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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
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Replying to: barnstormer64 (Feb 21, 2007 7:21 pm) On average most people only keep their cars for 3 years. Most cars are leased for 3 years. If all you care about is minimizing your cost over 6-8 years of car ownership then the best way to go is to buy a 1-2 year old American used car. But if we insist on talking about new cars, then the total cost of ownership is what matters. IntelliChoice list the cost of 5 years of ownership of 2007 Ford 500 limited as $38,126 . Again from IntelliChoice the cost for 5 years of ownership of a 2007 Toyota Avalon XLS is: $37,711 I guess that I don't see where all of the great value of Ford 500 is? For less money one can drive a much better car. Maybe, just maybe, not all of the people who buy Toyota and Honda are stupid. Maybe, just maybe, they do the research and find out that its actually cheaper to drive a superior product. That is what makes it a superior product in the first place. And yes, image does matter. Now for my mother image means nothing. She wanted a very safe and reliable and cheap car because she is retired. I purchased a 1 year old Ford Crown Vic for her. Its a perfect car for her. It was cheaper then a used Civic. Now that is great value. And what about all of these Ford Ads "Bold Moves!!!!!" What does it mean?  Does putting a 3-bar grill on a slow selling car make it a "Bold Move"? How about selling every Ford Car with a 100k mile warranty. What would a regular car shopper prefer. The same car with a new name or a same car with a 100K bumper to bumper warranty?
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Replying to: gtee (Feb 21, 2007 6:57 pm) Upon reading many of these posts I see the word "image" in most and it's not so subtle implication that it's not "cool" to drive a domestic brand. Today with the quality gap erased it's basically an uneducated customer who wants to keep buying cars with profits going to another country. Kiss my American ass. ZXW Robb
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Replying to: gtee (Feb 21, 2007 8:20 pm) Proof positive that most people don't care about VALUE. |
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Replying to: gtee (Feb 21, 2007 8:20 pm) Not to those who believe in VALUE.
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Replying to: zxw (Feb 21, 2007 9:30 pm) With Ford (and especially the Five Hundred / Freestyle), there's still a lot of money going out of this country. And with most Toyota/Lexus vehicles these days, a lot of money actually stays in the US. |
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Replying to: gtee (Feb 21, 2007 8:20 pm) Well, I got a news for you - most will think you are plain-vanilla, no-risk-taking, family-comes-first, A-to-B, do-not-care-about-cars, cannot-change-a-tire kind of guy. Driving 500/Taurus projects exactly the same image for less money. Avalon will tell me that you are retiree who cannot afford Lexus. |
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I've had my 2007 Ford Five Hundred SEL for almost two months now as a company car. I thought I'd share my thoughts with this board. My likes: 1) Excellent space and comfort, love the trunk. 2) Feels safe due to its size 3) Pretty good gas mileage My dislikes: 1) Very bland design 2) Interior design is way behind its competitors... just way too plain. 3) Lack of power. Although it is barely adequate, I can feel the engine struggling especially going up the hilly areas in my neighborhood. Although my comments are nothing new to this board, I thought I'd throw out my two cents. This is my third Ford vehicle since my company only provides Fords. I also do quite a bit of traveling and have rented many different makes and models. For a company vehicle, the Five Hundred is above-average compared to the other company vehicles out there... such as the Taurus and the Escape. However, I am very disappointed at how much Ford lags behind the imports as well as GM in overall interior and exterior design. Ford just can't seem to get their act together it seems. For example, I have rented both the Hyundai Azera and the Sonata. I have to say I was quite floored with how nice the interiors were. I really liked the Azera in particular. If given a choice between that and the Five Hundred, I would take the Azera in a heartbeat. I can't understand how a company such as Hyundai can improve by leaps and bounds while Ford is just stagnating it seems. I'm pulling for the Big 2.5 to regain success in the US market, however it seems only GM is really making any progress. I had recently rented a Saturn Aura XE and was very impressed with both the interior and exterior design. I also was impressed with the Chrysler 300 that I rented some time ago as well as the Pontiac G6. Why is it that Chrysler and particularly GM of late have been stepping up their game while Ford continues to flounder. My point is that the Five Hundred is an OK product, but it will not stop Ford from this uncontrollable slide they are experiencing. It is just unbelievably frustrating how incompetent Ford comes across. I was always pulling for Ford because I hate to see people lose their jobs due to management's mistakes, but when I see some of the things they do, I feel Ford deserves to go belly up. I just hope that my company will eventually provide other makes and models besides Fords. |
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Replying to: zxw (Feb 21, 2007 9:30 pm)  Badge engineering is lame, unless it is done like the Astra, where in one country it is a Vauxall or an Opel, and in another it is marketed as a Saturn. Sharing architecture on the other hand us just good business and good design, BTW, the resale argument is kind of fluffy. You pay less for the 500 and you get less for it when you trade. You pay more for an Avalon and get more for it on trade. However, for similarly equipped cars, the amount of money laid out over three to five years is very similar when either is sold. Just depends on what you want. Some people mught prefer to tie up less money in their ride, but ultimately, there isn't much difference in the dollars you actually lose over time. Lots of people forget that because they pay more for a Toyota to begin with, that they HAVE to get more on trade in, just to more or less even things out with the Ford. |
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Replying to: gtee (Feb 21, 2007 10:08 am) 1. Traveling salesman in a company car. 2. Lost tourist driving a rental car. What statement does driving Ford Focus make? 1. Poor student who could not afford a Civic. What statement does driving Ford Crown Vic make? 1. Under cover cop / homicide detective. What statement does driving Lincoln Town Car make? 1. On your way to airport to pick up your next customer. What statement does driving a Mercury Grand Marquis make? 1. On your way to Florida for winter. What statement does driving a Ford 500 make? 1. Love those rebates. HeHe - those are really good, and fairly accurate too, IMO. I do disagree on Hyundai and Kia having a better rep -I have purchased and driven both, and Hyundai may have surpassed Ford's rep now, but not Kia. They are cousins, I know, but there is a huge difference, - Kia is like the Yugo division of Hyundai, and I refuse to represent Kias anymore. Never had one that didn't have the Check Engine light come on. Anyway, keep in mind that I drive a Lexus when I counter-point with these.... What statement does driving a Yaris make: 1. Really worried about future gas prices 2. Want the cheapest best car I can buy. What statement does driving a Camry make: 1. Could care less about style, just want good car. What statement does driving an Avalon make: 1. I like the Crown Vic - but prefer foreign cars. What statement does driving a Corolla make: 1. I like ugly cars, and I'm young and poor. What statement does driving a Hyundai Accent make: 1. Single woman's first new car she could afford. What statement does driving an Elantra make: 1. It's a rental. What statement does driving a Sonata make: 1. It's a better rental What statement does driving an Azera make: 1. No, really, it has leather! Honest! What statement does driving a Kia Amanti make: 1. I'm an Avalon wannabe, but I cost less than a Yaris. Nobody is putting more cars into rental fleets right now than Hyundai..... They're good cars, but in a Chevy kind of way. Rough, tough and plain.
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Replying to: barnstormer64 (Feb 21, 2007 7:13 pm) Not smart people.' Bill Gates is not smart because he drives a top of the line Lexus not a Corolla? Vehicle image is not soley a narcissistic thing. Many people in sales need a vehicle that suggests to potential clients that they are successful. Any lawyer who drives a yaris would not be the guy I want representing me. If the CEO of my company shows up in a Civic, I'm not sure that suggests success. Vehicle image is more complex than 'I don't waste money on cars and that makes me smart'. For the folks that are not taking food off the table or missing out on owning their own home, what does it matter if they want to drive something that they feel reflects an image?
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