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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  nice looking car but it can be better - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By eric - March 12 - 12:03 am

  We bought a black V6 permier milan and drove it from Florida to Washington DC. No problem. The ride was fine. The rearview visibility is not very good. The car is very stylish from outside but if Mercury wants to compete Milan with Japanese and European cars, it needs to make further improvements to the interior design. For expamples, the a/c vents look cheap. The markings on them look tacky. They should just leave them blank. The marking (unlock) on the door handles also make them look cheap. Leave them blank. The trunk is roomy but the linning is poor. There are some exposed metals in the trunk. The carpet in the trunk is sloppy. Small details can really make a big difference.

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  Gotta Admit... - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Krys - March 9 - 4:36 am

  Even with the price of gas this SUV is fun to drive. I love the power and speed this truck brings and the "Two- Tone" paint is a nice custom-look touch. Everyone one around here seems to have one. Very popular truck.

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  Marquis - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By wrightchix - March 8 - 9:20 am

  Lost water pump at 98000. Intake manifold at 110000. Ford recalled intakes on police and livery use models only. Seats hard on bottom for long drives. Lost sensor at exhaust manifold a 63000. Lost sensor at catalytic 111000. Spark plug wires wear prematurely. Otherwise, A great car.

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  Milan Review - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Tom Eberhart - March 6 - 2:16 pm

  No acceleration, but cruises at seventy very smoothly and quietly. Handles very nicely. The exterior door mirrors are very large and get bumped a lot.

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  Great Price Near Luxury - Power ?s - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By vanz73 - March 2 - 8:30 pm

  A good choice for someone who wants a nice vehicle at a very reasonable price-a good small SUV for the city driver. I would not recommend if you are a driver who likes a little power in reserve for maneuvering - this vehicle picks bad times to disappoint on the power curve (i.e. changing lanes or making left turns between traffic). I figure I’ll learn the how to get the most from the CVT transmission, but performance is lacking for a people who know how to drive. Still a good family vehicle, sturdy, and overall nice to drive (exception noted). We’ll keep it because overall for the price we got a lot of vehicle compared to Toyota Highlander, RAV4, Nissan Murano, etc.

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  Great SUV - 1999 Mercury Mountaineer
  By brian bigb - February 24 - 9:43 am

  I have had this suv since my jr. year of high school and had a great experience. I bought it with 82,000 and have 60,000 on it and have had no major problems, just an alternator. I am very rough on it and like to take it into the fields and muddy roads a couple times a year, never has gotten stuck yet! Its great for a trip or an evening out. I tow with it and have had no problems.

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  best of mercury - 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By treu - February 21 - 10:00 am

  i bought the car in 1998 with only 20,000 miles on it and now it has 50,000 miles on it.its the best car for the price out there because, a lincoln cost about $4,000 more and just the same features as this grand marquis and also the car is very reliable and plenty of power for long or short trips. so if you want a car for a good price and reliablity get this car.

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  good runner - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By aelam - February 21 - 10:00 am

  A good car to take a long trip in, easy on your back and your seat too.

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  Cougar - 2002 Mercury Cougar
  By Bobothechimp - February 18 - 10:00 am

  I have had to take my car into the shop several times for different problems. I have had the stereo replaced 3 times and it still does not function properly. I still love the car just wish it would have been built better.

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  2004 Limited Edition - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By NormParker - February 18 - 10:00 am

  Previous cars were also Grand Marquis. This car has much more "pep" than the 93 and 98. However, the ride is not nearly as comfortable as the previous two. I even took the car back with less than 100 miles on it to have the dealer check to see if they had mistakenly put a ride and handling package on this car. The said it was the standard suspension. I like the looks of the car and the performance of the engine, but if I were to do it all over, I might just go ahead and buy the Lincoln Town Car just for a more acceptable comfortable ride.