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 ride - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By busingernate - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Fun car. Im 16 and I love this car. It handles like a race car around tight corners, and excellerates smoothly. The ride is rough but thats what you get with a sports car. Fuel eco. isnt too great in the summer because of use of the A/C. Overall its a great car!!

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  Nice, Comfortable Mariner - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By pop123 - November 21 - 5:43 pm

  I like my new Mariner, but i already found improvements that need to be made, i love the ice blue lighting, the premier model, the exterior design, the radio and HVAC control design. the engine i think is underpowered, and the transmission needs some work, i had to tramp it to the floor 3 or 4 times to finally get it to down shift around like 25-30 MPH. The premier model, go for it. And 4WD go for it too! Unfortunately I didnt get the 4WD, which is a huge mistake, it isnt that well in the snow.

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  Some what Dissapointed in NY - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Jose Orona - November 18 - 10:00 am

  I presently own a 2004 model purchased 4 weeks ago.I had a problem with the throttle body control that caused the car to shut down with Me and My family that includes My two year old daughter,and My eight year old nephew at 11:45PM, at night, on the Saw Mill River PKWY,in 40 degree weather.The road side assistance was horrible and left Us to fend for ourselves, to make it home back to Brooklyn 60 miles away.To top it off I had to pay for the tow, since they only covered 35 miles or nearest dealer.This is MY second Mercury product and it will be MY LAST.

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  2007 my impression - 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By j - November 15 - 4:33 am

  good handling and mileage. adequate power but stupid navigator system (small screen, uses multiple cds to operate), no temperature indicator, a/c does not have thermostatic control, harsh ride, wheel adjustment does go high enough, and does not have electonic stability control (a must for a new car)

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  wonderful car - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By bronwyn - November 9 - 2:00 am

  It seems like the Cougar is really hit or miss in terms of quality, but I really adore my car. It has never given me any problems (the radio did have to be fixed within the first 6 months, but the radio panel was loose and now the problems fixed.) Im not sure how another user is driving his car, but mine gets 35-40 MPG. The trunk is huge, but you cant comfortably sit in the backseat. I am planning on trading mine in for a newer model I love mine so much. (3 years ownership, never a problem.)

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  thing to change - 2005 Mercury Montego
  By chief - November 6 - 1:30 pm

  car is fine, dealership outstanding,lot of room, not enough horsepower for cvt transmisson, light very good, out side antenna no good. car frame weak. noisy ride, center transmisson should be put back on steering column

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  Mariner - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By ElleElle - November 6 - 12:10 pm

  First SUV Ive owned -- love it!! Minor annoyances include bad placement of heated seat control, gas guzzler, and poor rear view/back-up view.

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  Grand Marquis - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By ttully - November 4 - 12:56 am

  Ive been very happy with my Grand Marquis. In fact, its the first time ever that I purchased the same car twice in a row. Ive been driving a Grand Marquis since 1997 now! The ride is excellent. Smooth and great for long trips. Engine is pretty good for a big car. I have the 8 cylinder so of course that helps. Mechanically, nothing has went wrong so far.

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  Very high build quality and good mileage - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Bob - October 31 - 10:26 am

  This Mariner is a very handy size vehicle that has provided better than expected fuel economy (24 mpg on the highway). The all wheel drive works very well in northern Vermont winters. The build quality of the Mariner is exceptional. In almost 2 years of ownership we have not yet had a problem.

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  Exactly what I need - 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Bill - October 30 - 4:33 pm

  True, this car ist cutting edge. The 06 is my 2nd one, the other was a 98.The stiffer chassis and rack and pinion steering on the newer models create a more satisfying driving experience. The car is floaty and large, but I am on the road six days a week, and cover about 4,000 miles a month. This car is my office and home away from home. I bought is certified pre-owned for almost nothing, as depreciation is poor on these cars. Never would I have bought one new, but is it a huge bargain used. I had a Chrysler 300C. It was pretty and powerful... and a piece of junk. For a functional tank that wont let you down, you cant do better than these dinosaurs.