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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  Mountaineer is great - 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
  By gail - June 19 - 10:00 am

  Great vehicle, would buy again

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  BMW Must Be Overcharging. Milan $23Gs? - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By Ron Jerdon - June 18 - 5:33 pm

  Germans are gonna get hammered trying to compete with Mercury Milan or Ford Fusion. These cars are truly outstanding. Steering and Braking are way above expectations! 22 MPG City! Very happy!

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  Excellent after 100,000 miles - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By shihchi - June 17 - 10:26 am

  Bought my Mariner new in June 2008, trading in an 02 Escape w/ 150,000 miles on it. Now at 100,000 miles, the Mariner has had no problems. Avg. 26-29 mpg. "Hassle" of folding down back seats is nonexistent: requires 30 seconds. No big deal. Replaced noisy OEM Continental tires with Goodyear Assurance tires, and little, if any, road noise can be heard. Like the leather seats and moonroof. 1st gen. 4-cylinder, 4-spd auto trans. work well; I dont miss additional cubes or gears. Pop-open rear window very handy. Upscale ambience nice. Never experienced trans.-coolant leakage; recalled before any problems experienced. Seats very comfortable for all-day drives between Dallas and St. Louis.

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  Good Sable Stuff! - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By Mike Jacobs - June 15 - 6:43 pm

  I bought this car in 2007 with 21000 miles on the odometer. I was the third owner. The car had been on a Red Carpet Lease and then sold as a certified car and those owners liked it so much they bought a new Sable. I average around 20 MPG around town and after a 6000-mile trip last summer averaged 27.5 MPG. I have been very happy with this car. A year has gone by and its time for another 6000-mile​ road trip. The oil has been changed, a new serpentine belt and 4 new tires and were ready to go! I should crack the 100K mark somewhere on the way back to Washington State. A mile mark​ for a great car!

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  Great Car - 2004 Mercury Sable
  By ger - June 15 - 10:00 am

  Ive only had this car for two weeks, but I love this 2001 Sable. It has a very solid feel, tight and well fitted body, and a fell of sporty luxury. It had 12,000 miles on it whein I purchased it. Although time will tell, this has the makings of an excellent car.

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  Quality Car - 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By David Davis - June 10 - 10:00 am

  I sold Lincolns and Mercurys for many years. The Grand Marquis is the best American car on the road.

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  Greatest looking among US made cars - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By NYArthur - June 6 - 2:00 am

  Its a great looking car. Its definitely fun driving. Heavy handling makes you feel like a man, especially diving at above 70. Not enough horses power is the only shorting coming that I would complain.

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  So far, so good . . . - 2003 Mercury Mountaineer
  By newmountaineerowner - June 6 - 2:00 am

  As a former "comfy" car driver (Olds Aurora) I was a little hesitant about how I would like a "truck." But I have been pleasantly surprised. Very comfortable, handles extremely well. It is definitely affected much more by the wind, in both handling and noise. I ordered a cargo area shade, and am much happier to have a "trunk" area for concealing purchases. Overall, I like having the freedom to transport bulkier items without sacrificing comfort.

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  2010 Mariner 6 Cyl FWD - 2010 Mercury Mariner
  By roth45 - June 6 - 12:14 am

  .Excellent drv & pass frt seats. I am 64" and fit well in either. Good back support. Back seats average. . Good Suspension - Great ride for short WB. . 6 cyl (240 HP) very strong running. . Have 18.5K miles so far - no mech issues. . Sunroof had major wind noise when open. Weather Tech deflector solved it. Easy Install. . Mileage 25-28 MPG at 65-70 MPH highway. 22-25 Suburban /city driving. . Max roof rack bar separation is marginal at 30"- could have been easily designed to have 36". . Installed 2" Curt Rec Hitch- medium effort.

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  pleasantly surprised. GO USA - 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
  By drj - June 3 - 8:46 pm

  a new age has dawned. thought about new lexus 250 hs hybrid. got milan loaded.