Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I think you may notice less sway with little or no deterioration in ride by raising tire pressure to about 36 psi cold, instead of the specified 30 psi. At least it seemed to improve the situation for me. The steering does seem a little more remote than my 90 Taurus, but I soon got used to it. Ride and quietness are much improved with still acceptable tight handling, in my opinion.
By the way, my tires are Firestone Affinities which came with the station wagon. Actually, I used to put about 2 psi more than what Ford recommends but last time I took the car for service, the advisor told me that the tires were at 36 psi (a gross exaggeration) and used sarcasm.
When I took my car in to fill it up with gas the other day, the suddenly stopped working properly (I can't hear anything from the speakers). I was listening to the radio before I shut off the car and it was fine then, but when I turn the car back on again, I don't hear anything. The radio seems to work fine, but I don't hear anything out of the any of the four speakers. I have not had anything like it go wrong in the past six months that I've owned the vehicle. It just seemed to happen that day, and I haven't been able to get it to work since.
I'm not one of those loud music listeners. I listen to the music at a fairly moderate level, and I am very careful about the entire car itself.
I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions about why the speakers wouldn't work all of a sudden? Could it possibly be a blown fuse or damanged wire? Has anyone else had a similar problem?
Thanks
cbassett01
Is it a good deal????
Did you know it was basically the same vehicle as the other?
Why did you choose it over the other?
Please submit your response to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, May 15.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
Ford and other automakers specify tire ratings to match the ride and handling characteristics they want the vehicle to have. Raising cold tire pressure a few PSI , to 34-36 psi for the Continentals, as long as it does not go beyond the tire manufacturers specifications will not necessarily do any harm.
In fact, underinflation is generally the cause of more tire difficulties. During extended high speeds, internal friction from the tire flexing generates a lot of heat. This heat can cause tire deterioration. More heat is generated with an underinflated tire than one run a few psi higher than the automaker's specs.
The higher pressure, I think slightly improves the tire stability from lateral wind buffeting, which is why it might help reduce the "sway" in windy conditions.
i.e.......just power windows and locks or are we talking leather, sunroof, alloys, high end audio, Duratec V6, ABS?
if the car is loaded to the hilt like that I would say 10 grand, while an attractive price, is maybe a 500 to 1000 high....especially considering the soft used market right now. If the market were not currently soft, I would say 10 grand may be an acceptable price.
Thing is, at ten grand it still leaves you with enough money to consider an extended warranty. Not that you'll really need it that much, because the late model taurus' are actually quite solid....but it would be an added piece of insurance you could afford now.
1999 Ford Taurus LX Sedan 4D
Engine: V6 3.0 Liter 24V
Trans: Automatic
Drive: Front Wheel Drive
Mileage: 16,000
Equipment
Air Conditioning
Power Steering
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Tilt Wheel
Cruise Control
AM/FM Stereo
Cassette
Dual Front Air Bags
ABS (4-Wheel)
Leather
Dual Power Seats
Alloy Wheels
Retail Value $12,375
At 15,000 miles the car has absolutely no rattles, provides good combination of reasonably smooth ride and tight handling, good ergonomics, etc.
Previous to this, I had a 1990 Taurus that still had everything working with no rattles, etc when I sold it at 98,000 miles, and I had very little non routine maintenance required during those 10 years.
The 98 loaner you drove likely had been beat up. Also the 2000's and up are much smoother and quieter.
I am not knocking the Toyotas and Hondas, I am just saying that the Taurus has a very good combination of price and features giving it good value for a full size sedan.
Check the Edmunds 2000 sedan comparisons. Taurus came in third out of ten and had by far the lowest price of the top three.
By the way, just what is a JGC, anyway?
The best way to check your cars wholesale value is to have someone who has access to the car auctions let you know what they are currently going for. This is the most accurate barometer.
Leather
Power Pedals
Aluminum Wheels
Automatic Transmission
CD Player
Plus all the standard features
Here is the deal I got:
$1500 Due at Signing (picks up remaining 2 payments of about $800 on current lease)
$259 per month
36 months
12,000 Miles per year
Ford Motor Credit
The capitalized cost of the car is $21,320.
Is this any good?
Thanks.
AS
Thanks for the help.
I "slug" to and from DC (that's Washington, Dictrict of Columbia) daily and have the opportunity to "test ride" many vehicles. When I see a Jeep approaching I know that I'm in for 30 miles of intestinal upset. I can't even read the paper for all of the bouncing and jousling.
I think your taste is only in your mouth. I'll take ANY year Taurus over ANY Jeep product. No wonder the Army ditched it.
My '00 Taurus has a "door ajar" idiot light that goes on when any door is not fully closed. I assume her Sable has the same, but I don't know if it is standard on all models. Make sure that is working and if she has it, then I would (diplomatically, of course since she is your mother-in-law) tell her make sure she checks her dash for any warning lights before driving off.
Thought I would just list a few little things I would like Ford to do to improve Taurus. All very minor.
1. Front door mounted arm rests are too hard. Makes my elbow hurt after a while. My '90 had more comfortable arm rests.
2. Tight trunk seals make it a hard slam to close the trunk, and it hesitates popping open with the remote trunk release if it hasn't been opened for a while-the seals hold it closed.
3. Ford could copy Buick Century/Regal on their gas assisted rear trunk hinges, which do not intrude into trunk space.
4. Rear center brake light bulge is a bit large- it is a bit irritating in the rear view mirror.
5. Extend your engine/drive train warranty. I think this one thing would help you beat back Camry and Accord in the sales race.
Note all these items, are quite minor. I am still very pleased with my '00 SES w/ 24 dohc V6.
FOMOCO, are you monitoring this? Fix these as a running change and lets put Camry and Accord back into second and third place. Of course, they already are if we lumped Taurus and Sable together.
The lease I negotiated is as follows....
$1000 due at signing (Including picking up remaining payments on current lease- comes out to about $800)
$259 per month
36 months
12,000 Miles per year
Someone please tell me if this is any good....
AS
Scott
4. Rear center brake light bulge is a bit large- it is a bit irritating in the rear view mirror.
That was apparently a concern of Ford's too. I've noticed some Tauruses lately with a thin LED third brake light and a much smaller bulge. I presume these are 2002 cars, since it's not all of the newer style of Taurus. Forgot to check a dealer's stock when I was nearby.
In any case, the deal changed for a final time and here it is and tell me what you think....
2002 Ford Taurus SES
Leather
Power Pedals
15 inch Aluminum wheels (not the painted ones)
Rear Spoiler
CD
Plus all the other standard features....
$1000 Due at signing (includes picking remaining payments due on current lease which total about $800)
$250 per month (including tax)
36 months
12,000 miles per year
The MSRP of the car is $21,320 and the sale price is $19,320. The captilized cost is $16,320 due to a $3000 lease incentive. That is exactly where we want to be right now for a lease.
I spoke to 4 or 5 other dealers in my area, and they are all telling me the best that they can do is between $280-$300 per month including tax with a total due at signing of $1500.
What do you think?
AS
I can expect some responses that say to rent a different car. However, when one asks for a full size car, guess what you usually get from Hertz!
There is no way I can believe you will need new brakes at 25K miles unless you do not know how to drive.
My old '90 Taurus, which shifted much rougher than my new one, went over 6OK miles with original brakes.
Do the new sables not have 4 wheel disc brakes? Mine does. Also mine has the JBL stereo that has 6 speakers and a subwoofer. Awesome stereo. I saw with regret that the premium sound in the newer sables does not have the sub. The best part of my car is the cupholder in the console though. I love the way it hides and then pops out when you press it. I do not like the design of the newer ones with two holes in the console.
I think my sedan compares favorably with any luxury sedan out there. It is powerful enough for me and very comfortable to drive. As for depreciation, I agree it is high, but I plan to drive this car for a few more years before replacing it with an SUV. The longer I drive without a payment the lower the overall cost to me. The Mountaineer is too big for me so I am sad that mercury or lincoln do not have a small suv like the escape. The avatar will probably be out of my price range. I am a little aprehensive about buying a new vehicle because I love this one so much. A friend of mine recently had to buy a new vehicle because of a lease coming due, and he hates the new suv he got. I have a feeling that getting a small suv that I like as much as my sable and is as reliable will be tough to do.
What kind of program. Wasn't warranty expired long ago ?
I bought my Taurus new and got 0% financing for 60 months. This is the only reason I bought new, when I do it again in at least 5-6 years from now, if I cannot get 0% I will probably buy used. I bought the extended warranty from Ford, it takes me to 6years or 75,000 miles. I bought the extended warranty because of the reputation of Ford transmissions, considering the way I drive I thought it would be a good idea.
I have had to have the rotors cut at 5500 miles, this was covered under warranty though, this is the only other negative thing I have heard and now have noticed. I may consider going to an after market rotor if this continues to be a problem, but as long as it is covered under warranty Ford will be fixing it.
Tires: I have the continental tires and I think they are just fine. As a matter of fact a friend of mine has a Maxima and had to replace his Goodyear(oem), without knowing what tire I had on my car he got the exact same tire(Continental) that I have and he loves them. He says they have made a world of difference in the ride and handling of his car. He claims better then when the car was new!
OH well, sorry to go on like that.
The deal was as follows...
$500 due at signing (decided to hold onto the Altima for another few months).
$255 per month
36 months
12,000 Miles per year.
Thanks for all of those who responded to my posts.
AS
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
after having brake light and tail lights staying on all the time. To save the battery I disconnected it. Also the trouble with the transmission lever becoming hard to move out of "Park". I also told them about the engine cranking and not starting until after several tries which it was an intermitent problem.
They replaced brake lamp switch which according to the technicians was affecting the tranny lever.
They were unable to reproduce the start up problem but they hooked it up to a computer and found no trouble codes at this time.
Car was in the shop for less than a day, and repair was covered by warranty.
It has been completely solid, no rattles, no problems. I hope it stays rattle free like my '90 Taurus did for 10 years and 98K miles. Dash/door rattles and squeaks can really irritate.
Anyone out there with 30K-40K or 60K+ miles yet?
ehasse: Thanks for the info. I have heard that mercury will get a version of the new ford crosstrainer, but had not heard about an escape version. Not sure if it will help me , because hopefully I will be getting a suv in about 12 to 18 months. crosstrainer not out til 04 or 05 was what I heard. I thought with all of the model cuts ford was making at mercury that it might follow the path of plymouth and oldsmobile.
Have you seen the Letter from the Town Hall Manager on the Town Hall Welcome page? If not, you might want to follow that link to have a look.
And hang on to your seats. Change is never easy - for any of us - but resolving the Search problems we've had will be worth the pain.
Pat
Sedans Host
Not that you're interested, but I've been told the newer trannies on the Taurus since 2k are much improved.