Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
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
My lease is ending on my 98 Chevy Lumina LTZ, and while it's been a descent car, I would like to try Ford product. Have you 2000 Sable and Tarus owners been fairly happy with your vehicles? Please let me know your experiences. Thanks in advance!
I had only 55,000 miles with many annoying problems and quality issues and recalls. Plus many friends with more miles said there were many $$$ of repairs.
If you want a quality car good for almost zero repairs to 100,000 miles then BUY TOYOTA.
That's unrealistic considering the CRAP cars put up with
things like
neglect and being beaten on and not cared for
50,000 maybe---100,000 keep dreaming.
I just traded a 95 thunderbird that had 73k miles on it, all i did to it was a battery and a new blower fan for the a/c, but by 70k miles it needed a lot of attention. And I think that is better than average for most cars.
However, Toyotas may be the only cars than can do 100,000 without fuss.
I had previously owned an 89 Taurus SHO which still remains the most fun car I ever owned (thrill ride). My brother in law owned a 92 SHO (auto) and a couple years ago bought a 97 which I became quite familiar with and grew to like. i decided I really wanted the Yamaha motor again and coming off owning a v8 thunderbird and v8 buick I really wanted to stay with a v8 because my wife and i take many long trips and wanted a car with a strong durable motor (certainly not a 4 cyl. like in some Camrys Passats and Accords).
But I left open the chance of getting a 2000 Taurus only because of the new body style and interior updates so I delayed may purchase until the y2k's came out.
I narrowed out cars I really didn't want and was left basically with the Ford products. I decided to test drive these cars (because I wouldn't be caught slumming in an Impala or a Grand Prix and couldn't afford a Maxima)...
-99 SHO with as few miles as I could find
-New 99 Holdover Taurus or Sable with Duratec v6
-99 Contour SVT
-New 2000 Taurus
My budget was 20 grand +/-, and required leather, moonroof, abs and alum wheels min.
My first decision was that the Contour SVT was absolutely the best and most fun affordable car I had driven around this price range. Handling and power and sound of the motor were fabulous. If I was single I would've bought one. This car is a car for those who really loved the old orignal SHO's. They are 7/8 scale versions of those cars except faster, more refined, handle better. Alas they are smaller and the wife doesn't want a stick for the main traveling car. So we ruled it out even though its an incredible car.
Then I took out a 99 SHO and of course liked it a lot. V8 power, fabulous sound, large and comfortable car. Note: I really liked the style of the interior and exterior even though some folks thought it too ovoid. In the right colors.....this car can generate many compliments (and does). Of course, I wanted this car. Couldn't afford a new one though.
So I looked for good deals on the new 99's loaded up and with big rebates and good financing. I decided that the handling was nearly equal to the SHO and the v6 Duratec was a powertrain of very similar character. Very lively, nice sound. Yet I held off for the y2k taurus.
Then they arrived and I drove the y2k. I did like the exterior redo but now there was no "performance version" available. I thought the interior was a step too far in the conservative direction, although it is functional and tastefully done for an inexpensive car. I just thought the shapes and controls were not that exciting. I really prefered the oval, non cluttered monchromatic look of the 99 (in tan or light gray). The 99 feels airier and more spacious inside. Also the handling was softened and the sound of the motor was tuned down. Didn't like the 2000 near as much. So although my dad may prefer the 2000 more, I thought it was less of what I wanted than the 99.
So I snapped up a 99 SHO in green with tan leather and 6000 miles on it for right around 20 grand.
Figured I better get one while I still could. Of course now there is no more SHO.
I have not seen anything new in the press within the last month on a new SHO upcoming, but I did see one or two items previously.
I think Ford will bring back the SHO in 2001 or 2002, just a hunch. I think it will be an SVT vehicle, similar to the SVT Contour. The mods will be done here in the US and will most likely be a hopped up v6. It's too bad they have given up on the v8 with so much invested in it. It is truly a 5 star motor. Ford should have tweaked this v8 with variable valve timing and a manual transmission to get public interest going again.
And get people away from those fat SUV's. I see gas is over 2 bucks a gallon in some spots......
anyways, if I was a marketer for Ford here is what I would tell them to get ready for 2001....
A new updated Taurus SHO with the 2000 body plus ground effects, deeper fascia etc. This car would have the v8 motor of the 96-99 SHO except it would add variable valve timing and would be up around 275 hp. Manual 6 speed tranny and traction control would be standard. Auto tranny a no cost option. This car would also have a completely different dash, doors, and seats than the 2000. It could have seats like the SVT contour and a more driver oriented dash and shifter column. Keep this car under 30 grand and make a wagon version available. A Limited collector's version (cobra) would add a supercharger to get around 350 hp, stability control, 19 inch wheels, and all wheel drive for around 35k (Ford could use this car to develop an AWD drivetrain for other applications on the Taurus platform.
But Robnis we can hope. My bets are we'll see a new v6 SHO late 2001 or early 2002. May have to wait a bit. Pray for at least 250 hp.
Next Spring when my lease is over I will hate to part with it but really want a vehicle that will have traction control, heated seats, etc.
As I have reached the place in life where I want to reward myself, I am considering an I30 although it is a 1/2 second slower than the SHO time of 0-60, it has all the other amenities. I would consider the Aurora if it were not for the fact they lowered their warranty, beside it is a GM (if you know what I mean).
I can dream that Ford will bring out our car in the Spring again.
you know what I mean)."
Oh yeah, I know what you mean.
Time to head to the dealer for an "L".
My grandfather has a 1994 Taurus GL with only 26,000 miles on it. He was thinking about trading it in on a 2000 Taurus. We looked at some, but he just didn't get excited about them (although he's really conservative, and the last car he had that he REALLY liked the looks of was his '81 Granada).
Anyway, we talked him out of trading, convincing him that he didn't need a new car. It's just that he has been trading up every 3-4 years since 1950, and I guess it's hard to break old habits.
I'm a Chrysler man myself, so I don't know too much about Ford products. Are there any particular trouble spots from the '92-95 generation of Taurus? I know someone with a '93 wagon, who's tranny is about to go, but she's got about 100K miles on it now. At the rate my grandfather drives, he'll have 100K miles on his by the time it qualifies for historic plates.
I told him just to change the fluids fairly regularly, and check the tires, hoses, belts, etc for dry rot, and he should be fine.
Any other advice? Thanks! -Andre
Rotors can warp for a number of reasons. One of the most common nowadays is because they're too thin and lightweight and just damage easier. If you put on the lug nuts too tight, you'll warp the rotors. If you drive too "spiritedly" you can warp the rotors, too. This isn't just a Ford problem, though, it's a modern-car problem. I hear this problem come up on the Chrysler LH cars, too. On bigger, older cars, the rotors were bigger and heavier, and warping just wasn't as common.
-Andre
Harleybill
And women too.
But recently there was also a small war at this board between Chevy Impala owners and the Chevy Malibu ones. With awful slander: Malibu was compared to Chevy Cavalier.
They took the rubber off and tried to replace it TWICE but broke a metal part that helps hold it onto the door. The service manager is very much interested in learning how it was corrected.
Oh, "impalass3", your taste is truly in your mouth. The new Taurus is one of the best looking cars out there. It is outselling all other passenger cars this year. I'm a designer so I know a little bit about design.
I want to like GM, after all my family has been buying them since the dawn of time, but I haven't been a big fan of the mid sizes since they replaced the "real" Malibu with the Celebrity back in the early 80's. Ford and Chrysler have come a long way from those Fairmonts, Tempos, and K-cars of the early 80's, but GM has been wallowing with designs like the Celebrity, Citation, first generation Lumina, etc, that they have a long way to go to rebuild their reputation, in my book. And it's going to take more than that resurrected Bel Air/Biscayne/whatever (sorry, but Impalas should have 3 taillights) to change my mind. I might actually go with a Ford product next time around.
Look at the LS Forum, a prospective LS purchaser just asked about the LS in the snow, 1 reply so far. If you want to do some research on it back in a previous LS Forum part (around Jan- Feb) there were many posts on the LS in the snow, most (if not all) were surprised at how good the LS is in the snow. Remember it has nearly 50-50 weight balance and traction control. In addition their is a stability control option (Advance Track) that had receive very good comments in the car rags and more positive feedback in the LS Forum.
Now, about the rear doors....I'm very confused. Before taking my car in on 6/19, I discussed again with my service advisor exactly what they proposed to do. I was told it involved removing the molding and inserting a black caulking, the same thing that they had done to fix a Contour problem. I felt very uncomfortable with that because the doors on a Contour and a Taurus are completely different, and this fix had never been done to a Taurus before.
I went for a second opinion to another Ford dealer where I had purchased my last Taurus. The service advisor there told me the doors aren't supposed to be water tight, and the gap isn't a problem at all. He said not to have my dealer apply the sealer, because that would look like hell.
Now with opposite opinions, I called the Ford Customer Service center to tell me what Ford says to do. To my surprise and amazement I was told that Customer Service does not have the means to get technical info from the engineers or the manufacturing plants, but relies solely on the opinions of the dealers' service managers.
Therefore, I kept my appointment on the 19th, but only to show my car, and all the other new Tauruses on the dealer's lot, to the actual service manager (not the advisor). I said I did not want the caulking applied. I also showed him how the moldings on a 1999 Taurus were not cut so poorly and had a much better fit. His remedy, for now, is to order a new set of moldings which he will personally inspect when they come in to see if they're cut any better. If they're not, he's going to find out from a regional rep if ordering moldings for a previous year will work. I haven't heard back from him yet.
Now I'm nervous after hearing about the broken metal part on your door, as a result of removing the molding. What did they do for that?
To be continued.....
Barjon, my left rear door looks great! This dealership went way out their of their way to make me happy. I gave them a stack of postings from Edmunds and other places talking about the "gap". What they broke was only a metal piece that comes with the rubber, not anything on the door that would hurt anything.
If your service manager told you the doors aren't supposed to be waterproof, that's true - I was told that too, via the salesman. BUT, I told him to tell the service manager that HE didn't just pay over $20,000 for a car that I hope to have for 13-16 years! If the job was going to end up looking like hell, then they are not careful in how they use weatherstripping glue. I'm in the process of putting on new weatherstripping on my just repainted/repaired 1957 T-Bird. It is aggravating work and I could go the rest of my life and not miss doing that again. But, these guys get PAID to do careful, good work. This isn't something that you can slap-dash and move on.
Looking on their computer, Ford listed nothing concerning the "gap". I'm not sure how they found out what to do, but it looks as tight as a friend's '99 Taurus. The salesman said that Ford must have gotten a new vendor this year for the weatherstripping and their mold for that side was cast wrong. It sure looks that way. I showed the salesman all of the Tauruses on his lot and he showed the service manager.
If he's willing, he can contact Sheehy Ford in Springfield, VA. Keep me posted.
this car owes me nothing--
Just bot a 300M as my main vehicle, but use the taurus for mall runs and in bad weather. Taurus handles well in the snow and rain.
Taurus is a good value and looks great.
me are the Taurus and new Saturn L series. I found a Saturn forum and from
reading the posts, most of their complaints are fit and finish, not major
mechanical problems.
According to my rather limited research, the Taurus seems to have good days
and bad days. I recently drove a 2000 SES with the 24 valve V6. It seems
like a good value, roomy, and has plenty of power. Are there any options I
should consider or steer clear of? I did notice that there is a slight delay
when pressing the gas to the time the auto trans actually decides to engage.
Is this normal? Have they gotten the engine and transmission reliability
improved any? I am tired of continual transmission problems with my Chrysler
minivans and don't want to be stuck after 3yr/36000mi with a bucket of
problems on a 20k+ new vehicle. Do you think that Ford's extended warranty
is any good?
i fought them, explained that a warranty on a window sticker is a binding contract per the ohio attny generals office. they came off half the bill and i gave in. anybody have similar problems with warranties and/or frnt end noise. this problem is spookily similar to my 96 windstar...
As the owner of one Ford product ('98 Explorer XLT) and one Chevy ('00 Impala LS) I can say I've had far fewer (read: none) problems with the latter. Now I leave the Explorer to the wife and only drive it when I absolutely have to.
A buddy of mine is a salesman and puts a lot of miles on his Taurus, to which he has always been loyal. But after he came to visit me this spring, he wanted an Impala. Rides better, rides stronger, is roomier, and you can find your car in the parking lot instead of trying to figure out which of seventeen silver Tauruses is yours.
I agree that Impalas should have six taillights, three on each side; after all, that's what my dad's '70 had. But that's kind of a strange reason NOT to buy a car, isn't it? The 2000 Impala's taillights are still distinctive - and isn't that the point, that you could always spot an Impala a mile away because of the taillights?
Some of this board's comments about the Impala ("slumming," "$1.98 exterior") are offensive and grounded in little else but jealousy.