Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable What Are Your Thoughts on the Return of the Taurus/Sable?
530 messages, Last post on Aug 22, 2008 at 10:00 PM
You are in the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
|
Replying to: gregg_vw (Feb 14, 2007 8:58 am) Seriously, WHY do buyers have to remember or relate to the name? Answer - they DONT. Look at another company who started a new car line and is VERY successful - Scion. I dont remember it, cant relate to it, dont evenknow how to pronounce it, but they're selling a million of them And they look like refridgerators with wheels. So, that brings me back here. Mulally and the Ford marketing people are clueless and lost in space when they choose A) in the following multiple choice: What's the best wat to increase the sales of our vehicles? A) Change the name to the name of the last good selling vehicle we've had. B) Build quality cars that people want to buy. |
|
I was surprised by a picture in the paper with the new and 1986 Taurus - put the new wheels and grill on the '86, get rid of the lower body cladding, and they'd be hard to tell apart. This isn't a criticism of the new one, I thought the '86 was a great looking car. Those that called the 500 a re-done Audi should compare it closely to the '86.
|
|
|
Replying to: texases (Feb 14, 2007 1:19 pm) Yes, the 08 Taurus looks a lot like the 86 Taurus. The 86 was cutting edge styling, but this is 22 model years later. What was current then is pretty boring and passe now. If you put modern headlights and wheels on the 86 Taurus, you'd have something akin to an 08 Taurus, only a smidge smaller. No wonder few are looking at the 500...it blends in too well with old cars. |
|
|
Does the Taurus name really have cache? Surely the reason for doing a re-name is if that name has cache. Cache is different than recognition. Taurus has recognition as a rental car. Taurus does not have cache. I would think that, as mentioned previously, if the 500 name had been actively sold it would have had a chance. It was roomy, affordable and was not horribly offensive. Add some more power and it could be a I-can't-afford-an-Avalon type vehicle. I also agree that Taurus may be logical for the Fusion, which deserves better sales, but makes no sense for the 500. The only cure for Mercury is a swift death. Having the Mercury brand hanging around prevents Ford from being viewed as a higher retail brand but does not make any particular statement for itself other than the apparent desire to be bought by only one gender. Imagine the marketing guys selling that..."Look, we have this great idea....make yourself attractive to only HALF the potential buyers out there!". Genius. Look at Ford in Europe (http://www.ford.co.uk/ie/home/-/-/-/-/-/972031) and the UK, they design cars that look good, go from econo-models through semi-lux and are successful. Whoever is running that division, put them in charge of N.America, stop re-branding/ re-naming and all the other excuses and win back the market.
|
|
|
Replying to: gregg_vw (Feb 14, 2007 8:58 am) |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: bristol2 (Feb 14, 2007 2:14 pm) Again, the 2005 Ford Five Hundred nearly matched the 2005 Toyota Avalon XLS in the 1/4 miles, according to Dragtimes.com Was the 2005 Avalon underpowerd? Were there hordes of people proclaiming it to be so? Why not?
|
|
|
Replying to: barnstormer64 (Feb 14, 2007 2:24 pm) 'Nearly matched' is a good description. Again, I think the 500 was a good enough vehicle, the name change is unwarranted. |
|
|
Replying to: bristol2 (Feb 14, 2007 2:14 pm) " Well said, bristol 2 I had a similar post half done then got distracted. Imagine even further the pathetic desperation and/or stupidity of the people in charge who bought this idea. Mercury is the God of Speed for Gods' sake. My first few cars were Mercurys - a beautful '64 Monterey convertible that a drunk driver opened up like a can opener one night. A '67 Cyclone GT 390 4Speed black/white/red convertible that would be worth about $30K today. And a '65 Red/white Park Lane convertible that I sold 3 years ago. What a beauty that was and didnt look a thing like the '65 Ford. Now the Park Lane will never return, the Monterey is a pathetically horrid and thankfully discontinued minivan, the Cyclone name at least is being revived - but only on an engine, not a car, and then there's the Sable. And Jill Wagoner. "Gee Jill" says the flunky man who works for her, "your Milan is even cooler than your bosses' car." "Sshhhh", answers Jill, "don't tell her that." Yep, in the world of Mercury today, the women are in charge and the men are the doltish flunkies. Good job, Mercury Marketing. You've lost this customer forever just on marketing and names alone. Unless of course you do bring out a well-done Cougar. And don't rename it the Pussy(cat) |
|
|
was a pretty decent minivan alternative- you could get it with 7 seats, a DVD Navigation System (recent addition), DVD Entertainment, and all the other goodies, without the sliding doors or the SUV fuel economy. I never saw an advertisement for it though, and perhaps that's why the Freestyle never sold. The Five Hundred and Montego were decent cars too IMO; despite the lack of power, and the 3.5L has fixed this. The problem is that the Avalon is far more stylish and even though reliability may be the same for the Five Hundred and Avalon, people will go for the Avalon as it's perceived as being more reliable...
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: jchan2 (Feb 14, 2007 3:56 pm) Except it's NOT more reliable.  Also, you can get the Five Hundred for a LOT less dollars than the Avalon. And over the course of 8 or 10 year of ownership, the two vehicles will probably depreciate about the same dollar amount. I'd rather have "invested" less in the Five Hundred, and truly invested the difference in a good mutual fund . . or even CD.
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Sedans Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable What Are Your Thoughts on the Return of the Taurus/Sable?
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2007 Ford Five Hundred
2010 Ford Taurus
2009 Mercury Sable
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
