How is Mercury still around?

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Saturn - Dead
Pontiac - Dead
Oldsmobile - Dead
Plymouth - Dead

How is Mercury still around??? That's a dead brand if I've ever seen one.
 
saturn's not dead, yet. pontiac was only just announced, it's not gone yet.
olds and plymouth have been gone for yrs already. why don't you include sterling, or eagle? packard, kaiser, studebaker, nash, rambler; the list goes on.
this is just a normal sorting out of the industry. it's nothing new.
 
I agree that Ford should drop the Mercury name. Too much needless duplicity within the company. Considering how the company is pinching pennies anywhere it can, it's very expensive for Ford to maintain the Mercury division separate from the Ford division, just for the sake of some nostalgic enthusiasts who want the name to live on.
 
Pointless waste of $$$ to keep Mercury. Now the Lincoln Badge is another story.
 
Originally Posted By: mpvue
saturn's not dead, yet. pontiac was only just announced, it's not gone yet.


I have to say I will be pretty sad when they announce Saturn to go as well. I have never owned a Saturn but GM's efforts to turn the view of the company around are pretty remarkable in my opinion. Lately they have all been really appealing cars with low sticker prices.

I feel GM would do good in America with three main brands:

Saturn (entry) Chevorlet (mid level) Cadillac (high end)
 
Originally Posted By: AcuraTech
Saturn - Dead
Pontiac - Dead
Oldsmobile - Dead
Plymouth - Dead

How is Mercury still around??? That's a dead brand if I've ever seen one.


Mercury *should* be Ford's niche/performance brand, like Pontiac should be GM's niche/performance brand and Plymouth should be Chrysler's.

In all 3 cases, they have a history of being just that sort of brand years ago- the Mercury Marauder (not the recent one, the original), the Montego, and Cougar were all at one time respectable performers. But all of the brands got watered down with run-of-the-mill uninspired models. The current Grand Marquis. The Pontiac G6. And God help us, the Plymouth Breeze. All of those erased the public's memory of the Montego, the GTO, and the Roadrunner.
 
Originally Posted By: jigen
Originally Posted By: mpvue
saturn's not dead, yet. pontiac was only just announced, it's not gone yet.


I have to say I will be pretty sad when they announce Saturn to go as well. I have never owned a Saturn but GM's efforts to turn the view of the company around are pretty remarkable in my opinion. Lately they have all been really appealing cars with low sticker prices.

I feel GM would do good in America with three main brands:

Saturn (entry) Chevorlet (mid level) Cadillac (high end)


I think Ford is set up nicely as it is. Ford is entry-level, Mercury is mid-level and Lincoln is their high end. My wife will only drive Mercury vehicles and to be honest her last two Mountaineers have been great. No problems at all and the fit and finish is light years ahead of anything GM can produce.
 
When and if I go FoMoCo again, I'll look seriously at the Fusion. I know I'd get some better features and interior detailing with Mercury's version, but I dislike the front grille of the Merc and prefer the Fusion's.

Lincoln's version would be even more luxurious, but with the bigger engine it probably wouldn't be as fuel efficient. (Plus I can't remember the three-letter name, since they dropped "Zephyr." MKZ? MKS?)
 
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
When and if I go FoMoCo again, I'll look seriously at the Fusion. I know I'd get some better features and interior detailing with Mercury's version, but I dislike the front grille of the Merc and prefer the Fusion's.

Lincoln's version would be even more luxurious, but with the bigger engine it probably wouldn't be as fuel efficient. (Plus I can't remember the three-letter name, since they dropped "Zephyr." MKZ? MKS?)


My buddy rented a Fusion a few days ago..I didn't think I would like it but it was real nice..The fit and finish was excellent.

But I like my Full Size sedans allot better!

BTW it is the MKS..IMHO I like the looks of the Town Car much bettter..Maybe after awhile the MKS will grow on me.
 
Well, I'll tell you. Back in the middle 60's I had the baddest Mustang in Dallas County and drove it as such. Then in the 70's when all of my friends had muscle cars I was driving small import econoboxes when it was not cool, and I have been doing that until now. I'm old, retired, fat, and lazy. I now drive a Grand Marquis, and If I could afford a Lincoln it would be a Town Car. I want my butt to set in something large with a nice soft ride. My kids and grandkids can drive all the small electric cars of the future. Here's to the 50's and 60's.
thumbsup2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: mpvue
saturn's not dead, yet. pontiac was only just announced, it's not gone yet.
olds and plymouth have been gone for yrs already. why don't you include sterling, or eagle? packard, kaiser, studebaker, nash, rambler; the list goes on.
this is just a normal sorting out of the industry. it's nothing new.


Saturn is on the chopping block with Hummer, slated for removal by the end of the year.
 
To be a viable up-market brand slotted between Ford and Lincoln, Mercury vehicles would need to offer consumers a list of features not available on Fords. They haven't exactly done that from what I can see. Besides different grilles, taillights and wheels, there's nothing that sets a Milan apart from a Fusion. A waste of resources, IMO. All the cosmetic differences cost money to produce.

Kill it.
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny
Well, I'll tell you. Back in the middle 60's I had the baddest Mustang in Dallas County and drove it as such.


My first car was a '66 Mustang. It had the factory 140 mph speedometer with the toploader 4 speed. After high school, I went to automotive tech school and built a 302 with a Buddy Bar 3 X 2 intake on it. I can't tell you how many times I had that speedo buried. If I ever catch my kids doing what I did....
Still got the intake. Don't ever want to part with it, either.
My current pride and joy is a '71 Cougar that I picked up in the Dallas Area about 15 years ago when I lived there. Loves the 93 octane.
Back to the original thread, Mercury is around because there are a few Lincoln/Mercury dealerships out there that don't sell Ford cars. You take away the Mercury and all they would have to sell would be the Lincoln line. That wouldn't be much a a drawing card.
 
One important element of this missed so far. Mercury scores very well in the quality department. JD Powers has Mercury in the top five for several years now.One year maybe an anomaly but when you have consistency it starts to mean something. Look at VW they are consistently bringing up the rear.
 
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