Taurus 500

[RonSteinbach]

Ford is going to rename the Five Hundred as a Taurus starting with the 2008 model due out this summer. See:

http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt_top.jsp?news_id=ap-d8n4eflg0&

Do you think this will help, hurt, or not affect sales of the Five Hundred?

What Ford needs is a high performance model called the Taurus 500. That would generate some excitement and draw buyers into the showroom.

[idrive]

they got a lot of backlash for dropping the taurus name...i think this is too little too late, i'd say do it with the mondeo, bring it here and call it a taurus

[WhereHaveYouBeen]

This is exactly like when you break up with your girlfriend.

She says she's going to go back to the way she was when you actually liked her and got along great, but she really will never be the same. She will never change even though she says she will, or says she has already changed. In fact, she has changed, but not for the better.

I'm sorry Ford. It's just not going to work out any longer. You can have time to pack your stuff and find a new place, but it's ultimately over between us.

...No we can not be friends.

[SukairainKupe]

This is exactly like when you break up with your girlfriend.

She says she's going to go back to the way she was when you actually liked her and got along great, but she really will never be the same. She will never change even though she says she will, or says she has already changed. In fact, she has changed, but not for the better.

I'm sorry Ford. It's just not going to work out any longer. You can have time to pack your stuff and find a new place, but it's ultimately over between us.

...No we can not be friends.



^LOL, great analogy.

[M_TYPE_X]

This is exactly like when you break up with your girlfriend.

She says she's going to go back to the way she was when you actually liked her and got along great, but she really will never be the same. She will never change even though she says she will, or says she has already changed. In fact, she has changed, but not for the better.

I'm sorry Ford. It's just not going to work out any longer. You can have time to pack your stuff and find a new place, but it's ultimately over between us.

...No we can not be friends.

If Mulally is in love, somebody get him a clean '86 model. Don't do stupid things renaming the lineup, especially when the Five Hundred is a large family car not like the Taurus.

[watamensch]

The New Ford Taurus... coming soon to a Hertz Rent-a-Car near you.

[RetAF]

The 500 might be a great car. I never rode in one, nor even heard one run! Its looks are somewhat dated, though. Looks like a well-kept 10-15 year old car. And what`s with the 3 Liter , 200 HP engine on a car that big? It must be like driving the Rock of Gibralter!:)

[SimpleS14]

I always thought the Fusion should be named Taurus and the Five Hundred named Crown Victoria....but that's just wishful thinking on my part.

[MikeSable]

Nothing FWD will ever bear the name Crown Victoria, as long as US Police departments need patrol cars, anyway.

As far as the Taurus deal...it will certainly help 500 sales (nothing could possibly hurt them). The target market (middle-aged types) often care more about names than the actual product. My mother, for example, is in love with her '89 Taurus (180,000+ on original everything) and was upset when they "stopped making them," since she wouldn't have another car to buy when that one died. Also, she doesn't like Japanese cars because she once owned a Toyota Corona that "had a rotten egg smell" from a bad cat.

This market will eat the "new" Taurus and Sable up.

[Not_Vin_Diesel]

I agree. There will be a lot of old Taurus owners that will flock back because of the name. Does that mean the Taurus/500 will go back to old-school Taurus sales numbers? No, the competition has gotten too good for that. However, sales will grow stronger. Especially on the Mercury side.

[UofMG35]

what`s with the 3 Liter , 200 HP engine on a car that big? It must be like driving the Rock of Gibralter!:)

From Car and Driver:

"the Ford Five Hundred is slated to get a Fusion-style, three-chrome-slat grille and a 260-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 for 2008."

No more 200 hp 3.0L.

[Madmaster]

Yes I would have assumed the Fusion should be renamed Taurus since the Fusion is more of a Camry/Altima/Accord competitor. Guess the fusion is too sporty to be a Taurus (SHO aside).

Wherehaveyoubeen, good analogy indeed lol.

[M_TYPE_X]

Yuck on the rebirth of the Mercury Sable.

[Not_Vin_Diesel]

Yes I would have assumed the Fusion should be renamed Taurus since the Fusion is more of a Camry/Altima/Accord competitor. Guess the fusion is too sporty to be a Taurus (SHO aside).

Wherehaveyoubeen, good analogy indeed lol.

Except in the Ford line-up, the Fusion is essentially playing the part that the Tempo/Contour used to play a la bigger than a Focus, smaller than a Taurus. It's a step up car for the buyer not yet saddled with family and need for high practicality.

[07G35S]

I hope they call it the "Taurus 500," cause then they'll have an automatic sponsor for a nascar race. :26:

[RobUSAF81]

They're just fessing up and finally calling it the piece of crap that it is, a freakin Ford Taurus

[joeB]

How do you know its junk?:)

[M_TYPE_X]

They're just fessing up and finally calling it the piece of crap that it is, a freakin Ford Taurus

What's wrong with it? I have not heard anything obvious. It's big and slow, and they are going to do something about it.

The chrome bar grille thing won't help...

[miata007]

I like the name Taurus but definately, the car needs to have stuffs to be able to compete agains the AAC (Accord, Altima, Camry). The closest things they have is the Mazda 6 Fusion. Got to get rid of those metallic grills though.

007

[hiwayman17]

While I don't think it is a terrible idea to revive the Taurus name for all the reasons given by Ford's new CEO, I can't help but think the Falcon name would be a better choice to bring back--on the Mondeo!

[MikeSable]

I think the Falcon name would be better to be brought back on, y'know, the present Falcon. RWD, I6-Turbo...

[SHIFT_6speeds]

Falocn cannot be used in the United States. Ford no longer owns the name in the states. It is copyrighted by a company other than ford.

What the Ford were they thinking?