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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  Good, but.... - 2010 Mercury Milan
  By Ginny - August 9 - 5:26 am

  Ive had my Milan for a month and I love everything about it EXCEPT the location of the temperature controls, which truly create unsafe driving conditions. They are placed too low and are hard to reach. I have to take my eyes off the road too long when I want to change the fan speed or set the defrost, or turn on/off the air conditioner and heater. This is a big enough problem that I would not have purchased the car had I known. Other than that I love the safety features of the car. I have the BLIS and the rear camera and would do both again. I like being able to enter the car by typing in a code - thats a great feature when traveling with others. Head rests are uncomfortable.

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  Real Good Car - 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By 1968joseph - August 4 - 9:53 am

  This car is great for people who are not trying to outdo the Hendersons If you really want to put 5 people in a car, this is the only one that will do it. The Town Car is not made after this year from what I hear. I had a Chrysler 300 that was good, but my three kids -2,5 & 16 did not fit and the seats were hard as a rock. I dont need a race car or something that hangs in the curves like James Bond. I just like having a great car that is comfortable, dependable and quiet! Nothing else is made like it. As far as the design being outdated, the reason it is still around is that it works. I have had the 91 Lincoln, 95 Crown Vic and this one. They have been great. 4.6 is solid. Beats an SUV

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  Gas Hog - 2002 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Jacko - July 30 - 10:00 am

  Fords powertrains are much inferior to GM. I would have bought the Encore with a better powertrain and fuel economy except for the features. I like to have the 3rd row seat without the half mile extension on the GM SUVs. However, this truck can pull my boat without any issues. Overall I like it better than GM. I just wish it got better fuel economy.

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  Very Pleased - 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis
  By Mike - July 27 - 9:33 pm

  Bought the car used with 9800 miles showing. Had rented an LS the year before and really liked the car. The only thing I did not like about the rental were the too soft seats. Got a great deal on this GS w leather and like it better than the LS I took to Colorado. It is very manuverable for its size. Its easy to get in and out of and dont believe everything you read in Consumer Reports...I get 27 to 28 mpg on the highway. You drive it like a moron and youll pay for it at the pump just like any other vehicle. And no, the Chrysler 300 is not a better or roomier vehicle. My car is much quieter, roomier, easier ingress and egress and MUCH better visibility.

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  Great SUV, but bad transmission - 2006 Mercury Mountaineer
  By gldnbr2 - July 27 - 2:36 pm

  The Mountaineer is a solid SUV with many good qualities. Its somewhat quiet inside and doesnt have any rattles after 22,000 miles. The AWD is excellent in poor weather conditions. The inside door handles (which are lacking for the most part) are very poorly located and difficult to use. They improved this design in 2007. The worst part of this vehicle is the transmission. It began slipping and hesitating at 4000 miles, then it got worse. At around 8000 miles it started to slam into 1st gear from 2nd gear when stopping. Feels like somebody hit me from behind. Now after 22,000 miles, Ford has yet to find a fix for this very annoying problem. I know others are having the same problem.

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  The Best - 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
  By Phoenix - July 22 - 9:00 pm

  This vehicle does its job better than any vehicle I had previously. I am able to haul anything and everything that I need as a musician with no complications. The performance is the best I have ever seen. My godfather is looking to get the same vehicle, just not the same year. The only flaw it has is the back applica on the liftgate. The quality of the material is shabby. It cracks on its own within the center of the applica around the emblem. Other than that, the vehicle is an excellent vehicle to have.

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  Cougar Not so bad - 1999 Mercury Cougar
  By thekug - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I have enjoyed my Cougar - it lack some straight line speed, but is fun when moving (take into the foothills and back roads) I have had no probs with mine after 49,000 miles - except the dash is getting a little rattle. But for all that handling and style for 18,500 (and I have the V6) the value has held up well. The I4 is too small, but my six is getting quicker with a few low cost asftermarket parts.

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  Great Vehicle, Minor Flaws - 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By BC - July 20 - 7:40 pm

  I have had this car for almost 3 months now, and am very pleased with it. I average 31.3mpg with about 60/40 mix of city/highway driving. I really love driving this vehicle, and its very agile and easy to park. Im 6-3" and it still has plenty of room and is easy to get in and out of. Lumbar adjust is useless and obstructed by center console. TIP--If you notice that your engine does not turn off at stop lights, turn your window defroster off. The tilt wheel has very limited range adjustment upward. The mpg is great and varies only slightly between highway & city. UHAUL makes a drill-free hitch for this vehicle and it is useful for a needed hitch-hauler cargo carrier for trips.

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  So many problems - 2007 Mercury Montego
  By Big daddy - July 19 - 8:40 pm

  I love the car. Bought it as a family car. The warranty expired, the car began having electrical problems with its climate controls and the heating seat. Heating seat will no longer work. Climate control will keep switching from leg, to window, to etc, all by itself. I still love the car. Driving stability on the road is awesome, the car corners very well without wobbling like others. Its also very quiet on the road. I can fit the stroller and groceries into the trunk with more than enough space left over.

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  great buy new, even better used! - 2003 Mercury Sable
  By dan m - July 13 - 1:36 pm

  A steal at the used price level. Second one I bought at $12K with 8K miles fully loaded. Last one I kept for 4 years (cost $3k/yr) plus gas, oil and tires. Smooth quite commute ride. I HIGHLY recommend for that use.