Taurus & Sable: A revolution, but nothing lasts forever
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- čas přidán 10. 05. 2024
- Welcome to Auto Chatter! Todays video is about the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. These similar sedans was the gamble of the 80's for Ford to bring the company back to profitabilty! This dynamic duo enjoyed some record sales to be proud of at one point, and their tale is worth telling!
Link to Antique Tags Ford 500 video!
• The 2005-2007 Ford Fiv... - Auta a dopravní prostředky
The original "Blobmobiles" 🙄 But they were good cars and modern ones at the start, which is exactly what Ford needed as they were behind the times before these came along. That look was kind of polarizing; you either thought it was OK or you hated it, but everyone else was 'rounding off' their styling too so it did gain acceptance. Personally, I never cared for the look but I like it better than today's overly angular styling which to me looks like a schizophrenic bipolar child's exercise in extreme geometry shapes🤮 Ford did carry the look further than anyone else with everything everywhere being rounded off. Other than the SVO's there was nothing really exciting about them, but most people don't need exciting cars; just good reliable ones. They were also spacious and comfortable compared to smaller cars, some of which felt cramped to the rear passengers, and something only matched by "large" cars today.
Some folks may be derisive of fleet sales but cars which do well there are cheap and reliable which means they're at least pretty good cars as that business can't afford bad cars. Maybe that's why the CC's for this vid often call it "Tourist" instead of "Taurus" 🤣These may be Ford's 'last hurrah' for cars which were fading away as SUV's took over. Ford did stretch them out for as long as they could until nobody was buying them anymore; maybe a good business decision for the books but not a good approach for marketing where people like something new after awhile. IMHO that was a death wish for the Mercury division which by now had lost all of it's brand identity except for tacked-on trim pieces. The only reason to buy a Sable was to be a bit different than your Taurus-owning neighbors, and any other car can do that for you equally well. And in that approach, Ford allowed the Japanese cars with their newer models, more frequent styling changes, and better technology to overtake them in the market. That's the same thing which killed AMC, which should have been obvious to Ford 😕Or maybe they saw the writing on the wall for cars and decided to make this their last endeavor in that part of the market. Maybe they could have gone one more round with something newer- after all we still have mid-sized cars doing OK in sales.
You still see these on the roads, but they are disappearing as part of the 'disposable car' era we have today where there's no point in spending a lot on major repairs for a car which essentially has no market value left in it, and which isn't going to last long enough to warrant the investment. But generally today's cars do tend to last longer between major repairs with some glaring exceptions like some Kia and Eco-Tech engines and some Ford and Jatco CVT transmissions. I feel like the whole world is now in a race to the bottom with everyone going for cheaper aiming for the most minimum of specs instead of trying to do their best. Even many expensive high-end cars are now fraught with expensive problems by design. The Taurus and Sable didn't have these kinds of problems, indeed they were good cars by design and thus a good value for those who bought them (even if they did look like "blobs") 😛
I think a big issue with the SHO was it looked TOO much like a sleeper. The average Joe didn't see one as much different from a regular Taurus...But it cost a third more.
@@autochatter I think you're right. Most who want a performance car want it to look like a performance car, not a sleeper. Ford did make some fast cars during the era which were good for embarrassing drivers of expensive European cars with.
For that era when the Taurus SHO came out, auto enthusiasts liked it for the sporty 4 door sedan. It was a breath of fresh air in the sedan market, especially again for people who liked sportier sedans.😎
90/95 Taurus/Sable was tight. It’s a shame the Big 3 can’t make anything affordable and good now.
Taurus cars weren't very mechanically different until 07. The pushrod engine was virtually the same all the way through minus some minor tweaks adding up to a tad more power/economy. The AX4N in the 07 was also nearly the same as the AX4N in the 94. The duratec had a slight redesign for added durability but was also very much the same engine 96-07. The car just didn't grow with American standards as we fell in love with the crossover.
In the late 80's early 90's Mercury was going to bring out the Sable LTS, a similar variant to the Taurus SHO with the Yamaha engine and a 5 speed manual. But it never came into existence. I saw an episode on Motorweek when they did a review on the first gen Taurus SHO and they showed a preview of it could have been a Mercury Sable LTS 35 years ago. That would have been the coolest Sable Luxury Touring Sedan at the time.
Yeah...I saw that too. Didn't mention it as the regular SHO wasn't exactly a hot seller, so a Mercury version would have had no shot. There was also a Canadian company that made some alluminum bodied Sables that were lighter with SHO engines.
As a millennial raised around GM W-bodies (a 1996 Lumina among others) and currently still daily driving a 2007 W-car I've always kinda marveled at how the Ford Taurus was initially the better product that Ford made progressively kinda worse (the 2nd gen was nice tho) while the initially tepid W-body became an almost great car post 1997. Particularly when paired with the GM 3800.
Yeah...I can see that!
My mom had an 88 Taurus sedan with the upgraded V6. It had some novel features such as oscillating headrests and a lidded cubby in the rear parcel shelf. We kept travel games in the cubby and they ended up warping due to the sun.
You know that cubby got 🔥!
I had an 07 Taurus that still ran like a top when I traded it in with 165K miles but the rust was eating it alive!!
Almost missed this one. I like what you do with these lost American beauties. Thank you for this posting!
Thank you!
It’s like you’re in my life the moment I get a 2002 Ford Taurus you post a video
Well....I paid alot for this deluxe eavesdropping package. I think your Amazon delivery is at the door, and don't forget to call Fred back. 😉
Your voice is so comforting. My aunt had a 2nd gen Taurus in silver and it was brand new. I thought it was the coolest thing as a lil kid, I remember that new car smell it had. Great vid!
You are not the first to say that, so maybe I should be doing anger management vids instead? Thank you for the praise and sharing that childhood memory!
I remember when they came out. Nothing looked like them. Mom had a 4 door, 4 cylinder Taurus. Plenty of room for 4 kids.
Yeah..The closest thing may have been a Audi 5000.
My mom had a 2007 that she brought as a company car. It always smelled of burning coolant and cheap plastic. Blew the head gasket at 75,000 miles. The seats were really nice though, especially for cloth
Disappointing. You would think by then, the powertrain would have been pretty bulletproof.
Great chatter. If I could choose 3 variants it would be a 1993 SHO and 1999 SHO. I thought those Yamaha engines were cool, especially the 3.4-liter. The other variant would be a 96-99 Sable. I like how that gens earlier model had an illuminated Mercury logo, kinda as a way to transition from the previous lightbar.
Thanks for the mention too!
Glad you liked it Rob! Felt like a good stopping point right to where you started LOL.
The electric windshield de-ice option was really neat. Sadly it didn’t stick around long as I guess it was very expensive and didn’t get many orders. I know it was also available on the Crown Victoria for a few years as I had a friend who had one with that option. I had a 2001 Taurus with the 24 Valve DOHC V6 and four speed automatic and that car would really go. It had a lot more pep than the standard 3.0 Vulcan V6 which I had in a 2005 Taurus.
@ChadQuick270W I'm in South Florida....What is this "ice" You speak of? LOL. Yeah..I had a Subaru with a system like that..Used it once when I took a trip North. I think the transmissions held up better with the less powerful v6.
@@autochatter lately here in Louisville Kentucky we’ve been in a heat wave with very humid weather so it feels like south Florida lol
@@ChadQuick270W That part of the country seems to get serious extremes hot and cold!
Love our 1994 Taurus and our 2oo4 Sable
Sweet!
never knew anyone who had a Taurus though my dad's Friend Jack drives a 2009 Mercury Sable LS 09 was the last year of the Sable after 23 years of production and around 3 million units sold not bad
09 Sables are rare! Like 6200 sold that year.
Great video! So much nostalgia remembering these cars, lots of good times!
I like the shout-out to Antique Tags! That was indeed a great video and channel overall!
Rob deserves it! Thank you!
24:59 - Nice fellowship
Well, Rob is awesome and this vid was going long, so it made sense.
I had an 88 and a 95 Tarus .absolutely great cars I wish they still made them . The transmissions were there weak point . Ford just cheated out . $200 more spent on the 4 speed auto would have made them world beaters . Thus is the history of Ford
@johnasbury4997 Yeah...They had problems with them in the heavier Windstar and Freestar vans later too..
hey! I just wanted to say thank you for your videos.
Thank you for taking a minute to let me know! I really appreciate it.
I bought my Taurus GL in 1988 and it was a very comfortable ride. Had it up until the engine practically died on me in 1998. I wish I still had it with me.
10 year run wasn't bad then!
My friend's dad bought the first gen Mercury Sable and I was so amazed on the roomy interior, nice ride and handling back then compared to a lot of the other cars that were out in the 80s.
Yeah, it was crazy how futuristic they looked, but they also seemed to age out fast LOL.
These were absolute game changers. Very much like gen1. 92 and newer you can see massive cost cutting in the interior which looked very cheap and chintzy. I will add a gen 1 to my collection but the 92 and newer were just bland appliances, imo.
I am planning on building an AMT model kit of the 89 Taurus SHO next week....
Cool!
Might actually start on it tonight... Stay tuned...
No king rules forever…
The definitive AN CAR
The best Taurus was the ‘98 - ‘02 Lincoln Continental. The Continental was built on the same platform and had some suspension changes, but a number of shared components under the skin. Plus the Continental had the silky smooth and quiet DOHC modular 4.6 V8. Detuned to 260 hp it had enough punch for a mid 15 second 1/4 mile and 25 to 28 mpg. I have a ‘98 and an ‘02 in my fleet, very enjoyable drivers, very responsive and very comfortable. I also have a 2006 Lincoln Town Car and I honestly think the Continental has a smoother ride.
Yeah those Continentals were nice. Didn't get into them here as the vid was getting a bit long.
@@autochatter Completely understandable. The Taurus and its progeny had a big hand in saving Ford, it was a very important car in Ford's past. I mention the Continental because most people don't realize that it was a derivative of the Taurus from that time period. Despite its near $40k price in the late '90's it consistently sold in the 30+k units range of production annually, it helped make Lincoln successful at the time.
@@Thomas63r2 I recall some had air ride problems as they got older. It was $$$ to fix.
@@autochatter Experiences may vary, both of mine have all the original air suspension components. After sitting for a day they do deflate, but pump up once the engine is started. Might be as simple as a dry o-ring. The components are inexpensive and easy for a DIY. The day they don't inflate after sitting will be when I replace them. Shop labor and OEM parts can be several hundred dollars, but I'm a hardy DIY'er and I'll use more cost effective aftermarket parts. The rear air bags are ~ $80 for the pair. The compressor can usually be found as low as ~ $140. Not bad in my book, especially considering how little I have spent on these cars. Maybe double that for OEM parts. Or I could spend $500 on a spring conversion kit - but I like the air ride. With today's car prices its best to just keep fixing it and driving it.
They were a complete turd.Air ride suspension,transmission problems
You did a great job telling the story. I did want to did say it was Lincoln Mark VII that introduced flush or European style headlights to the United States in 1984. It was Ford that got that approved for the American market and other cars followed in Ford and outside of Ford. By 1987, most Fords had the Taurus headlight design. I preferred the Sable over Taurus for its features and styling. These cars were large inside and in trunk space. I did hope you would have mentioned the Taurus and Sable spawned the 1988 Lincoln Continental which used the platform in a more sophisticated way. The 1992 restyle was good also. Things went wrong in 1996 and were not corrected until 2000. The 1996 was too radical. Ford lost that sales crown. GM copied the Taurus and Sable look on many of its car. The biggest example was the 1991 Chevrolet Caprice they called the "beached whale". Honda and Toyota never looked back with Accord and Camry. They did it over time and gradually. They are still standing strong in 2024. I guess the Taurus that was las here is another video. The Taurus lives in China and the Middle East in 2024. Ford took a huge gamble with these cars for 1986 . For us! Taurus for us! Have you driven a Ford...…Lately! I recall Oldsmobile took a shot at Taurus in the 1988 and 1989 commercials with Cutlass Supreme. They are here on You Tube. I recall the Sable LTS that was supposed to happen, but did not. It used the same engine as the Taurus SHO. Conan O'Brien still has his Taurus SHO. Thank you for the video.
Thanks Olds! Yeah I mentioned the Mark VII was first with composite lights in another vid. By 84, the Taurus program was already well into development. It's funny seeing some of the test mules with regular lights! I didn't get into the Continental being Taurus based. Vid was getting long, so some stuff didn't make the cut.
@@autochatter I recall the Taurus test cars with regular headlights in Motor Trend and Car and Driver. I always liked seeing spy photos trying to make out the details and see what was coming. They usually have no wheel covers and more. I understand about the Continental. The Sable and Taurus influenced so many cars. Pontiac Grand Prix had the light bar grille. The Taurus was influenced by Audi design.
@OLDS98 Oh yeah...The Taurus wasn't first with alot of its innovative features. It just successfully implemented alot of it on a mainstream scale.
@@autochatter Exactly. That is what they did. It was in the execution. The Chrysler 300 did it using Bentley styling themes. GM had lost its way and I read somewhere they could have had the W Bodies out at the same time as Ford, but they got delayed. The mistake they made is the sedans came out in 1990 instead of 1988 before the coupes.
@@OLDS98people say Bentley, but I always thought the Chrysler 300 duplicated the look of a Rolls Royce.
A 300 looks far more pseudo-Rolls Royce than Bentley. Especially from the side profile. Just place a Ghost next to a 300. Then a Bentley Continental next to a 300 and you’ll see what I mean lol
The 1991 Taurus and Sable,transmissions did not hold up.The Ford 3.8 essex was a huge pile of junk,they ate headgaskets left and right.The SHO,it was a Ford MTX that did not hold up behind it.The 3.0 duratec was a Mazda engine
I bought a few Taurus models cheap for my car lot because the trans or torque convertor was gone. Knew a ex Ford tech that could fix them cheap. Yeah 3.8s liked head gaskets. Made Windstars double trouble!
I remember when they first came out I thought they were very futuristic
Maybe if Back to the Future came out a year later, Doc would have had a Taurus time machine.
I've been on the hunt for a 1986 Ford Taurus LX wagon for over 5 years I want to restore one day. It's been so hard to find one. I had the chance to get a clean LX trim 86 wagon I found in Portland in 2019 but my dad got in the way. I wish someone would help me find one.
Have you tried going to Autotempest for a nationwide search?
@@autochatter Yeah been using it since 2020 but they still rarely pop up for sale. The only Gen 1 Taurus and Sable models I find regularly are the SHOs. Which I'm not looking for. Not a good sign either because the SHOs were introduced very late on and the Gen 1 version of it had an average production number of only 8,000 cars per year. I've put up wanted ads for an 86 LX Taurus wagon and even those don't work...
@ironinquisitor3656 Its amazing how hard they are to find considering they sold gazillions of them then!
@@autochatter If we count the production number of the Gen 1 Mercury Sables along with the Gen 1 Taurus too it was over 2.6 million.
so... 0.32 was considered great for american vehicles...in the meantime the Opel Omega in europe with its 0.27, the Audi 100 with it's 0.30. But yeah, the taurus did make it so that european vehicles and japanese vehicles could actually homoginize their facia between the homecountry and the US...for a good part at least.
Wow..That Omega was sleek!
The 3rd gen was fords allegro. The 4th gen wasnt much better. I am really surprised they sold as well as they did.
That's because Hertz and Enterprise was some of their best customers LOL.
That T-Bird was so smooth, women would famously compare them to Chef's Salty Chocolate Balls. Still homemade back then.
Now did South Park do that first, or Saturday Night Lives Schwety Balls skit? 😆
Robocop was what made me think these Taurus’s were amazing when I was a kid.
LOL...Me too
12:52 - That quest to claim #1 was, to me, a mistake. Their fleet sales tactics trashed the car's resale value. On top of that, their heavy incentives made it difficult to sell their "world cars", Contour/Mystique.
18:20 - In fact, basing any advertising on the fact that a vehicle is the best-selling seems dumb to me, whether it's Ford, Honda, Toyota, or GM. Why is anyone favorably influenced by that? "We're selling so many of these! You, too, can drive what everyone else is driving!" 🤮
I personally would have bought a Taurus over a Contour, and with the always present Taurus incentives then...You could. Theres people that are just seeking good transportation, and choosing a popular choice isn't nessesarily a bad play. I mean....Camry since 1997? I prefer a car mainstream enough you can get parts for it, but not a lemming mobile.
As a kid in the '90s I had no clue the Contour was supposed to be some sort of premium world car. It just looked like another small, round Ford and the name was terrible. They should have made it a Mercury exclusive but with a better name than Mystique which came across kinda tacky to me even as a kid in the South. Heck Mercury Mondeo would've been better!
@iluvcamaros1912 It wasn't supposed to be premium. It was effectively the replacement for the Tempo/Topaz. Competition was 626, Altima, Galant, "Cloud" cars (Breeze, Stratus, and Cirrus), and GM's N bodies (Grand Am, Achieva, and Skylark.) In that circuit, Contour/Mystique was a competent choice. The price was the main problem - they were too close to the Taurus/Sable and were cramped compared to those two.
Those cars where not good cars. As they aged they fell apart fast! Not to mention the rust problems !
Rust wasn't as big a issue where I was from. The biggest major issues I saw with these was the transmissions going bad.
What ford should've done around 2004 and 2005 was have 2004 be the final model year for the fourth gen Taurus and stable, then have the fifth generation Taurus and stable be introduced for 2005 and not have them called five hundred and Montegro respectively.
I would agree with dropping the 4th gen Taurus around 2005 but instead using the names on the Fusion which honestly was more similar to the Taurus in its original function and the suspension turning. I would have named the five hundred the Crown Victoria (or LTD) and the Mercury version Marquis since the civilian version of the panther based crown Victoria had been discounted. The five hundred was more of a LeSabre competitor than a Camry competitor.
The first two generations from the Taurus and Sable were the best. The 4th was my least favorite as it just had no personality or sole. The 3rd generation was a bit tacky but it at least had something.
@colinschmitz8297 I agree the Fusion would have been more the Taurus replacement then and 500 replaced the Crown Vic.
@@autochatter this and it would have helped to not use the names Fusion and Focus. Too similar for cars right next to each other in the lineup.
Also, the other advantage of using the name Crown Victoria on the 500 would have been been competing against the Impala since the Impala and Crown Victoria were traditionally rivals.
@colinschmitz8297 The 500 was a flop from the get go. CVT transmissions,underpowered, and boring to look at. Fusion was a much better car IMO.
@@autochatter It depends on what a person wants. The fusion is more of a driver's car which is more what the Taurus was. The 500 is more of a family car. The advantage of the 500 is if you have a need for more storage and need to carry people around more often. At this stage of my life, I wish I could get a new 500 because of injuries resulting in needing a car that isn't jarring when driving down the road. The 500 also had the 6-speed transmission and I agree that the 3.0 duratec was underpowered for the 500. If they would have planned ahead and had the 3.5 l V6 ready like they should have for the 500 along with better styling and a better name it might have done better. Though having said that it actually sold decent just not what the Taurus had sold though neither had the fusion at first. This might have been an example of where Ford and Mercury should have gone on different paths possibly with Mercury getting the Montego but not the Milan and Ford getting the Fusion naming at the Taurus but not the 500 as the 500/ Montego was more the roll of mercury versus Ford.
Wasn't Yamaha motors the reason why Toyota became reliable?
-yup, that's their secret-
Well then maybe Yamaha gave ford defective parts? because ford's weren't reliable like Toyotas were then
I didn't get into it, but the V8 SHO motors had a cam sprocket failure issue that would grenade the engine if/when it broke.
Those ford's were Junk!
The topaz, Taurus, tempo and the like were complete trash.