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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  Very impressive car - 2008 Mercury Milan
  By Paul - May 6 - 4:46 am

  The car blends handling and comfort remarkably well. The Milan sticks to the road thru hard turns yet still soaks up bad pavement pretty darn well. Power and acceleration are plenty enough for those of us who dont buy a car to race it. Mid and high end power is very good for passing and surging on the highways. Attractive inside and out, this car has all the creature comforts I wanted for about $4000 less than I would of payed for a simiarly equipped Accord or Camry. Factor in the high marks for reliability that Milan/Fusion get and you cant go wrong here.

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  First American Car in 16 Years - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By Mike - May 5 - 9:36 pm

  We picked up our new Milan about 2 weeks ago. So far things have been just fine. For the past 16 years we have driven Toyotas but we thought it was time for a change. The car has a good ride, much more controlled then the Toyota and feels more sporty. The engine is very quiet and the automatic trans shifts very well. Mileage is about 23.5 so far with mostly suburban driving. So far no squeaks or rattles and the leather seats are very comfortable. The trunk seems to be about the same size of the Camry as well as the rear seat. The Sony sound system is great. The only problem is trying to get our older phone to hook up with the Sync system. The interior lighting is a nice touch.

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  My Cougar - 2000 Mercury Cougar
  By MaineWolf - May 3 - 11:33 pm

  I have been looking for recalls on the powered moonroof but I dont really see any. Mine is not opening at all, when I push the button, it sounds like it is opening but its not. I just bought this car from a car dealer a month ago. I can, however, tell I am in need of an alternator soon! Thank God my dad was a mechanic and I learned a lot from him. But overall, I really love this car. It is jet black, leather interior, awesome sounds stereo (CD Player Equipped), Sporty, I just love it. I did get it used, but as with any vehicle, no matter make, model, year, new or used, you are bound to have problems. Take it to a mechanic before you purchase it to see if its worth the price before buying!

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  06 Milan a hit with me! - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By joe - May 1 - 7:23 am

  Just picked up my new Milan and what a pleasure. The car feels rock solid on the road and is wisper quiet on the inside. You can actulally have a conversation at speed and not have to talk louder than usual.

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  Everymans BMW 745 - 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By KC - May 1 - 6:03 am

  This is a marvelous car...my fourth Panther platform Ford. The car has so many aftermarket performance parts that it is hard to believe. There is actually a small performance cult that has grown up around them Mine has dual exhaust, with Dynaflows and an X-pipe, as well as Kumho A/S 795 tires (stock Michelins are a joke). I added a Superchips powertuner. I probably have about 260HP as of now and still get over 25 mpg/highway. Why people complain about the mileage on these cars baffles me...if you want a Honda Civic, go buy one! This car weighs 4,000 pounds. Addco sway bars and Bilstein shocks make the car handle dead flat. There is a reason why police use these cars (Ford CV version).

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  Totally Satisfied - 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Frank Fon - April 30 - 12:13 am

  Purchased this vehicle from my boss and was very surprised with the performance of an eight cylinder engine compared to the Buick Park Avenues that I have owned in the past. This car is definitely a sleeper and is the poor mans Lincoln.

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  Check it out. - 1999 Mercury Sable
  By Chandler - April 29 - 6:56 am

  Very reliable - routine maintenance done by dealer. When I bought this new, all of the features in the LS package (leather, ABS, Moonroof free), along with rebate and .9 financing - no other sedan seemed to compare. After 2.5 years, I am still very satisfied.

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  LSE03 Is So-So - 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Ray66 - April 26 - 2:00 am

  Leased this LSE right before Mercury discontinued the option. Prior leased car was a Crown Vic LS. The Crown Vic got better gas mileage, was quieter and rode much smoother. The LSE supposedly has a slightly more powerfull engine but I see little difference. The LSE has more bells and whistles and a more usable interior but I miss the Crown Vic

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  They Got It Right Car! - 2006 Mercury Milan
  By Mechanic - April 25 - 2:36 pm

  This I-4 AT Mercury Milan Runs, Handles & Stops Excellently! The build quality is what it should be, with body parts that line up and are tight. The Milan was delivered with the Premier Package & has every feature that one could ever want. (Tilt/ Telescopic steering, 6 CD AM/FM MP/3 Radio, Multi Tone Leather Interior, Power Driver Seat, 17"Aluminum Wheels, Air Bags Front & Side, 4 Wheel Independent Suspension, 4 Wheel Dics Brakes With AntiLock, NiceLookingClock, 5Speed Automatic Trans, PuddleLights, Alarm,Stainless Exhaust System). Real world MPG has been as high as 35 on the highway and not lower than 30.2. City is usually between 20.7 & 23 although the latest cold weather stop & go was 18.7.

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  Built on Friday the 13th!!! - 1997 Mercury Cougar
  By Coogrr - April 21 - 10:00 am

  This is my 4th Coogrr, and it must have been built on a Friday. We have had it in for many repairs, from dash light showing through on windshield at night (Ford Guys thought duct tape was a good fix, wrong!) Sunroof deflector broke early on, A/C problems resulted in car interior being ripped apart at 22K miles, and A/C still not right at 65K. New tranny at 64K, and this car is babied. Fun to drive, all these repairs are a headache. Ford service has been so bad, we will never buy another Ford again. Nuff said. Too bad~~I loved these cars, this one has been a handful.