Ford Five Hundred to become Taurus

Apparently the Ford Five Hundred is to be renamed the Ford Taurus to boost sales: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17003763/

I don't see how this will help as there didn't seem to be a major outcry when Ford ceased Taurus production a few months ago. Desperate times call for desperate measures I guess.

 

500 doesnt look to bad and that new edge suv isnt bad either...

 

it should have been named the taurus to begin with. it overlapped with production of the old model for fleet sales which has since ended. anyhow, ford is notorious for changing model names, which imho, only hurts product recognition.

they also like to name everything in sequence. which bugs me.

exploror
expedition
excursion

etc

 

Stupid move in my opinion. The Five Hundred is a dud (underpowered) and Taurus is one of the few names that Ford has that has a little bit of value left in it. Why drag the Taurus name through the mud on a car that still won't sell?

Ford should have invested in the development of the Taurus while it was still relatively popular, but instead the car languished and was eventually killed off. No wonder stock prices are in the gutter and bankruptcy looms overhead.

 

And this is a surprise to who?

 

I always picture the Taurus as a beater POS personally...

 

I wonder how the name '500' originated, but it sound dull.

 

The Ford Five Hundred (code name D258) was a full-size sedan produced by the Ford Motor Company. In North America, the name may evoke memories of the Fairlane 500 and Galaxie 500 models of the 1950s through 1970s.

 

Thank you.

 

The Expedition name first appeared on a special option package on the Explorer. Ford Explorer Expedition.

 

It was and is. Most mechanics/car know it alls I've talked to say it was a terrible car.

 

I bet the boys over on TaurusChat are stoked.

 

Well, I'd lose more sleep if they had renamed it 'Daytona' or 'Scaglietti.'

Only because you know about cars.

Yeah, it's been quiet over there. Just some threads about timing chain replacement intervals, usual theme: replace it or risk another $400 engine.

 

It certainly can't hurt.

I boggle at the renamed Freestyle...Taurus X. Taurus Ex or Taurus Ten? I know X is for crossover, but gee whiz, what a dumb name, but it will allow them to pull some money out of that platform instead of scuttling as they had planned to do last year.

American car companies need to keep nameplates and make good cars to stick them to. Heck, the Honda Accord name has been around since at least 8942 BC.

 

It was a good car at first. Actually one of the best and most advanced family sedans you could buy. But then Ford got used to everyone buying them and didnt update the Taurus so it just became another name for the marketing men to sell.

 

That original V6 SHO 4-valve with a 5speed was pretty cool. Drove one when we were looking for a family sedan; but little lady did not want gears.

Later Ford, in their wisdom, made a misbalanced V8 in its place and took away the five speed.

We got a Mercury Sable (Taurus) auto in its place, and guess what?

It was a beater POS, by any other name.

 

Looks like the Mercury Montego will be rebaged as the Mercury Sable to match the Ford Taurus (500).

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/AutoshowArticles/articleId=119517

What is it?
2008 Mercury Sable

What's special about it?
What's special about the 2008 Mercury Sable? Not much, really.

Arriving this summer, the Sable is a newly named Montego, which is actually a rebadged Ford Five Hundred, which will soon be referred to as the Ford Taurus. Clear?

So the Sable, which will not be available in a wagon version like the old days, gets the corporate 3.5-liter V6 that's going to power just about every single Ford Motor Company product in the near future. It is mated to the six-speed automatic transmission, which provides gears for the 2008 Ford Taurus (née Five Hundred).

Compared to the 2007 Montego, the 2008 Sable has a new grille, headlamps and LED taillamps. The car's interior will be available with something called Cyber Carbon trim, which sounds like, well, it sounds like fake carbon fiber, which is what it is.

What's Edmunds' take?
Oh Montego, we barely knew ye

 

Having driven my mom Five Hudred alot I can said that it is not a bad car. True we have a top of the line fully load and the car might be slow get started up however one at speed it glides along and the back seat I don't think there are many cars in that price range (sub-$30k basic but this is about size) were there can be good leg room for an adult when the front seats are all the way back yet in a Five hundred there is. True it may not look cool or be the fastest car out there but for the money in a good Family Car, had/if Ford droped a Mustang V-8 in there it can run with the big boys

 

How can that be? The Mustang itself with that V-8 is hardly "running with the big boys".

 

You can polish a turd all you want, but in the end it's still a turd.

Time to short some F stock.

 

Things certainly aren't looking very good. However this is an improvement over the 500 the engine is a step up and the styling is a bit better. The name though... all of these renames they've done lately.

I'm happy with my ford fusion though its a pretty nice car though the engine is a bit lacking everything else is great. anyone check out the fusions? It seems to be doing well for ford.

 

it would about the same power as a E500

 

From a few years ago.

 

E500 306 Hp
Mustang 300Hp

so they may be reasonable to compare and remeber the ford would likly be $30,000 cheep of couse alot just want the Benz (jugde from the fact that this country got the B-Class that cost more then a full loaded Caliber as a base and as much as a nicly load 300) that not the point the is it a good car that only down side is power

 

However, it does occur that there is a LOT MORE to a high end car than just the advertised HP rating. A LOT LOT MORE.

Did you know that Ford had to downgrade its stated HP on the Mustang in the past when it was proven that customer cars were down at least 15-20% of the stated number?

Anyhow, the point of this thread was that just "renaming" the F500 into the Taurus is like putting lipstick on a pig that did not sell at the last livestock auction.

Fort Worth pig farmers are smarter than that.