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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  Comfortable ride - 1997 Mercury Sable
  By Jimster - January 17 - 6:56 am

  I bought this car because we needed a cheap car to make it the end of the year. I have neever been a fan of Sables(mostly because of how they looked). After test driving the Sable, I changed my mind. It was very comfortable and easy to drive. It had about 137,000 miles already on it when I purchased it and is still going strong almost a year later.

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  merc. 2003 - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By herman - January 16 - 10:10 pm

  This car is great on the highway. Gas mileage is just OK. Mercury gets about 22 MPG around town and 26 on the highway. Only had one major problem with car. Air flow senser went bad just out of the guarantee. Autoway was great with getting in touch with Ford/Mercury in getting most of the repair bill paid for me. I wonder how the car would run with a large six? Would it get better mpg? Buicks all have 6 cyl. engines.

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  We like our Mariner - 2011 Mercury Mariner
  By Andrea - January 15 - 10:00 am

  Love the back up camera in the rear view mirror. Noticed in riding in the back seat-no grab bars, and no mechanical lock release. We bought this car less than a week ago, got the premier V6, leather seats, dual climate,rear view back up camera and moon roof. So far like everything. We have a 2005 Toyota Highlander, which interior-wise is a lot nicer, even without the leather seats. Highlander doesnt have the modern amenities. My husband thinks it feels more like a truck then SUV, I think it is because it sits up a bit higher, and the front is slightly longer. Thought we would try Mercury-My dad has always bought Fords, and we always had good luck with them lasting a long time!

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  Way to go Ford! - 2009 Mercury Milan
  By Travis - January 13 - 10:26 am

  I was in the market for a used Camry or a new Hyundai when I got tired of the snobby Toyota dealer and the fake, high-pressure Hyundai dealer. I stopped by the Ford dealer and they were awesome; they listened to my needs (a reliable commuter car with good gas mileage and room for 2 teens in the back) and got me into my Milan. It now has 32k miles on it and has been absolutely reliable and still feels like a new car. No rattles or squeaks and not unplanned trips to the dealer. Gas mileage is amazing for this class of car; I get 40 mpg on my way to Phoenix in the morning. The styling is attractive and fresh without being too flashy and it feels like a much more expensive car.

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  Love My Mountaineer - 2005 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Joe - January 9 - 6:03 am

  This is my second Mountaineer, I just traded in my 2000. The Convenience package with the special edition 17" Chrome rims is a real head turner. The V8 really has some kick to it, great off the line power and smooth overall output. For the price, this is an awesome SUV.

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  For the money...cant complain - 2006 Mercury Montego
  By JTBURNS - January 6 - 8:53 pm

  Great interior. Very roomy for a car this size, needs a more powerful engine, great paint quality. I got sideswiped, dented the quarter panel pretty substantiallly but never broke the paint, needs a longer warrenty to compete, alternator went at 41,000 -- $500 ouch! 27 MPG (that will work)

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  Good Mercury so far - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Barnett - January 1 - 7:20 am

  The van has been good for the 1st year. I had to put new tires and found not a tire usually everywhere. The MPG is not the best. So far I really like the room (3 grandkids) comes in handy, good acceleration when moving into traffic, etc.

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  Saying Goodbuy - 1995 Mercury Villager
  By Saying Goodbuy - December 31 - 10:00 am

  I bought it based on its good reviews and can honestly say it was worth every penny. I enjoyed its usability carrying my family, radio control airplanes, or computers for my job. It now has just over 120k mi and I hope to help out a family in need. Repairs were wear and tear for the most part, except for a fuel pump (twice).

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  Better Than Explorer - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By daryll44 - December 31 - 10:00 am

  We have an 03 that we bot in Sept, 2002, loaded. A great improvement over the 3 Explorers we had during the 90s. The quality has been excellent! Almost went Toyota after all of our 99 Explorers problems. We now have about 25000 miles on it and there has not been one defect. Easier to drive than old Explorers... a little more "squat". Less bounce and easier/lower entry for my wife Two complaints. Major: the so-called leather seats. The drivers seat is clearly beat up at 25K mi and will certainly reqire sheepskin covers at 50-75K. Minor:the rear window should have a more solid closing mechanism. But other than that, its been great.

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  Nice and refined-2010 base automatic - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By skater69 - December 23 - 12:28 pm

  I have the 2010 base automatic (there was no option to select this on Edmunds). Bought the car used with 26K miles. Came with a nice sunroof, leather wrapped steering wheel, fog lights, SYNC..etc. Its nice and comfortable to drive. Quiet, great mileage, good power for a 4cyl, very nice cloth seats. I really enjoy this car. Handles well too but if youre looking for a sports sedan, I wouldnt go that far. Just a really nice car in my opinion. A steal for the price used. Feels/looks like a classy ride.