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Mercury Sable and Taurus X dead next year?
Mercury, after nearly being introduced to oblivion, was rescued from the void because Ford needs a brand that could be devoted to small cars. The Ford brand, still fighting off oblivion itself, has recently been devoted to fresh, new designs that provide consumers the flair and features they've been looking for.
Two of the hitches in those plans are the Mercury Sable and the Taurus X. The Sable, sister of the Ford Taurus, has remained so unloved that even Jill Wagner couldn't save it (through no fault of her own). In these days of the Flex, Edge and Escape, the Taurus X is a conveyance from the Myocene era. To paraphrase Sesame Street, two of these things are not like the other... and so they are being killed, according to The Detroit News.Ford hasn't confirmed the demise of the two cars. However, sales of both are in decline, they fall outside the missions of their respective brands, and Ford is furiously retooling plants and planning new rollouts. In light of all that, the real question might be: why put off until tomorrow...
[Source: The Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Avinash machado 10:04AM (8/11/2008)
Well anyway if Mercury is going to be a small car brand, the Sable wouldn't fit the new brand image. Nor will the Grand Marquis. Perhaps Ford wants to milk them to the maximum before pulling the plug.
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Randy 3:49PM (8/11/2008)
I hear ya but why would Ford pump money it does not have into something that's hemorrhaging money (Mercury) to make it profitable and then pull the plug.
Why strive and then when you're at the finish line, stop and stare at the line and say nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?
Ya know?
Eddie 10:07AM (8/11/2008)
Good. I hope Mercury finally gets a decent car for the first time since the 50s.
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Gregg 10:11AM (8/11/2008)
Both are decent vehicles, but neither sells, so why continue to market them? They are a testament to Ford's ignorance and arrogance in the early 2000's: anyone could see that they were not just conservatively styled...they were dumpy. Ford approved the design anyway, banked on high sales, and crowed about how much more enduring the design would be than the Chrysler 300 introduced about the same time. It was actually the worst of design by committee/design by focus group. The Taurus should be killed as well, for all it is doing for Ford's bottom line right now. However, they have a replacement for that waiting in the wings, which though not stellar, is at least palatable. The Montego/SAble whatever deserved far better than the grandpa/grandma persona they gave it. Get the hook now.
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That One Person 3:51PM (8/11/2008)
If the next Taurus looks anything like that spy shot that has been floating around, then the Taurus will definitely have a chance.
Joe Kent 10:17AM (8/11/2008)
The Ford Taurus X's demise is probably not too far off. Between the Escape, Edge, and the new Flex, Ford customers who want a crossover to haul the family have plenty of choices without also adding the relatively boring Taurus X to the mix.
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Josiah 10:29AM (8/11/2008)
Too bad the Flex is just a Freestyle X with a retro-shiny exterior. It will die in 2 years.
TORR 11:10AM (8/11/2008)
Josiah- The flex is a much bigger vehicle than Taurus X
3seriesisking 1:21PM (8/11/2008)
TORR..
You might want to rethink that comment.
http://www.fordvehicles.com/crossovers/flex/features/specs/
http://www.fordvehicles.com/crossovers/taurusx/features/specs/
PiCASSO 1:35PM (8/11/2008)
Save for the wheelbase, these are pretty much identical cars.
TaurusX:
Wheelbase (in.) 112.9
Length (in.) 200.3
Height – at curb (in.) 67.6
Flex:
Wheelbase [in] 117.9
Length [in] 201.8
Height [in] 68
Gregg 10:20AM (8/11/2008)
The Cyclone was a decent car. The Cougar was a decent car. The 1986 Sable was a very decent car for its time. Actually, even the 1999 Cougar (based on the Mondeo) was a decent car. Mercury' history shows a few decent efforts like that in every decade, except for 2001+. The last years were the most cynical, poorly planned and marketed, badge-engineered era of an entire brand run that was for the most part badge-engineered. Glad Ford will at least be giving Mercury a shot at something else before killing off what it starved.
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Patrick 8:41PM (8/11/2008)
Chris, that makes two of us.
Chris 10:27AM (8/11/2008)
I like my Ford Freestyle. Oh well.
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The Other Bob 10:31AM (8/11/2008)
I need a family car and the Taurus X is on my list. It gets good gas mileage and is less expensive than the Flex. It is really the only station wagon with three rows of seats on the market.
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Liquid 11:04AM (8/11/2008)
The Other Bob, thanks for the reality check. Living in engineer-land you forget about how Sales & Marketing can totally screw things up. I didn't realize the price discrepancy between the T-X and the Flex. For a front-wheel-drive SEL model, the sticker price on the Flex is about $4500 more. WTF Ford? A side-by-side check on cars.com shows almost no differences in vehicle content or size.
G-Meister 11:25AM (8/11/2008)
$5k premium in the AWD. Tow rating is higher, but if that doesn't matter to you, there'll be some sweet deals on the T-X. Ford marketing completely ignored this very capable vehicle, both as a freestyle and T-X. Shame on them.
Josiah 11:26AM (8/11/2008)
But but it's shiny ... and retro .. and new! Definitely worth the $4500 extra.
Toledo Guy 2:05PM (8/11/2008)
I'm in the same position as you. As much as I like the Flex, I can't justify the price jump. X plan on the T-X Eddie Bauers are right in the price point I want to be in, and the car is well equipped. Oh BTW Chrysler, in case you are reading, this car will be replacing our Chrysler lease! I'm not buying something that I'll be upside down in for 60 of the 72 months you want me to finance it for!
Torrent 2:40PM (8/11/2008)
Thank you for saying that. All that has been on here is bashing. If I had a 7 person family, I'd probably consider the Taurus X before the Flex- and yes.. even the GM Lambdas.
As for the Sable. It is so invisible. The Taurus somehow stands out more. The only good thing about the Sable is the HUGE interior and colossal trunk.
BOB 4:10PM (8/11/2008)
Bob, if you are buying it USED, or maybe if you buying on a great deal and will keep it many years, you are smart. Saving $4000 now, and getting totally killed on depreciation (plus driving a dull-looking car) is expensive.