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Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008

3389 messages,  Last post on Jan 21, 2011 at 11:46 AM

You are in the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Sedan

Messages Page 202 of 340

#2002 of 3389 by upsetter1

Jan 16, 2003 (3:36 pm)

Motor Trend:
2004 Mercury Sable: Recent indications are that the Sable will separate from its Taurus fraternal twin, instead evolving from the new Mondeo or the Mazda 6. Either choice offers a more dynamic vehicle available in multiple body styles.
 
2005 Ford Taurus: Taurus goes its own way without sibling Mercury Sable. Next-generation platform may also spawn other vehicle types, such as sport wagon and sport/ute. And the well-regarded Volvo S80 may be the platform donor.
 
FORD FUTURE PRODUCTS
Ford's task: Revive products, pinch pennies
 
By Mary Connelly
Automotive News / August 04, 2002
 
Ford Five Hundred
 
The five-passenger Ford Five Hundred, with optional awd, is scheduled for the 2005 model year.
The Five Hundred is a premium sedan scheduled for the 2005 model year.
 
The car will be derived from the new platform underpinning the 2005 Ford CrossTrainer, a vehicle described as a cross between a sedan and a sport-utility. The car will feature styling and engineering features not seen before in a large Ford sedan. All-wheel-drive, for example, will be optional, and the interior will be trimmed with wood and brushed aluminum.
 
A six-speed automatic and a continuously variable transmission will be offered. Ford's next-generation 3.0-liter Duratec V-6 will be standard.
 
The five-passenger Five Hundred will be slightly smaller than a Chevrolet Impala but is expected to have more interior room. Ford will employ a high package design, creating a roomier, taller passenger compartment than the current Ford Taurus, for example.
 
Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable
 
The Taurus and Sable are likely to remain fairly untouched through the 2005 model year. Beyond that, Ford's mid-sized strategy remains up in the air.
 
One scenario moves Taurus to the Mazda 6 platform. Another keeps the model on the existing Taurus platform, primarily as a fleet vehicle. A third has the car based on the Ford Mondeo, which is sold in Europe.
 
All three scenarios are aimed at the 2006 model year, sources say.
 
The Sable will be replaced in the 2006 model year when it moves from its existing platform.
 
The company has said Mercury will rely on existing platforms from other Ford Motor Co. brands. But what underpinnings the replacement model will use and what type of sedan Mercury will put into the mid-sized segment are not clear.
 
One scenario draws a Mercury sport wagon off the Ford CrossTrainer and Ford Five Hundred mid-sized platform. Another has Mercury choosing a smaller, "high-package" sedan based on the Mazda 6 platform.

#2003 of 3389 by ehaase

Jan 16, 2003 (5:09 pm)

That information is already out of date.
 
Automotive News reported this week that Mercury will get versions of both the Ford 500 and the Mazda 6.
 
The Sable will be around through 2006.

#2004 of 3389 by regfootball

Jan 16, 2003 (11:33 pm)

i thought the 500 was supposed to be a big car and they say its not as big as the Impala?
 
what's the point then?
 
The Taurus now is a nice size. But I could see a car line in addition to that that is as big as say, a Deville in interior space.
 
I say make the current Duratec standard, and make a VVT version optional. If the next redesign had a 4 cylinder as standard thats ok. The current car is long in the tooth so they have to sell it on features and value now.
 
Also, invest in improving the handling, suspension, a new interior, some styling tweaks.....that ought to keep the Taurus selling ok till a major redesign.
 
The point to Ford is, invest SOMETHING in improving the product. HOW BOUT an SVT Taurus for all us SHO owners looking to buy a performance Taurus again?????? Stick too, please......if you did it for the Focus you can do it for the Taurus, Getrag makes many manual trannies just sitting on the shelf.
 
I don't need YAW control or NAVIGATION. Just a Taurus, with a high hp hot rod motor, a stick, grippy seats, grippy tires, and sunroof and really good sound system. Leather too.

#2006 of 3389 Didn't by riswami

Jan 17, 2003 (4:46 am)

realize that the Vulcan has only been used in the Taurus.The debut of the Taurus was 1985 as an 86 model.
 
If Ford is going to keep the current edition around until 2005 that means this style will be in production since the 1996 model year. That is a long time for any model and it doesn't help the Taurus.
 
I believe the 3.8 GM motor was developed in the early 60's with a major revision in the late 80's. So the Vulcan isn't that old.

#2007 of 3389 Vulcan by ehenness

Jan 17, 2003 (6:14 am)

is also used in the Ranger (or was) along with the 4.0 V6s, and also it was at one time the base engine in the Windstar (might still be). It was the base engine in the old RWD Aerostar van, too. However, the majority of production did/does go into the Taurus and Sable.
 
It indeed was new in 1985 for the new Taurus and Sable.
 
The Vulcan may be lower in HP than some engines, but it has decent low-end torque, something four cylinders (especially multi-valve 4s) do not usually have. The Vulcan has around 170-180 pound-feet, which is decent and comparable to many competitors. Car ads always trumpet HP, but they never mention torque. I'd much rather know what the torque output is, and at what RPM it's delivered. HP is needed to maintain speed/overcome wind resistance. Torque's what gets the car moving. If I get torque when I mash the gas (i.e., at fairly low engine speeds), I'm much happier than if I have to rev the spit out of an engine to get power. The rush of acceleration (and the haze of tire smoke... you get out of a big block V8 is from its torque.
 
(Note that the Vulcan and 4.0 are not related--the 4.0 is a German design that is actually older than the Vulcan. Remember the Capri--not the Mustang-based car, the one from '70-'76. That car's 2.8 L V6 is the basis for the later 2.9 and 4.0 OHV Ranger/Bronco II/Explorer engines, and also the 4.0 SOHC).
 
As for the GM 3.8, it's ancient. I think it's the oldest engine design still out there still using the same displacement and basic layout (pushrod, etc.). This assumes that Chrysler has finally ended production on the 318 V8, which dates to 1963 as a 273 V8 and itself began in '66--though a 318 with a thicker block casting and different heads existed back as far as 1959).
 
The GM 231/3.8 was an odd-fire V6 from its start in the early 1960s (Buick Special and Skylark), and they used it for a few years.
 
By 1966 or so, design and tooling was sold to Jeep when Jeep was part of Kaiser (prior to AMC). When AMC bought Jeep in 1970, they began switching to AMC straight-sixes. GM wanted the V6 back during the fuel crisis, and AMC needed the money. So, when GM's new intermediate cars came out in 1976, the 231/3.8 was back as an even-fire engine. Then it was re-done in the late 1980s, as stated above, with the switch to modern fuel injection. They've kept tweaking it. Proves it is a basically sound design. It too has decent torque at lower RPMs.
 
Anyway, that ends today's lesson. Thank you for attending...

#2008 of 3389 Nice info by fdthird

Jan 17, 2003 (6:47 am)

When is the engine test scheduled??? Canb I bring you an apple??

#2009 of 3389 Price on Sable/Taurus by edmund2460

Jan 17, 2003 (7:11 am)

If I am looking for a Duratec with leather, ABS, side air bags (is that an SES?) can I get that for under $17K with 0 percent for 5 ??

#2010 of 3389 We can speculate by badgerfan

Jan 17, 2003 (7:57 am)

All we want about what Ford's future plans are. In the mean time I will just keep on enjoying my Duratec Taurus. By the time I am looking for a replacement in about seven years assuming it doesn't get totalled, I will just reevaluate at that point. In the meantime, I think Ford could make a lot of marketing inroads if they published comparitive advertisements that emphasized the value you are getting for the price.
 
Yes, Accord and Camry are good cars, though Camry has slipped lately in the CR ratings, and the jury is still out as to whether the newest generation Accord is up to their historical quality levels. But to get their V-6 versions, they will tend to push you up to at about $23K or more (negotiated price, not list). A Taurus with Duratec will run you an actual negotiated price of about $17-$18K. That is a very significant difference. If you look at the overall package of price vs features, for a family sedan Taurus is hard to beat, and I believe the quality is nearly a wash these days.

#2011 of 3389 reply ehenness by pluto5

Jan 17, 2003 (8:08 am)

GM 3.8 is much preferable to Vulcan IM0 having driven both. As far as being ancient, I guess you could say that Boeing 737 is ancient but Southwest Airlines runs their entire business based on an ancient aircraft and is one of the most successful! Ford needs to redesign the entire Taurus/Sable line IMO but I wouldn't hold my breath given their current finances.

Messages Page 202 of 340

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