WaPo writer thinks Mercury is still alive because of women buyers
For years analysts have been recommending to Ford that they shut down the Mercury division unless they actually create some unique vehicles for the brand. With few exceptions like the 1998-2002 Cougar, Mercury has had few vehicles that weren't just rebadged Fords in decades. According to Warren Brown of the Washington Post, female buyers are the primary reason for Mercury's continued existence.
In his decidedly unscientific analysis, when his wife and assistant evaluated the Mercury Mariner Hybrid a few weeks after the Escape hybrid they found the Mariner a much more enjoyable vehicle. They thought the Mercury was distinctly different and less SUV-like.
I find this all highly dubious and I seriously doubt that most women would actually feel this way, especially if they tried the vehicles back-to-back. Aside from possibly some different color combinations and maybe a little extra chrome trim in the Mercury, the two vehicles are exactly identical. A Mariner is equally as SUV-like as an Escape and anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves. Let's hear what the women out there think in the comments.
[Source: Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Nils 3:33PM (5/20/2007)
The cougar is actually a ford cougar over here in euroland.
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iQuack 3:43PM (5/20/2007)
Mercury has had an identity problem for decades.
A car for women? Yeah, right--see this ad from the 1960s:
http://www.mercuryarchive.com/1965to1968/1967MercBrougham.jpg
Mercury won't die because it's already been a dead brand for years--just a Ford in drag.
Ford should finally bury the corpse.
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RobynS8971 11:08AM (5/25/2007)
Get that ad, what I got a kick out of was the INFANT (not a toddler, a baby!) napping with just a seat belt! Yikes!
Marie Turner 5:07PM (5/24/2007)
I am a young 70 year old female and I have a 1997 Mercury Villager Van, which I love almost better than any of my children. It has been a fantasic vehicle and I wished I could afford to buy a new one exactly like my old one!! It has all the bells and whistles it is comfortable and I sit high enough for me to see all around me. Other than oil changes, tires and new battery I have not spent one dime on it!
vajones 5:42PM (5/24/2007)
I have purchased 2 Mercury Mountaineers.
People who make assinine comments need to shut up. Merc makes an absolutely rock solid SUV. We have not had 1 issue in the 5 years I have owned the 2 vehicles. Great is the only word to use. For a family needing a great looking fullsize SUV with all the bells and whistles priced right and not paying for BS. The Mountaineer is tops. I DO NOT WORK FOR FORD!
iQuack 8:59PM (5/24/2007)
Marie Turner: You have a great car that has met your needs and I hope it continues to run well. It's clear that you're a happy person who wants what she has rather than having everything she wants.
Best wishes to you!
------------------------
Vajones: No, YOU shut up! You're obnoxious.
John 3:44PM (8/01/2007)
iQuack:
I said it before and I say it now: what silly can think that the cars are for sexes in specific? It is absurd. If a man buys a mercury, it does not mean that he is less man.
What a coincidence! I am in against to other one of your commentaries, one sees that you hate the Mercury.
iQuack 6:39PM (8/01/2007)
John, I don not hate Mercury--just believe that because there is no significant difference between Mercury and Ford, the Mercury brand has become redundant.
Mercury is nothing more than a badge-engineered Ford, so it's a joke to keep it around IMO.
John 9:20PM (8/01/2007)
iQuack, I am not going to return to write the same thing.
DID YOU READ WHAT I WROTE TO YOU???
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/26/2008-ford-escape-and-mercury-mariner-priced-below-outgoing-model/2#comments
John 9:13PM (8/06/2007)
Many people complain about Ford and Mercury, but nobody complains about other brands like GMC and all his brands with clones, and others that make the cars of the same way.
"Ford and Mercury has to pay everything!"
joel 3:49PM (5/20/2007)
The Cougar in the US was if I recall based on the Mazda 3 at the time. As for the Mercury SUV being more car like it's all about perception. The interior looks more car like so some feel more comfortable. After the disaster of Merkur years ago I don't think Mercury will ever be for rebadged European or Mazda cars but I do hope they at least get more of foreign design theme.
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Sam Abuelsamid 3:57PM (5/20/2007)
Actually the last Cougar was based off the Contour/Gen1 Mondeo platform. As you can see from the images of the Mariner and Escape interiors, aside from the optional Nav system which is also available in the Mariner, they are identical. There is nothing more car-like about a Mariner.
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Alex Nunez 4:11PM (5/20/2007)
iQuack, that ad is so great...
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3cubedminus3squared 4:14PM (5/20/2007)
On the outside, the Mercuries tend to have smoother lines while the Fords are somewhat blocky. I wish they still made the cougar. I have a 91 and its been a great car. When it dies out,, which will be a while, I won't have another cougar to upgrade to. Maybe I'll get a Mustang.
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HotRodzNKustoms 4:15PM (5/20/2007)
The secret is the chrome. Women like chrome just as much as guys like power. That's why Escalades with 22's sell so well. People would just buy a Sububan or Tahoe if it was not for the extra power and chrome.
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BOB 4:53PM (5/20/2007)
Not a woman, but pretending to understand them, and coming from a family which owned 5 Mercurys....
1--Women look at the surface touches - the Mercs are a little dressier and more stylized.
2--The Ford name is more masculine and more ordinary, comes on pick-ups and cop cars.
3--Merc is a name from an upper tier -- like Pontiac or Olds, not the common first level.
4--The people next door don't have one -- they are less common.
5--You buy it at the Lincoln dealer.
The BIG reasons there is still a Mercury:
1--Retirees and the Grand Marquis.
2--No Mercury, no place to sell Lincolns.
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Sal 2:27PM (5/24/2007)
A Mercury is mostly a Ford with a Lincoln interior which obviously has more padding and insulation as well as a different grill, tail lights and markings. In other words, its a combination of a Ford and Lincoln. You may want to call it a cross over vehicle. That's what was told to me by a retired Ford employee who who worked on the assembly in Dearborn Michigan.
Sara 9:30PM (5/26/2007)
I think you hit the nail on the head, bob! :) I personally don't like mercury, I would choose a lincoln over a mercury any day, but your proposal is very feasible.
Gary 4:50PM (5/24/2007)
The smartest thing I have read on this site!
Tim 5:20PM (5/20/2007)
BRING BACK MERCURY. Give 'em a 'rebadged' mustang for christ sake, why not offer buyers more choices to suit their individual needs, its not like its costing them much more with identical platforms. All of you that immidiately condemn the brand sound ruthless, implying they have zero sales yearly, with only special orders to the elderly. Go find a new subject to pretend to be a specialist at.
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