. No trips to service in a year and everything functions well. Quiet ride and very comfortable on long trips. Steering and suspension seem to be a little looser than Explorers with similar equipment but not a major detractor. Easily handles our 6000 lb boat and the standard hitch integrates nicely. Wish the mileage was better but all things considered, we are very happy after one year of ownership.

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  Great Car - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By ryannelson111 - May 24 - 2:00 am

  Great fun to drive car. I traded in my 1997 Crown Vic with 210,000 miles on a 04 Marauder and couldnt be happier, plus Merc is offering 0% interest for 5 years. Great exhaust note but not too loud. The car is basically a new Crown Vic Sport with better engine, no woodgrain, much better suspension, and bling bling wheels. Most people have never heard of a Marauder which is a plus in my book. Plus it tows my 3000 lb trailer with no problem. Should be easy to repair and maintain since it is basically a Crown Vic. Only one brand and model of tires available to fit rear (which might be an expensive proposistion several years from now).

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  commentary on my mariner - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By pcerres37 - May 22 - 10:10 pm

  so far the only thing that I am not pleased with is the mileage it seems to use a lot more gas than I anticipated so I am disappointed

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  Not a happy mountaineer - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Fletch - May 22 - 10:00 am

  Shortly after buying it we started hearing a noise like a clutch fan or the transmission slipping. Have since had it to the dealer 2x and they say they can do nothing. They say it has to do with the powertrain control module software and that "they" are working on a fix. Not exactly the answer I wanted to hear, especially considering you can actually feel the transmission slip at times. The vehicle now has 6347.0 miles. Also, the vehicle only gets 12 miles per gallon, which very much disappointed me.

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  Not a happy mountaineer - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By fletch - May 22 - 10:00 am

  Shortly after buying it we started hearing a noise like a clutch fan or the transmission slipping. Have since had it to the dealer 2x and they say they can do nothing. They say it has to do with the powertrain control module software and that "they" are working on a fix. Not exactly the answer I wanted to hear, especially considering you can actually feel the transmission slip at times. The vehicle now has 6347.0 miles. Also, the vehicle only gets 12 miles per gallon, which very much disappointed me.

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  Wondering what if I had chosen Camry - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By Dave - May 21 - 3:50 pm

  Chose Milan for $2500 savings over comparably equipped Camry. Ours is standard 4 cyl with auto package. Car pulled to right slightly on test drive, became worse as miles passed. Took to dealer for alignment at 600 miles, they had for 2 and half days. Had to replace upper control arms after alignment didnt fix problem (TSB from Ford.) Though now tracking better, tire pressure monitor system now shows fault. Now I wonder if I should have spent the extra money on the Camry.

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  Darn good, but not perfect - 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
  By GPa - May 20 - 10:10 am

  After three months and the completion of a 2200 mile road trip I am now comfortable with my feelings on this vehicle. Love the mileage, as high as 60 in short (5-10mi) urban trips per computer. I have validated computer calculations on the road trip, so Yahoo! Nice interior and lots of compliments on the exterior styling. Unfortunately there are some missed cues in this car. Headrests- designers...what were you thinking? My wife and I both have to recline the seatback excessively to find a comfortable position for our neck. No Homelink-no memory seats. These are standard items in this price category.

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  190k miles and still going strong... - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Clovis - May 18 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle new in 1996. It currently has 191,000 miles and my wife drives it to work. I am in sales and put a lot of miles on it initially. The only mechanical problem we have had is a cracked manifold at about 160,000 miles which would be expected. We have only performed standard and preventative maintenance. I wouldnt trade this type of car experience for anything.

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  Terrible buy!!! - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Toyota is bettter - May 14 - 4:20 pm

  I bought this car exactly 1 year and 2 months ago. It is a piece of junk. It rides well but it doesnt ride as well as GMC or the Japanese companies. This car has okay pickup and terrible gas milliage. The quallity of this car is cheap since it is a Ford product. Next time, I will either buy the Chevy Tahoe, Infiniti FX45, or the Toyota Highlander, or the Honda Pilot or CRV. They all ride better and are nicer. I was taken and I bought an suv with a terrible value.

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  Comfortable Car - 2007 Mercury Montego
  By Robert - May 9 - 10:20 am

  No regrets purchasing this vehicle after 3 months of ownership. Handles very well and has a solid, safe feel to it. Not too impressed with the "audiophile" system - seems to lack midrange. Would prefer a 12V outlet in the backseat instead of inside console. Overall a great value for a better than average vehicle.