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Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008

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Comments

  • nextmoonnextmoon Member Posts: 386
    Dow Jones Business News
    Ford to Replace Taurus With Model Based on Mazda
    Friday December 13, 12:45 am ET

    DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is developing a replacement for its aging Taurus midsize sedan -- once the best-selling car in America and an industry icon -- based on the new Mazda6 sedan from its Japanese affiliate, Mazda Motor Co., Friday's Wall Street Journal reported, citing executives.

    With its rounded styling and front-wheel drive, the original Taurus was a big hit and helped Ford out of deep financial trouble during the 1980s. But shifting tastes and unsuccessful recent designs have left the Taurus uncompetitive with newer models from Japan in recent years. Ford now sells more than half the Tauruses it builds to rental and other fleets. Toyota Motor Corp.'s Camry and Honda Motor Co.'s Accord now dominate at the top of the car-sales rankings.

    With foreign rivals now attacking their strongholds in the sport-utility- vehicle and pickup-truck markets, Ford and the other U.S. auto makers are trying to shore up their largely dated car lineups, often relying on foreign affiliates to do much of the work.

    Ford executives hope the Mazda-based cars, which are likely to hit the market by mid-decade, will be competitive with the Camry and Accord.

    By using the Mazda vehicle as a basis for its new model, Ford is hoping to save on engineering and parts costs through greater combined volume. Wall Street Journal Staff Reporter Norihiko Shirouzu contributed to this report.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Typical press Taurus story, but please see posts 1900 and 1901. Adding Taurus and Sable sales together, the Ford twins still are beating Camry and Honda. Many people including fleet buyers, must still see good value.

    Is Mazda6 built in Flat Rock Plant, where Ford and Mazda have shared manufacturing in the Past?
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    I rent cars at least twice a year from various companies including Hertz that is owned by Ford not once have I seen a dominance of Taurus's in any lot. There is always a mix, quite often with GM and Chrysler actually having more in the lot.

    Personal view, the vast quantities of Taurii being sold to fleets is pure bunk. All of the big three sell a lot of rental vehicles.

    No IMO Tarus sales are no more inflated by rentals than say Pontiac TransAM, or Dodge Stratus, or Chevy Malibu. Heck, even these days I see a lot of Civics, Camarys, and Maximas in the lots.
  • upsetter1upsetter1 Member Posts: 205
    BTW Mazda6 platform is sporty with wishbone front suspension and multilink rear suspension. Also Mazda6 features V6 Duratec with Mazda re-engineered head with variable valve timing. So it is not a bad choice.

    Mazda didn't want to use Mondeo platform, cause kinda why we great Japanese engineers have to use someone else platform (for those who don't know Mondeo platform is one of the best in industry and was developed by German engineers) we can develop our own platform better than Mondeo. Is it actually better or not is still a question, we will see soon. But another question is why Ford doesn't want to use its own Mondeo platform.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    good question...but why not just bring the mondeo over as is?

    i had heard the next taurus would be a volvo derivative chassis.

    the 6 chassis has awesome dynamics but lets hope the next taurus has much more headroom and rear seat room than the 6.
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    Today I took my Merc. Sable for schedule maintenance at the dealer's service department where they also took care of the latest recall. Brake pedal was moved over and nuts were retorqued.

    Car went in at 8 am and by noon time I picked it up. Service was inexpensive, quick and convenient. All around good experience.
    I've never been happy with dealer service departments until now.
  • phatbunsphatbuns Member Posts: 20
    My wife and daughter are nagging me to replace my old Merc. It's an original 1986 with 152,000 on it, only replaced the alternator, fuel pump and a couple suspension parts so far! It runs great, somebody please convince me to take the rebate and drop 20 grand on a new one...
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    This is a great time to buy a Sable or Taurus, Ford is offering generous cash incentives on left over 02's and 03's. Personally, I'd get a 2003.

    Good luck!
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    talk about denial. one of ford's goals with the latest redesign was to reduce sales to fleets. so much for that. the only reason these cars are considered to have any kind of value is because they sell at such huge discounts. in the next year or so GM will have a fleet of redesigned mid size car that are supposedly quite an improvement over their current cars. this will pretty much leave the taurus at the bottom alone. aren't there any taurus enthusiasts who are upset WITH ford for letting this car grow so long in the tooth. these cars are not competitive with makes from japan and in the case of the passat, germany and ford knows this.
  • ehaaseehaase Member Posts: 328
    I am not upset with Ford for letting the Taurus grow "long in the tooth," because I know that the Ford 500 will be out in less than two years and the Mazda 6 derived replacement will be out in about 3 years. Also, the redesigned Grand Prix, Regal, and Impala will only use updated versions of their current platforms, while the Ford 500 and Taurus replacement will use all new platforms. In addition, the Taurus is a good value for the money.
  • upsetter1upsetter1 Member Posts: 205
    It is a best time ever to buy a new car. Incentives never were so generous. And there are still new 2002 loaded premium Sables for 6,000 less MSRP. I have an old 1994 Taurus and can tell you that with Duratec engines it is much more refined and modern car than old Taurus, simply no comparisoin here, for increadibly low price. I would go for 2002 because you buy a new car for the price of used one.
  • upsetter1upsetter1 Member Posts: 205
    I think than GM simply don't have a clue how to build good modern cars. They still continue to use pushrods all around and their new Vectra platform is not good enough to compete with Mondeo and Mazda6 (yeah Ford now has two new excelent platforms for new Taurus or Mercury). GM interior quality is not up to modern standarts too and they still cannot get an idea what folks in 21 century like good designewd interior made from high quality materials. So beating GM again after new Taurus and 500 arrive will be piece of cake.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    I had a '90 Taurus for ten years and it was an excellent car, in my opinion.

    The current generation is much improved over that one and over your '86.

    I would go with the Duratec if you like a little more boost, and I understand the Duratec is a bit smoother as well.

    Depending on how you equip it, you can get a base Taurus brand new for maybe a little over $15K, and should be able to buy a very well equipped one for well under $20K.

    Venus537, no denial going on here. I read the reviews of the competition. I have not driven the competition recently, ie Camry, Accord, Passat, Altima, but I am sure they are very good cars, and likely deserve their good reviews. I still think that Taurus is one of the better bargains out there, and I personally don't care how many fleet sales Taurus has. The Taurus basic redesign in 96 upgraded the structure of the car to one of the most rigid around, and the improvements implemented at the 2000 model year much improved the suspension, transmission smoothness, interior quietness and quality to a point where it definitely will satisfy a majority of the family size sedan market and not flatten your wallet.
  • ohio7ohio7 Member Posts: 67
    You must have missed my 1900 post. Is it so hard for you to understand that we Taurus/Sable owners don't give a rip about other more expensive cars. If we wanted to unload a ton of money on a car, we would. But why, when we can get everything we want at a decent price, including style, which is primo important for me. I'd never drive a butt-ugly Volvo or Saab. As long as those Ford cars are selling who cars where they go. As a matter of fact I rented a 2000 Taurus for 3 weeks in May 2000 and the next month I decided that now was the time to buy. I didn't want to give that car up so I bought one - same color, too. Toreador Red.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    I forgot to comment on one of your statements

    "the only reason these cars are considered to have any kind of value is because they sell at such huge discounts"

    Duh....

    My point exactly. Tauri sell at large discounts which is exactly part of the reason they are a good value. I prefer to keep my money in my pocket, not the dealer's or for that matter the manufacturer's. If the dealers and Ford are willing to discount, why should I not take advantage and get a good deal?
  • tuff2plztuff2plz Member Posts: 1
    "My point exactly. Tauri sell at large discounts which is exactly part of the reason they are a good value."

    RIGHT ON BADGERFAN!!

    I test drove a new 2002 SES, 24V, Loaded out last night. The window sticker was around $23,000 and I was quoted a sale price of $18,500. Now try and go into a Japanese dealership and get the same type of discount.

    I'm not going to buy a new Taurus but will find a used one for even more savings. Typically you can buy a year old car with under 20K, loaded out for around $15,000.

    By the way - I've own a lot of Fords and I sold Fords for 3 years in the late 80's and early 90's. THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR TO BUY A NEW CAR OF ANY KIND IS DECEMBER 24TH. You can shoot a cannon through most dealerships and not hit a customer on that day. The sales managers will opt for just about any sane price you name. They have to answer to the dealership owners if they don't get at least a respectable sale count for the day. Don't wait until after Christmas because (oddly enough) the week between Christmas and New Years is crazy with buyers. The reason for that is that a lot of people get Christmas bonuses and also there are a lot of people that want to buy a car in the current year to depreciate it out (if they use it for business).
  • phatbunsphatbuns Member Posts: 20
    Thanks for all the input, I am close to retiring the beloved old beast.
    I test drove an '02 wagon with traction control in the snow the other day (big fun, but THE BRAKES...

    My question - is that spongy brake feel normal? Are they all like that? If I squeezed it I could get the anti-locks on, but I felt like I was sinking through the floor!
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    I do not notice that the brakes on my 2000 Taurus sedan are particularly spongy. I would test another sample. I believe the wagons have rear discs while the sedans have rear drums. Could be the wagon brakes feel different. Try another wagon and compare to a sedan also and see how they feel.
  • phatbunsphatbuns Member Posts: 20
    Just drove an '02 sedan in shadow grey - it was a beautiful car. The brakes (and everything else)were fine. Selling for 17K loaded. I was sure tempted, I'll tell ya...
  • fdthirdfdthird Member Posts: 352
    Go for it my friend! We love our 2001 SEL!!!!
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    What was the model and what engine and what was the MSRP of the Taurus sedan you could get for $17K?
  • phatbunsphatbuns Member Posts: 20
    Loaded, 24V Duratech, moonroof, leather, ABS. List is 23045.
  • upsetter1upsetter1 Member Posts: 205
    A good price. Probably prices are even lower than in september. I bought similar '02 Sable with MSRP about 23,700 (may have more options) for 18,700 (with all taxes it was 20,700) three monthes ago. I got already 5,000 miles and oil change (with synthetic blend 5W20)and I am happy with the car - well executed and fun to drive fast, isn't your dads oldstyle pushrod. Accelerates from 70 mph up really fast, revving happily and is comfortable and quiet on the freeway. Yeah it provokes speeding and you don't notice it, just leaving traffic behind you.
  • clnutbrclnutbr Member Posts: 3
    I own a 3.5 year old Mercury LS "Touring Sedan". The "Touring Sedan" was part of a national promotion which included ABS, leather and moonroof for about $19,000 in April, 1999.

    I was attracted to the car for its safety ratings and overall value. Even today, ABS, leather, moonroof, automatic climate control, wood accents, are found only in cars starting in the mid $20s and higher.

    I'm approaching 50,000 miles and have had no problems. The Duratec engine is powerful and smooth and the 4 speed automatic is works well, if just a bit rough at times.

    The fit and finish has always impressed me and I prefer the interior materials to that of similar Accords or Camry's.

    My wife has driven the car around town and we take most long trips in it. Eight, nine, and ten hours on the road and the car just wisps along and keeps us comfortable. I look forward to the day when we buy my wife a new car and the Sable rounds out its life with me commuting 100+ miles a day.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Really excellent prices to be had for loaded Taurus/Sables these days. I haven't really seen many posts in Edmunds with anyone having significant problems with the current generation 2000+ Tauri and Sables either. $17K to $18K for loaded Taurus/Sables with the Duratec V-6 is very good.

    Hard to imagine people paying that much and more for a 4 cyl Camry with less bells and whistles as well.

    The downside, of course is that the struggling economy is forcing down prices on new cars. Unemployed people or people fearing potential unemployment are not likely to buy at any price.
  • bcbjr420bcbjr420 Member Posts: 3
    Just purchased a new '02 Sable LS Premium sedan for $16,999 (Champion Lincoln Mercury - Brockton, MA). MSRP was $23,145. $4,000 rebate available until 1/6/03. Amenities too numerous to list including leather and moon roof as a N/C options. Really love it.....a real pleasure to drive. A lot of car for the money, IMHO.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    $6,000+ discount. just an illustration of how unwanted these cars are at the retail level. i could sell my 2002 jetta (similar MSRP, purchased last april) for more than $17k. great news for those in the market for a new taurus/sable though.
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    In Ohio they are/were selling Taurus SES with the Duratec that lists at 22,930 for $6,000 off of list price. The dealers were selling any Taurus in stock with that discount.

    Also, in this sales region the SES comes with leather and a moonroof for no charge. That's $16,930. My good friend almost bought one, but he decided to keep his 93 Jeep Cherokee with 130,000 miles a couple of more years.
  • upsetter1upsetter1 Member Posts: 205
    Sable Premium is a better vehicle than Jetta and is more reliable too. People are not stupid though. The reason I think is that there is oversupply of these vehicles and Ford is selling too much to fleets. If there were so many almost new Jettas out of rent or fleets the price would be much lower. Compare the price of used Camry that has excelent powerplant and quality and its reselling value isn't so great, because you can get a lot of Camries with 20,000 miles from Hertz.
  • atcersatcers Member Posts: 26
    Go and actually put your Jetta up for sale and see if you can get $17k for it!!! Just because Edmunds or NADA values it at $17k doesn't mean you will actually get that price. Don't give us one of those, "well my buddy at work offered me $17k for my car"! Go search e-bay motors for VW's and see the pathetic prices. It's not just Ford that is struggling with the market value of their vehicles. Pity the poor seller of a used vehicle in the present market!!!
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    the sable is more reliable. i'll give you that. thankfully my particular car has been trouble free so far. better car? well the sable has more room.

    atcers: i would get MORE than $17K. then again, maybe one wouldn't be able to get a $6k discount on a sable in my area either.
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    I agree on the resale value issue. Nearly every car's resale is horrible anymore - new car incentives are flooding the market with late model used cars.

    Honda's, Toyota's, etc. are not immune to it either. VW's as well.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Taurus and Sable combined sales make them the best selling car in the US. If you lumped both Taurus and Sable sales together, no sedan has yet to beat their volume since their introduction in the late 80's. To me, that doesn't translate into them being "unwanted vehicles".

    Yes you can rant on about a lot of these vehicles going into fleets, but again I say, so what? If you build cars, why wouldn't you exploit every possible customer base? You have got to realize that Ford has two plants,in Chicago and Atlanta, able to produce these cars in high volume. Due to union contracts, it is more expensive for them to shut the plants down than to keep producing. Thus you see the great pricing and incentives available and Ford's willingness to sell to fleets. Yes, this situation may squeeze Ford's profitability, but does not necessarily mean there is lack of demand, just an axcess of manufacturing capacity. Just look at all the manufacturers trying to grab a piece of the US market these days. It is very difficult for any manufacturer to obtain really substantial volume to support two full assembly plants.

    I guarantee you if Honda or Toyota had the manufacturing capacity in the US for Accord and Camry that Ford does for Taurus/Sable, you would likely be seeing them pushing more incentives as well.

    Venus537, what did you pay new for your 2002 Jetta and what was the MSRP? If you spent over $20k, I personally cannot see spending that much for a Jetta, which while a nice car, is not really in the same size/classification as a Taurus. It is actually closer to a Focus. Jetta back seat capacity is probably even smaller than a Focus.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    true, the jetta is not in the same size classification as the taurus. but the quality and engineering of this car puts it in a different league than the taurus.
  • bcbjr420bcbjr420 Member Posts: 3
    If you go to Consumers Reports and compare the Jetta Vs. Sable history up through 2002 you will see that the Sable is in fact a better quality car. And the reliability rating of the Sable is also superior to the Jetta. My friend has a 2001 Jetta and he was amazed at the quality, workmanship and amenities in my 1 week old 2002 leftover Sable LS Premium.
  • phatbunsphatbuns Member Posts: 20
    You can't really compare Sables to Jettas. Sables compete with Passat, Camry and Accord. And, VW just doesn't measure up to the Japanese, so you give up the reliability advantage, which is the only traditional reason to buy the Camry or Accord, but if something breaks on the Japanese car, you're gonna get soaked on the repair. To load them like the Sable LS Touring, you're gonna pay $30K. By the way, I bailed on the new car altogether and got a '96 Taurus wagon with 80K on it for close to TMV. Call me cheap! I'll keep $4K in case the motor falls out, and use the other $11K to go skiing.
  • plainluckyplainlucky Member Posts: 4
    I've just read a bunch of postings regarding Sables. I'm on my second Sable, 2000 LS Premium, and I'm as delighted with it as the first I had which was a '97.

    The postings quarrel about resale values, better cars, top selling cars, etc. Can't we just be happy with the car we drive, assuming it gives us good value, a minimum of problems, and a very fair amount of comfort?

    I'd drive a Blitzmobile if it met the above criteria. Since Blitz's aren't manufactured on planet Earth, I opted for a Sable - not once, but twice. A car that stays out of the shop and on the road is worth its weight in gold, (well, almost!), and this is the reason I bought a second Sable - the first never casting its shadow in a dealer's garage from the day I bought it. My 2000 seems to be going the same way.

    One can think of many other reasons not to buy a car, (not top selling, bad resale, poor radio knobs, etc.,etc.), but when the car you do pick suddenly hits the dealer's repair shop for two or three days, many of these reasons suddenly become superfluous, especially if you're bumming rides from friends or relatives, taking cabs, or blowing $40 a day on a rental car.

    Pick the car that stays on the road, doesn't give you a slipped disc, and doesn't pig out at the gas pumps. Yes, there are cars other than Sable that do this, yet I haven't found the need to look for one of these. In other words, I'm happy, and all this other rehtoric is just lip service - which it quite different than the dealer service which often sends chills up your spine, often giving way to great inconvenience and nightmares. If you have a good car - be happy - don't sweat the small stuff !
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    "And, VW just doesn't measure up to the Japanese, so you give up the reliability advantage, which is the only traditional reason to buy the Camry or Accord..."

    people who do buy camrys and accords over tauruses do it for more than just reliability.

    bcbjr420: i just checked my april 2002 issue of consumer reports and the jetta is rated higher than the taurus (car rating section, not reliability). this is just my foolish opinion, but i think it's laughable that one would think the taurus/sable is of higher quality. the taurus/sable does a much better job as a family sedan though. it's torture for adults sitting in my back seat.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    I think we happy Taurus owners and you will just have to agree to disagree.

    First, your Jetta is not in the same car classification as a Taurus. If you want to compare a VW midsize non-luxury (ie affordable for the average Joe) family car, then you should be comparing Passat with Taurus, not Jetta, and you will be paying much, much more for the equivalent Passat.

    Second, yes Accords and Camrys and maybe even Passats are good cars, and most of us in this discussion are not saying they are bad (even though Camry seems to have slipped some on the reliability front with its latest generation and VW seems to have a spotty reliability record these days).

    Third, yes people buy certain cars for a lot of reasons, some of which are perceived quality and reliability, styling, performance, price, snob appeal, mileage and probably a for a lot of other tangible and intangible reasons. Two of these, perceived quality and reliability which seems to receive a lot of emphasis when it comes to family size sedans these days, does not necessarily correlate with actual quality and reliability, especially when one looks at the initial price differential between Taurus and its "higher quality" competitors.

    So, what exactly is your beef with Taurus, or are you just trying to bait the people who happen to really like their Tauri? Have you even driven one lately? You may be very surprised at what you are missing.
  • driverberndriverbern Member Posts: 23
    I have two Tauri. One, a '96, has 143,000 miles on it and has had few repairs. I did just put a starter in in for $250. It's the 140 hp 6. I also have an '02(200 hp)with 54,000 miles. I did have to get a new front stabilizer bar link a month ago and my heater blower fan also died. That was $640 total. While that sounds like a lot, I had two Bonnevilles in between the Ford's and the repairs were more frequent and much more costly. The only minor complaint that I have is the gas mileage. I do considerable interstate driving and can't seem to get over 29 mpg. The Bonnevilles got 30 plus.
  • upsetter1upsetter1 Member Posts: 205
    Actually Sable is a well built car. If you knew how simple is its design and how good and smooth it rides you will agree that engineering is realy good. Though it doesn't apply to ineffective Vulcan engine, that shouldn't be used in modern car in the first place.

    Both Golf and Taurus platform getting long in the tooth but still hold very well against competition. BTW Bora/Golf (German names of Jetta) are kinda German Taurus/Sable and sales of Golf are slipping in Germany because of aging platform, just like Taurus in USA. Gold loosing it to Peugot 306.

    The difference is that in America we get bigger and more comfortable car for the same price. Interior of Sable is pretty good in my opinion, material are of high quality. Though there is thing like german wormanship, but it is more a cultural thing. You cannot get the same workmanship for the same price in the car that is two notches up (actually Taurus/Sable is in midclass, or D-class in Europe, and Passat is C class, or compact). Okay let me explain, A class is subcompact, kind of Lupo or Fiesta, B class is Focus, Golf, Corolla; C class is Mondeo, Passat, A4, Vectra, Toyota Avensis; D class is Scorpio, Omega/Catera, Camry, Audi A6 and etc, VW has nothing to offer in D class, it is actually considered as a luxury class in Europe; E class is A8, BMW 7 series and etc. Most popular massproduction class in Europe is B class, and in USA is D class.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    as usual, you make some good points. my beef is with ford for not updating this car for the longest time. i'll be checking out the taurus at the local (Madison) car show in a week and a half.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    not quite sure if i'm following you correctly, but small cars don't necessary mean inferior workmanship. the jetta would be a perfect example of this for it has exemplary workmanship (at the same level as the passat) and i'm sorry and don't intend to flame anyone here, but the taurus is not at the same level in this regard.

    my top candidate for my next car is the mazda 6 and i could be part of the ford family in a indirect sort a way.
  • upsetter1upsetter1 Member Posts: 205
    Yeah, but it costs more. Focus is less upscale car than Jetta and costs way less, though they are in the same class. Audi A3 is even more upscale than Golf, they based on the same platform. So for workmanship (actually more expensive manufacturing processes) you have to pay more. Generally VW is more upscale than Ford even in Europe. But Ford models has better handling than VW (compare Focus with Golf and Mondeo with Passat). On the other side VW's good handling brand is Audi. But it is not as affordable as Ford.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    "Focus is less upscale car than Jetta and costs way less, though they are in the same class"

    this is getting way off topic. true, they are in the same size class but as you say, the jetta is more (i say way more) upscale and should cost more. stuff like standard side and curtain air bags, standard 4 wheel disc brakes, available 200hp v6 engine, available 5 speed auto w/tiptronic and an interior decor of a car costing twice as much will do that.

    i will no longer talk about the jetta in this topic and thank everybody for their patience.
  • edmund2460edmund2460 Member Posts: 293
    I look in here once in a while and it is strange that for a best (maybe once) selling car there are not many posters here. That may be good or bad, but it means you don't get a true perspective. For the people who feel happy about saving so much money by buying T/S instead of A/C, I say wait till you get to 100K at least on the Odo. In my experience these cars are decent in the early years. Now that I'm older I see merit in looking at car purchases from an economic viewpoint, so I admire phatbuns decision. I think he took the right tack. I don't think the Taurus and Sable are as good as the Japanese competition or will ever be. But it satisfies the basic requirements of a family sedan and if you can get it a good discount then go for it. BTW, why do you think Detroit is offering incentives for their cars and have to in order to sell them. The incentives are equal to the loss in residuals or directly related to the high depreciation.
  • tjdeperetjdepere Member Posts: 4
    why are American auto's offered at discounts? Well,union contracts set that when member laid-off still receives 90% of their income. The crunch to the ROI is painful but not as intense as if no revenue coming in. Discounts provoke sales. Foreign manufactures have similar situations in their home territory. For that reason they have come here and also survive discounting their product, We now as consumers are addicted to discount so we get them.
  • atcersatcers Member Posts: 26
    Not to beat a dead horse here Venus, but according to Edmunds website you would have to had purchased a VR6 type Jetta to have a vehicle with a resale of $17k plus. You are talking VR6 Jetta here aren't you? You can't honestly compare the 2.0L 4 cylinder Jetta to a Taurus. My wife hade a 97 Cabrio with the buzzing sewing machine like 2.0L and the snap your neck with each shift automatic. Honestly it was a nice car but the automatic with the underpowered 2.0L left much to be desired. Like I said earlier, you may think you can get $17k for your car but until someone actually lays down cash you are looking for offers!!! Could a $17K resale Jetta be the same model that sold for a $27K MSRP and now has a one year old book value of $20K? OUCH!!! Now you thought Ford had a poor resale value! What I find way more interesting is why a VW owner is on a Taurus/Sable board?
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Taurus was "updated" in 2000 model year, which is certainly not that long ago. Yes, this was not a complete redesign, but if you really look into almost all "redesigns" by all the competition you will find, under the obvious sheet metal and interior changes, that most of the major components-engine, transmissions, suspensions, etc, are very rarely completely redesigned on a new model, they are usually "tweaked". And, there is nothing wrong with that approach. That is exactly what Ford did in 2000. Many components were tweaked to make in total some pretty remarkable improvements in ride, quietness, shift smoothness, etc, interior creature comforts, etc, especially with the Duratec engine/transmission combo.

    You really have to drive one for an extended period of time to appreciate it for what it is, a very reasonably priced comfortable, quiet, reliable. spacious and decently handling car built on a very rigid platform. And, you won't get that just by looking at it and sitting in it at a car show, by the way.

    Even Consumer Reports, in their 2003 separate new car issue, which came on the stands about a month ago, gave it at least grudging praise saying it was a good car among a group (in this size classification) of excellent cars. Reliability is near or equal to the competition. And, though CR never actually uses out the door buy prices as a rating factor, if they did they would rate Taurus tops in that factor, just like Edmunds did when they compared 2000 family sedans. Just check out that comparison sometime. In that rating, Taurus came in third our of ten, just a hair behind Passat and the previous generation Accord.

    Edmund2460, I believe the reason there are not a lot of posters here is for several reasons. Taurus is really a bread and butter car, which the enthusiasts who are more likely to post in this site are not all that interested in. Additionally, if you read back the last 8-12 months, you will see very few people posting about significant problems with the current gen Taurus. This is a good sign, but also means the quantity of people posting is low. Contrast that with Accord, Camry, and yes Jetta boards where there are numerous postings about unresolved rattles in all three models, the Toyota sludge issue, Honda Accord V-6 automatic transmission problems, etc. Nothing like a problem, perceived or real, to get a lot of people posting. These kind of issues, I believe are really not present with the current generation Taurus/Sable. Also, some of Edmunds discussions are distorted by a few posters who post a lot of times. How else do you explain the great volumes in the Olds Intrigue discussion-a car that is no longer even being built?
  • sculldog33sculldog33 Member Posts: 19
    I'd agree with Badgerfan on this. I have a 2000 Sable LS, purchased for 1000's less than comparably equipped Accords and Camry's, and have been very happy with it. Almost 2 1/2 yrs in and zero repair issues beyond two minor recalls. My annual mileage is very low, so I will be able to keep this car 10-11 yrs and still be below 100K, will then sell it/donate it.

    I live in a busy urban environment, and never get the chance to truly enjoy driving on deserted twisty roads or empty highways. No matter when or where I drive, there is always traffic, so a more powerful engine, faster 0-60, or better handling is really a non-issue since it's hard to find a place to take advantage of what I already have! (Try driving to Maine or New Hampshire on a weekend from Boston and you're in bumper to bumper traffic for miles.)

    So the car is fairly responsive with the 200hp V6, has lots of nice bells and whistles (leather, auto climate, sunroof, CD changer, power everything) to keep me interested and amused, is considerably bigger and perhaps a little safer than many of the alternatives out there, and offers a comfortable ride, at a much much lower price. Reliability to date has been fine, and it would take some pretty horrific repairs to match the price savings I achieved over the foreign makers. (eg: as much as 5-7K)

    With so-called "entry level" cars like the Focus, Toyota Matrix, Civic, Corolla and the like costing 16K or more, the Sable at about 18-19K loaded to the gills is a steal.

    I agree that the Camry is a better car, particularly for a high mileage driver, but the top of the line Camry V6, with similar options as the Sable LS, is in the high 20's. (for example, the sunroof is an 800+ option on the Camry, standard on the Sable.) I'm not sure what price one places on "peace of mind", but they are certainly charging a high one!
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