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What Are Your Thoughts on the Return of the Taurus/Sable?

530 messages,  Last post on Aug 22, 2008 at 11:00 PM

You are in the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Five Hundred, Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Future Vehicle, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 9 of 54

#72 of 530 Re: The part that makes no sense... [heyjewel] by gregg_vw

Feb 10, 2007 (11:12 pm)

Replying to: heyjewel (Feb 10, 2007 10:35 pm)
Oh, geez, go to bed! Pinto or Escort names have nothing on Focus. The 2000 Focus was so much better than Escort that it buried it. And the European continues that excellence even if the American version no longer does.
 
But 500 is POS name that mever should have seen the light of day. A few people bought it this half-baked product, but not enough to get it on the radar screen. At least with Taurus "some folks remember it fondly, some remember it as a rental car and others as a POS that they had to fix or repair daily." But they remember it. Nobody but a few owners remember the 500, so why not change the name at the same time they address the shortcomings?
 
The few cents the badges are going to cost will not justify sticking with a dumb name that has no associations at all, good or bad. More than 80 percent of consumers recognize Taurus as a Ford product, compared to about 9 percent for the Five Hundred, according to research by Art Spinella of CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, OR.
 
They can't fix the horrible brakes nearly as cheap as doing this. Yes, you and I both hate the Edge, and wish it had been more cutting "edge." Ain't gonna happen overnight, and that is too bad. A name change, however, can happen overnight, even with a bankrupt company. Your well taken objections to Ford's decision making of the last many years should not prevent them from straw-grasping in every darn place they can possibly do it.
 
The only wsy they will get back to addressing all the things you decry is by first, not hesitating to do anything at all that is cheap, a change, and unlikely to hurt the bottom line. Any pennies they make with these straws can go in the kitty toward doing the real things...and of course a name change doesn't make that grade. But if the choice is between a 2008 unknown 500 with the improvements that it should have had in 2005, or a 2008 Taurus that ain't half bad, well, Ford would be remiss to retain the stupid 500 name.

#73 of 530 Re: The part that makes no sense... [gregg_vw] by kcram HOST

Feb 10, 2007 (11:20 pm)

Replying to: gregg_vw (Feb 10, 2007 7:33 pm)
I thoroughly disagree, my good host, that Ford is pulling in an old name. Up to last fall, Taurus was their best seller by far, even with total neglect.
 
Problem is, the 2006 was Ford's best seller, but they all went to Hertz, Enterprise, and Dollar. Ford admitted they artificially inflated sales by dumping these cars on the rental market, and finally realized it was a bad idea. Their January sales numbers reflected that reversal of policy.
 
Adding the name will get some more "boring sedan buyers" to look at trading their old Taurus for another one...rather than migrating to a Chevy Malibu (and I mean the current one, not the hot one coming).
 
This Taurus won't be available until the new "hot" Malibu is also out, so your comparison doesn't work. And the sad part is, the Malibu (in the Fusion/Camry/Accord class) and the Impala in the 500-Taurus/Avalon/300 class) will both blow it away. The Impala offers a 300+ horse V8 from the Silverado line, the 300/Charger offer two flavors of Hemi power - will Ford counter that with the new Taurus? Probably not. By the time this platform is re-engineered to truly compete, the other carmakers will be on their next generation.
 
As you note, the Taurus was neglected... that's why I believe this won't work. The Taurus of its last 5 years went nowhere while its competitors continued to improve. This is too important a sales segment to just play catch-up. I last drove a Taurus in 2002 (surprise, a rental), and it was one of the most lifeless things I ever had to drive. My godchildren's parents had a 2000 that they bought used at just one year old... same feel.
 
I used to be a "Ford guy" - my dad owned them, I owned them. But I just don't see any innovation coming out of Dearborn. Before and after the Daimler merger, Chrysler maintained that "so what, we're building it anyway" attitude... Toyota and Honda still completely revamp their cars no matter how great they sell... and at least with Chevy, GM has started to find its way again. Ford's only recent successes are the Mustang and Fusion. That's not enough to pay the bills.
 
And as others have pointed out, Ford isn't advertising the vehicles any more, just an image. The competition's ads tell you why you should buy their car - Ford ads don't because they don't have the features.
 
MY2008 will be the year that makes or breaks Ford. Mulally had better hope this works.

#76 of 530 Re: The part that makes no sense... [heyjewel] by bls2753

Feb 11, 2007 (1:58 am)

Replying to: heyjewel (Feb 10, 2007 4:03 pm)
"And rednecks is an offensive word."
 
PC Police Alert!!!!
 
The term "redneck" is used freely. It is not considered profanity by the standards of society. All forms of media use the term without adult viewing or listening restrictions. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has made alot of money using "redneck" as the theme of his act. His shows are widely viewed by people of all ages and backgrounds.
 
If you find the word personally offensive then say so. But don't define proper speech to me on an automotive forum. Because frankly, I don't care.

#78 of 530 Re: Taurus Rising II [douglasr] by barnstormer64

Feb 11, 2007 (7:59 am)

Replying to: douglasr (Feb 10, 2007 9:01 pm)
Who wants to drive an underpowered car that can't get out of its own way?
 
Not me . . that's why I got the Ford Five Hundred.

#79 of 530 Re: The part that makes no sense... [kcram] by gregg_vw

Feb 11, 2007 (10:35 am)

Replying to: kcram (Feb 10, 2007 11:20 pm)
My dear host, your points are mostly well-taken. But I think you still are missing mine.
 
NO DOUBT, no question there are continuing problems with the design of the Taurus/500. However, the name change won't hurt and might even help, given the recognition factor that the 500 will never attain, no matter how long it is called that. Ford will retool this banal car as soon as they can (and the competition will march on too), but they can't do anything about the tepid 2008 changes already in place. Again, if large numbers of people buy things like the La Crosse, Malibu, 6 cylinder Impala, the awful Chrysler twins (that are just now being replaced by the Avenger and new Sebring), etc., the market for reasonably priced, fairly lifeless sedans is still huge.
 
So some think Ford shouldn't do this (because of all the things they are NOT doing, or not capable of doing at the moment), when they can do it within their almost bankrupt state, get nearly free publicity for what was a totally anonymous and largely overlooked car? If it is still overlooked, they have lost nothing of substance. But there is at least a chance some of those millions who bought one or two or three Tauri will now look at the 08 for that reason alone. But enough of that. Let's agree to disagree.
 
However, your contention that this is a revival of a name or nostalgia or retro does not hold in this case. Sure, Ford was pumping Tauri into fleet sales. But that does not mean these things were pulled off the market or crushed or sent to Antarctica. These are cars that will be driven by huge numbers of people in fleets. They will be re-sold as program cars to people who want inexpensive, but still under warranty rides.
 
But more importantly, dealers around here are still advertising specials on the 2007 Taurus. Yes, Ford produced an 07, and ramped up production through October, so they are not in short supply. The "new" Taurus, being an 08, means Ford dealers will not have seen a gap at all in availability of the Taurus.
 
A few people might miss the 500 name. Otherwise, I there is little downside to this purely marketing move, whether it "works" or not.

#80 of 530 Re: The part that makes no sense... [gregg_vw] by crutnacker

Feb 11, 2007 (1:51 pm)

Replying to: gregg_vw (Feb 10, 2007 9:52 pm)
What would save Ford would be some decent marketing. I have NO IDEA what the 500 has to offer. I know it is bigger than the Fusion and a bit sharper looking than the Crown Vic, but I don't know why I should buy it over other cars.
 
Until Ford redoes the sheet metal and figures out how to market it again, they're going to be alsorans.

#81 of 530 It's not just Ford! by farout

Feb 11, 2007 (2:49 pm)

My last 13 vehicles have been Dodge's or Jeeps. Before that I was a di-hard Forf man. Until a 1987 Topaz and an Airo-Star. These vehicles fell apart and became too expensive to keep up with. Poor workmanship, cheap undercooled engines and so forth.
  Ford had huge problems but, so does Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler. This flat front end that hampers fuel mileage, engines that just barely get 22mpg. The CVT made in Mexico transmissions, the WORLD engines made in Korea ,by KIA!
 
This is a massive failure to produce a vehicle that the mass of people want.
 
Farout

Messages Page 9 of 54

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