[t-rex]

Yep--my parents just purchased a Sable a few weeks ago. The styling differences are nicer on the Sable. The back LED lights are pretty cool. Oh well at least they will be able to find theirs in the parking lot.

I'll bet your folks are enjoying it too. I rented a Five Hundred just weeks after it was released (sad, the rental lots were full of them, but the dealers weren't...) and was impressed with its huge interior, quality, and fine driving characteristics.

It's a shame that Americans don't seem to want fullsize sedans anymore. Big cars are America's forté, yet everybody wants the SUVs...

I blame Ford for not marketing the hell out of this fine big sedan.

Hopefully the "Superman" Taurus will be a success.

 

[megeebee]

Ford never did right by these cars, which are quality products. The Freestyle/Taurus X, if done right from the beginning (with sharper styling and the correct powerplant right off the bat) could have obviated the need for both the Flex and the Edge. In many ways (less weight, better dynamics) it is superior to those vehicles. I know people will argue that they don't overlap- but there aren't that many ways to slice this particular pie IMHO. The Edge fills a rapidly shrinking niche, and the Flex should have been a quality minivan. Honda and Toyota are making do quite nicely without so many "crossovers."

As for the Sable, both it and the Taurus look a good deal worse than the original Five Hundred/Montego IMHO. Both feature gaudy chrome accents, huge wheel well gaps (esp. in AWD models- noticeably worse than the FH/Montego) and front ends that look tacked on (which they were) rather than integrated with the design.

An object lesson on why it is important to get a vehicle completely right at launch.

I agree. These cars were never bad vehicles.

I've disliked the styling since the beginning. They appeared as scaled up copies of VW/Audi designs, chiefly because their designer was hired from that company. I've often wondered why Ford went to the trouble and expense of hiring Mr. Mays away from VW just so he could repeat himself.

The re-decoration and renaming of these cars only served to speed their decline. And Mr. Mulally's first act at Ford of renaming them was a waste of effort.

I do have to say though that their interiors were among the very best in their price range. And while I have my own opinions on their styling, I still wonder why they were such failures. People in the US buy ugly, over rated cars all the time.

 

[96_impala_ss]

The writings on the wall. Mercury is on its last days. Grand Marquis is dead, Sable...

 

[GMC-70]

I'll bet your folks are enjoying it too. I rented a Five Hundred just weeks after it was released (sad, the rental lots were full of them, but the dealers weren't...) and was impressed with its huge interior, quality, and fine driving characteristics.

It's a shame that Americans don't seem to want fullsize sedans anymore. Big cars are America's forté, yet everybody wants the SUVs...

I blame Ford for not marketing the hell out of this fine big sedan.

Hopefully the "Superman" Taurus will be a success.

Yes they are--they looked at everything--Ford, Toyota, Honda, and were impressed by the Avalon. The tried Buick but my dealer had zero Lucernes in stock (now I know why--they just announced they are closing) Anyway, I suggested the Sable and they looked at it and made the deal at almost 8k less then the Avalon without really giving up much. I should note that they previously leased a five-hundred so they had past experience with the car--a good enough experience to purchase basically the same car again (although powertrain was beefed up plenty and the Mercury has some more upscale touches).

I agree with the marketing issue--they should have named them Taurus/Sable from the initial launch in 05 and possibly just called the old ones (that were still in production up until what last year?) classics.

 

[Greg Burr]

If anything, Merciry is getting new life, and not just rebadges. The upscale Focus, C-Max and other vehicles fit in with the urban contemporary image that it's been working on.

 

[Ach]

Honda
CR-V
Element
Odessey
Pilot
Ridgeline

Toyota
Rav 4
Venza
FJ Cruiser
Highlander
Sienna
4Runner
Sequoia
Land Cruiser

Ya, they hardly have any. Especially Toyota.

Ford
Escape
Edge
Flex
Taurus X (dead)
Explorer
Expedition

Nonsense. No one cross-shops FJs and Highlanders or Pilots and Elements.

I was talking about a particular segment of mid-sized, car-based SUV's. Not pickups (Ridgeline) or BOF SUV's or compact SUV's. These are clearly distinct market segments. They have been for quite some time now.

As you know, the Pilot and the Highlander are the players in the segment to which I was referring. They have been consistent players, and have been refreshed/redesigned over time. No false starts. No renames. The Venza (which I think is superfluous as well) came long after the essentials were in order in the Toyota lineup. Get the basics right first, then go for the niche.

 

[mpsrent]

I just don't understand the need for the division. We haven't had Mecury here in Canada for years and don't miss it.

 

[XCR440SP]

Sable is no suprise since its been leaked that Mercury will be a small car division so not to overlap with Lincoln. And based on the spy photos, Taurus X will get a Lift kit a set of new fenders and an Explorer emblem for 2011.

 

['Vette Dude]

anyone who says that merc will be saved should read this as the last nail in its coffin. This wil leave them with the mariner, millan, and mountaineer. Sad, I like the styling of the sable better then the taurus.

Amen. Amen. Amen. The Sable was wayyyy better. Mercury is a goner.

 

['Vette Dude]

Only Avis, Budget, National, and Hertz will notice.

.

:lmao:

 

[Sal Collaziano]

Too bad.. I like the Sable.. I think between it and the Milan, it got lost. It was kinda tall, too - I'm not sure how well that went over without being a Crossover SUV.

 

[escapen]

Its sad but if i didnt know about the other vehicles coming into the mercury lineup from the euro portfolio it would be more sad.

I've never owned a mercury but I have alot of respect for Ford keeping them and hopefully doing a total restructure.

 

[johnstarnes]

I'd love it if they'd take the current stunning Mondeo and skillfully work in a lightbar front end in homage to the original Sable and call it a Sable.

 

[Greg Burr]

I'd love it if they'd take the current stunning Mondeo and skillfully work in a lightbar front end in homage to the original Sable and call it a Sable.

It cannibalizes the MKz especially when shown in the same showroom.

 

[stevecmh]

everyone saw this coming.. useless

 

[vanshmack]

It's a shame the Taurus X/Freestyle never sold in numbers. I really like the quasi-station wagon styling, and it's the ONE Ford product I would definitely own.

What a pity.

 

[Hitman1970]

It's a shame the Taurus X/Freestyle never sold in numbers. I really like the quasi-station wagon styling, and it's the ONE Ford product I would definitely own.

What a pity.

We love ours. You can get one used cheap for several more years to come. You could probably buy one "New" in eighteen months in some parts of the country.

 

[Patate]

Only Avis, Budget, National, and Hertz will notice.

.

Ahh.... like Pontiac?

 

[MN12Fan]

Mercury repositioned to complement Lincoln, new small car coming in 2010

Makes sense when you read between the lines. Of the Grand Marquis, Mountaineer, and Sable, the only one that had any chance of a future without some major overhaul was the Sable, though I imagine getting rid of it was justified because of overlap between the Taurus and MKS; not as much room for big cars as there used to be (hence part of the reason why the Milan stays). The Grand Marquis going the way of the dinosaur is no surprise since it is a dinosaur. The Mountaineer is a similar story as apart of the collapse of large, traditional SUVs.

Mercury needs a niche, and in spite of the turmoil that Detroit is going through right now it may, ironically, be in a better position than ever to find that niche. Ford is shrinking back to a size that it hasn't been at since the end of the 1980s when the company was just made of its core brands (Ford, Lincoln, Mercury) and part of Mazda. All that's left is to get rid of Volvo. Whether or not Ford does this is beside the point of brand diversity though. Lincoln now has room to move up in the world (previously restricted by Jaguar if not other members of the PAG) and Mercury can also move up in turn if this is the way Ford wants to go.

Keeping only the Milan and Mariner implies an emphasis on smaller vehicles, especially since the Sable, Grand Marquis, and Mountaineer are all in the mid- to full-size class. With the new Focus and Fiesta on the way I see Mercury having the capacity to branch out with their own versions of these cars. They may be bona fide rebadges but, if it's done right, they can be upscale alternatives to their Ford counterparts (namely something you won't see at Lincoln because they would be too small). Personally I see Mercury being something of an Acura, sportier and more upscale than Honda but not quite a fully-fledged luxury marque.

 

[BORG]

I think the future of Mercury is still nebulous and depends largely on the economic climate. Mercury's new product mission has been dubbed as premium small car, which probably means it will offer products that don't overlap with Lincoln. Lincoln is expanding its roll and will carry enough market share to keep dealers viable, but Mercury currently serves a valuable roll in the Ford customer portfolio which will likely be absorbed by Lincoln and Ford. I don't know how much farther Mercury's product expansion will go beyond the one promised C-segment product. I suspect the ultimate goal is to do without Mercury and get down to Ford and Lincoln.

One thing is for sure, Mercury is profitable and a stabilizing force under the Lincoln brand, there no benefit to closing it up right now. However, when it comes to shuttering brands, this is the best way to do it.