Mercury Milan vs Toyota Camry

210delray · August 2006

Keep the Honda. It's not giving you any trouble is it?

badgerfan · August 2006

Yes, a Badger fan and alum, currently in suburban Milwaukee.
Have season football tickets and I am ready for some football!

My Tauri have been excellent cars and good values. Wouldn't hesitate to buy a Milan or Fusion, though it will be a few years off, as the current Taurus at 60K miles is just getting broken in.

pwas · August 2006

No the Honda is fine I was just looking into the 0% from Mercury vs 11% from honda on the accord. Plus the Honda is a 4cyl and I was going to get the V6 Milan fully loaded. I could save about $200 in payments a month on the Milan.

210delray · August 2006

How did you get stuck with 11%? Could you refinance at a lower rate?

You'll save in monthly payments with the Milan, but that's mostly because the loan is for 6 years. It's not a good idea to drag out a car loan that long; for one thing, if you don't put down a large down payment, you'll likely owe more on the car than it's worth for most of those 6 years.

The 4-cylinder Accord is probably very close in performance to the V6 Fusion/Milan. Plus you already have the top-of-the-line trim. And the Accord has proven to be very reliable.

scape2 · August 2006

If you like the Milan, prefer the styling and driving experience go for it! If your Accord EXL is an automatic, its performance does not mathc the V6 in the Milan by the way. The Milan is quicker. However, you will loose MPG. If you made an extra $50 a month payment on the Milan it could easily be knocked down to about a 5 year loan by the way.

bv050506 · August 2006

I'm a banker. Why would you pay down a loan quicker at 0% for any reason? It's free money, I'd take it for 20 years, you can always find money someplace else if you need it. But 6 years interest free is too good. I ask you, why do they need to do it? They aren't selling and the name and quality are inferior to Honda, Toyota, etc. Otherwise people will buy them if the rate is 7% if they perceive them as quality and worth the price being asked!!! I'd unload the Honda and get the Milan (still a very nice vehicle) and take the 0%. Plus he's saving on cash flow!

badgerfan · August 2006

True, once you have committed to a 0% financing deal, it makes no sense to pay it off early. Stretch it out as long as possible and use other peoples money at no interest.

There are more issues to be unraveled for this deal however. The buyer is giving up a $1000 rebate to get the 0% financing. Also, how much upside down is this buyer on the car he now owns? Unless he put a lot down, he has lost a lot of depreciation--even the imports DO depreciate. Usually does not make any sense from a depreciation standpoint to unload a 1 or 2 year old car.

The best bet might be to refinance the present car at a lower rate. I cannot believe anyone would stick themselves with an 11% APR anyways. This person may have very bad credit rating to begin with, thus the high rate, and it is not clear they would qualify for the Ford/Mercury promotion, even though it supposedly is open to those with less than stellar credit ratings.

jordanrobinson · August 2006

The promotion is open to ANYONE that qualifies on any tier for financing with Ford Motor Credit. Unfortunatly, as of September 5th, the promotion is over.

borec · August 2006

Do not know about Mercury Millan nor Camry, but I can tell you that the only car that actually lasts on rough roads is Toyota, followed by Nissan and somewhere far far away is Ford and any other american car. I worked in a mine in South America and we had only Toyota Landcruisers Pickups (I think you do not get those in US, but they are the workhorses in South America), they were treated rough as hell(combination of bad roads and bad drivers) and lasted for 2-3 years no problems, then we had a new manager who decided that we need fords, the F series double cabin pickups (I cannot remember which), they virtually fell apart after 6 month of same treatment. Toyota rules in my book.

mgallun · September 2006

lol, in milwaukee area i have seen 3 07 camrys with broken trannys, a tow truck driver i talked to earlier today said he has picked up 10 camrys with this issue this summer... wow.

mgallun · September 2006

meh, my 1999 ford contour se has lasted 7 years and 118k without a hickup, cant say the same for friends with accords and camrys that were actually newer lol..

markw45 · September 2006

Alot of BS posting here on the Milan. I'd have to ask if any have actually owned one? After 14 years and 176,000 trouble free miles on my 92 Grand Marquis I decided to buy a Milan. So far it's a nice little car and 0% 72month financing was icing on the cake.

A coworker bought his Camry about 2 months ago and it's been back to the dealership 3 times. For some reason he still thinks Toyota makes the best cars. I guess the koolaid is pretty strong.

mgallun · September 2006

Bought a new fusion, it has 3k on it, so broken in.. took it to a local track... ran 15.2 at 93mph.. 1 and only time i will run it.. but thats a bit faster than the mags.. this was on a 65deg day clear and no wind.. doesnt seem like the 3.0 is weak to me.. 07 camry was there, he ran like a 15.8 at 90.. that was with the 268hp engine, think he broke his tranny on 2nd run.. not sure as i left.

scape2 · September 2006

I agree, my Fusion SEL V6 seems to be much quicker than some mags state. Here at Edmunds they claim the highest 0-60 times of 7.8! That I have seen across the net in other car sites. I tend to believe it closer to 7 seconds. Once that little V6 spins up it really pulls nicely.

andy82471 · September 2006

Nice try. You are not fooling anybody. Even a 5 year old is not going to believe you. Ford is going down the toilet and I admire your attempt to do something about it, but posting absolutely ridiculous statement isn't going to help your cause. The FUSION is an ok car but not class leading by any means. The only good domestic that I think can compete with the Accord and Camry is the Saturn AURA.

bv050506 · September 2006

Read the most recent Motor Trend, a reliable source, not somebody running at a local track, and you'll see the Camry V6 did 6.1 and over 97mph. Road and Track has it even faster at 99.9mph. You're Fushion is a nice car, as is the Milan. I was very impressed with a decked out Milan I just saw at the golf course. But, it's still no Camry!!! And it sure isn't as fast!!! Ford is tanking fast and I'm afraid the Fushion and Milan won't save it. As for the Zephyr.....more mediocrity, but a nice car none the less.

Just stop and ask yourself this one question, "why can I buy a car for 72 months at 0% interest?" Easy answer, they aren't selling, they are still inferior to the Camry, Accord and Sonata, and Ford needs to move metal for cash flow!!! Wake up, you have a nice car, but not as nice as my '07 Camry XLE V6, and CLEARLY nowhere near as fast!

scape2 · September 2006

OH, your back again I see. You failed to mention you paid $4,750 dollars more! over the price of a comparably equipped Milan Premier. So lets do the math.. you can go 0-60 in 6.1, Milan in 7.2.. that is 1.1 seconds faster.. $4,750 divided by 1.1 is..?? Your the accountant do the math! Hope it was worth it. Also, I live in a mid-size city. During rush hour how much do you go 0-60 in 6.1? Me, I'm stuck doing about 35-40.. I think most people are doing the same

Also, you failed to look at Fusion/Milan sales. UP, UP, UP.. so they are selling..Enjoy your over priced, overrated overdone, ugly Camry :shades:

Karen_S · October 2006

...is this a discussion for those comparing these two vehicles for possible purchase, or is it a "neener-neener, my car is better than yours" topic? I think the former would be more constructive. :shades:

chikoo · October 2006

I thought the 6-speed automatic transmission was a joint venture with GM?

It is indeed a jooint venture as fas as design is concerned.

It has however bieng manufactured by AISIN, which is a Toyota Affiliate.

chikoo · October 2006

Let us not make a blanket statement here.

If somebody who is TOTALLY unaware of the world of multinationals, and in the automotive industry in particular, a Toyota does make for a good choice.

The Milan (and the Lincoln Zephyr) are all based on the Mazda6 Platform which has been acclaimed as a great platform all around the world. The Duratec 3.0V6 engine too has been fine tuned by Mazda and is an ultra smooth revving engine that does not use timing belts but ultra-silent timing chains. The transmission, which typically has been Ford's Achilles heel has been remedied by a 6-speed Transmission that is built by non other than AISIN, which is a Toyota affiliate.

For somebody who knows the value of money, these cars that Ford has come out in the last couple of years as fantastic. Just look at the Mazda CX-7 and CX-9 based on the same Mazda6 platform.

chikoo · October 2006

"workhorses"

Each country has their own workhorses. If you travel around the world you will notice that. Some have Toyota, some have Ford. Some have their own "indigenous" local brands.

I have a classical example that is actually funny.

In India there is a scooter company by the name of Bajaj, which few decades ago (1960-70 I guess) collaborated with Vespa of Italy to manufacture scooters. Well it was a hit and Bajaj sold scooters under their own brand name till 1990. It was very well revered even though there were barely any improvements made in all these years. In the 1990's Vespa decided to come back and sell their latest scooters under the "Vespa" brand name. Guess what?
People disliked it. The general opinion was that Vespa does not know how to make scooters as good as Bajaj. wtf.

chikoo · October 2006

"And it sure isn't as fast!!! "

if you want to race, why buy a camry? beats me.

bv050506 · October 2006

Relax, I was referring to the guy at the "local" track claiming he blew away a Camry. The real reason I traded my Hemi for an Avalon and now a Camry is mileage. 31mpg is far better than most in its category. If I wanted to race you I would have kept the 300C. Having said that, it was a huge surprise to see that the Camry had some real huspa and is only about 2 seconds slower in the quarter to the Hemi!!! And I got 31mpg, not 21, ha

comp386 · October 2006

Actually you're thinking of the 6F transmission which is in the Edge and MKX. I'm sure eventually the Fusion/Milan will be switched to the 6F, but as of now, it's an AISIN made AISIN designed transmission.

comp386 · October 2006

I saw a message a while back that said the Camry was made by Union Workers. No Toyota assmebly plant (except possibly joint venture plants with GM) is union run. Then again, the Milan is also not union assembled. You're pretty much out of luck if you want a union made product when it comes to midsize sedans.

mschmal · November 2006

>I thought the 6-speed automatic transmission was a joint
>venture with GM?
>It is indeed a jooint venture as fas as design is
>concerned.
>It has however bieng manufactured by AISIN, which is a
>Toyota Affiliate.

This post is 100% false. The 6-speed in the Milan is Aisin sourced and is the same transmission in Avalon with unique programming.

The Milan transmission is in no way related to the GM-Ford joint venture tranny being introduced by Ford for the 07 model year in the Edge/MKX and MKZ.

Mark.

akirby · November 2006

The Milan transmission is in no way related to the GM-Ford joint venture tranny being introduced by Ford for the 07 model year in the Edge/MKX and MKZ.

Almost right. Unfortunately the MKZ still gets the Aisin tranny for some reason even though it gets the 3.5L engine. It will probably move to the 6F (joint venture) next year.

mschmal · November 2006

Opps, i spoke 2 soon.

MKZ continues with the AWF21 from Aisin.

Mark.

scape2 · November 2006

http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/08/autos/cr_most_reliable/index.htm

ivan_99 · November 2006

Do not know about Mercury Millan nor Camry, but I can tell you that the only car that actually lasts on rough roads is Toyota, followed by Nissan and somewhere far far away is Ford and any other american car.

Even though the information was not out at the time of this post...it's interesting that the Fusion is now rated MORE reliable than the Camry and Accord.

Fusion reliability

scape2 · November 2006

I'm telling ya, this information/news release is going to send the Camry/Accord legions into a fit! Especially after they paid thousands of dollars more for a pereceived quality/reliability advantage! :surprise:

akirby · November 2006

Yeah, but it's fun watching them try to explain it......

mschmal · November 2006

Personally i think the Fusion just looks amazing. 10 years from now I think it will still look good.

Mark.

mercurylover05 · December 2006

In my opinion both the Mercury Milan and Toyota Camry are nice cars but to me the Mercury Milan looks much better inside and out the Milans exterior design is sleeker and by far better looking the Camry looks like someone smashed it in the face with a baseball bat due to that stubby looking grille and since 2002 the Camry has always had that look. But to me the Milan looks more unique and personally i would rather stand out than blend in with the same old Camry and Accord and the Milan Offers features that the Camry doesn't like AWD (all wheel drive) and a 6 Speed Auto Transmission and L.E.D Taillights. But i have always been a Mercury Fan ever since i was a kid and no i am not 60 i am in my early 20s and I have not yet got a chance to drive a 07 Camry but about 2 weeks ago i drove a 07 Milan Premier V6 AWD and it was perfect that ride was excellent and it really hugs the curbs and me at 6'2 have plenty of head and leg room But the only flaw with the Mercury Milan is that it has the same interior/dash design the Fusion does and i think that Mercury should use different dash designs than Fords or at least use Lincolns because there more refined looking. Oh and another thing the Milan Premier V6 AWD is like only $26,500 and a 07 Camry XLE V6 is like $29,500 in my opinion go for the Mercury Stand out dont blend in with the rest ...

savetheland · December 2006

For me it always was a mystery why Mercury is incapable to come up with slightly more upscale interior that Ford. GM is able to do it - interior reflects brands mission. E.g. even though Malibu, G6 and Aura are essentially the same car, still interior in Aura is refined, in Malibu  plain vanilla and in G6 is sporty. Why Ford seems to have no clue when it comes to brand identity?

bv050506 · December 2006

The most recent addition of the Motor Trend Magazine honors the 2007 Toyota Camry as the car of the year. It is the best blend of all key areas of what someone would typically want in a a family sedan. Most notable; performance, handling, interior quality, mileage, fit and finish, and a superb powertrain with 6 speed. Now the Milan is a fine car, but is still lacking in several of these categories. You may not like the styling of the Camry, but many do. It's a lot more aggressive than prior years. It will sell many more units than Ford and Mercury, but unfortunately we won;t see any 0% financing on them, because they are selling and they don;t need to give incentives, the car sells itself. With the new MTM endorsement, they won't be dickering on them either. Enjoy the ride.

mschmal · December 2006

A Milan Premier V6 sells for about $2,000 LESS than a Toyota XLE 4 cylinder.

http://www.edmunds.com/apps/nvc/edmunds/VehicleComparison?op=0&tab=pricing&isbas- - ecar=false&modelid=&styleid=&refid=&maxvehicles=5&vehicleindex=&removestyle=&num- - Cars=2&just=center&disclaimer=false&modelId0=100516994&styleId0=100764367&modelI- - d1=100506010&styleId1=100699453

You enjoy your ride, I'll enjoy my $2,000, my 221hp, and the same 6 speed transmission that comes in the Avalon.

Oh and if you want to get really Bitchy, check out Consumer Reports Annual Auto issue. the 4 cylinder Toyota's reliability is WORSE than average...

In fact, in the 2006 J.D. Powers Vehicle Dependability Study, Mercury rated second after Lexus, Toyota was fourth after Buick and Cadillac.
How does that taste!

Mark.

mschmal · December 2006

I always feel empty after reading that rag.

Mark.

scape2 · December 2006

Isn't this they guy who figured out he paid $4,000 more for his Camry than for a like optioned Milan Premier?? :sick:

mercurylover05 · December 2006

I Totally Agree with you i mean i wouldn't think it would be that hard to make up a different dash design for Mercury than Ford its like you said if GM can do it for Saturn Buick and Pontiac you would think Ford could do it for Mercury just to make it look different from its Ford Cousin .. I wish Mercury would bring back interior like they used to have with the wood trims that actually looked real rather than some grey look plastic but i actually like the Satin trims on the dash looks good to me but i have always liked the wood better because Mercury is surpossed to be the Upscale Classy one Example Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego like the exterior style of Montego better but like the Five Hundreds interior better Cause Montego uses that cheap looking grey plastic wood and Ford uses the real looking wood just doesn't make any sense to me.. And it does not bother me that Mercury uses the same door and window designs that Ford does because Mercury is pretty much the same car but its supposed to be a Upscale Classy version of the Ford so the Exterior Similarities do not bother me but i really wish Ford would change Mercurys Interior style from the Ford ....

savetheland · December 2006

I attend sometime classic car events and found out
Mercury interiors from 60s to be pretty cool compared with Ford - looking like futuristic spaceship kind of cockpit.

ch3456 · December 2006

Personally, I don't put much faith into American cars, with the exception of some GM vehicles.

Mercury Milan is just a Ford Focus with a different name badge. Just like Taurus and Sable were. They were both discontinued. Hmm.

I'm a big fan of Camry myself. It has a good reputation and is getting better each year. I'd be too scared to try a brand new car (unless it's like Sable... which I admit was a pretty decent car for the older folks!

)

akirby · January 2007

Of course the Milan is just a Fusion with different styling. Think of it as a trim package. It exists to keep the Lincoln Mercury dealers in business but it also gives the consumer an alternative to the Fusion styling.

And if you think the Camry is getting better then you haven't been paying attention.

jeffyscott · January 2007

I think the ride is different, a bit softer in the mercury vs. Fusion. The steering feel is also much lighter in the mercury.

At least those were my impressions from test drives.

I am not sure why, but the seats also feel different to me.

scape2 · January 2007

"Personally, I don't put much faith into American cars, with the exception of some GM vehicles.

Mercury Milan is just a Ford Focus with a different name badge. Just like Taurus and Sable were. They were both discontinued. Hmm.

I'm a big fan of Camry myself. It has a good reputation and is getting better each year. I'd be too scared to try a brand new car (unless it's like Sable... which I admit was a pretty decent car for the older folks! )"

LOL! Please come into the new millenium. Car reliabitliy is up, way up across the board. Get out on the internet and do the research yourself. Sounds to me like your relying soley on the media and PAST bashing of Ford/GM products. Toyota has had its share of problems also. Get out on the net they are there. I guess you didn't hear about the introduction slip of the Camry and its transmission issues huh? The media has had a hayday with Ford/GM in the last 10-20 years, bashing and bashing away. When Toyota/Honda have an issue, you don't hear about it. Now, don't get me wrong, Ford/GM have had some quality issues in the PAST and the media isn't soley to blame. But the bias is rampant.
Take look at the reliability ratings over at MSN.com in their auto section. You will be pretty surprised on how reliable the Taurus/Sable actually are. Research before you come into a room claiming Ford/GM are still unreliable.

ivan_99 · January 2007

Mercury Milan is just a Ford Focus with a different name badge. Just like Taurus and Sable were. They were both discontinued. Hmm.

I think the Millan is based off the Mazda 6 platform not the Focus...which will be based of the Mazda 3 soon (think it already is in the European Focus)

I don't think there was any platform sharing between the old Taurus/Sable and the Focus...

akirby · January 2007

He meant Fusion, not Focus. The point was the Milan is a sister vehicle to the Fusion just like the Sable was to the Taurus.

ivan_99 · January 2007

ahh I see; makes sense.

mcdawgg · January 2007

"When Toyota/Honda have an issue, you don't hear about it. Now, don't get me wrong, Ford/GM have had some quality issues in the PAST and the media isn't soley to blame. But the bias is rampant."

That's funny, I hear about Honda and Toyota "issues", recalls, etc. all the time on TV, in newspapers, etc. In fact, I remember an article that was in the Wall Street about how Toyota was not happy about how many recalls they had recently, and what they were doing about it. I have not noticed any media bias, in MY opinion.

ivan_99 · January 2007

I agree with scape2. Unless you're reading a business periodical the only recalls I hear on the local evening news are for domestics.

Mercury Milan vs Toyota Camry

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles