rosskoss

Pointless duplicate brand that needs to be killed. Just offer everything available in Mercury as an additional trim level.

Multiple brands made a lot of sense when there was no foreign competition. At that time it was each brand for a particular type of buyer. None of this makes any sense anymore as the market has settled into a few key segments. (the number and nature of these segments change over time)

mmarshall

I don't think any of those would do well here in the U.S. as a Mercury-badged car except maybe the Mondeo. Ford DID bring the European Mondeo here to the U.S. in the mid-1990's as the Ford Contour/ Mercury Mystique.
It was a nice car, and sold extremely well, though the U.S. models lacked the wagon-body option that the Europeans got.

See my response above on the Mondeo.

Perhaps Ford WILL bring the KA stateside if the Smart-for-two first does well here...we'll have to wait and see. But even so, it clearly would not do well with a Mercury nameplate...the thread topic.

Yes...an interesting car at the time, but, quality-wise it was a piece of junk. A lot of Ford shops were also unfamiliar with the car and were not always able to repair it properly either.

mmarshall

Well, Mercury doesn't have much foreign competition......most of its customers, like over at Buick, do not consider or cross-shop foreign brands. They are not part of the Toyota/Honda crowd. Some of them grew up with big Mercury wagons 40 and 50 years ago like the Colony Park or muscle cars like the Mercury Cougar and Cyclone and have just stayed with the brand.

You and I, of course, being car knowledgeable, know that the industry is global these days, and that it makes little difference today where a car is designed or built (in fact, many "foreign" cars are designed and built right here at home). But, many car shoppers buy hook, line, and sinker into the "buy American" theme, and, to them, that means an American nameplate, regardless of where it is built. This is not the case along both coasts, but in many Midwestern states, especially in and around the traditional carmaking areas of the Great Lakes, there is intense pressure from neighbors and colleagues to "buy American", sometimes with penalties to pay if you don't.

rosskoss

Buy America is actually a dirty word (or two) in this country.

I spend a few months outside the US most years. You will not believe how incredibly patriotic some people from other countries are when it comes to even the smallest product decisions.

I strongly believe that in this day and age, we could use a little more of that in this country.

mmarshall

Depends on where you are. In Michigan and parts of Ohio and Indiana, you risk social ostracism (and sometimes even vandalism to your car) if you don't put something with an American nameplate in your driveway. They look at you (obviously, with ignorance) like you are supporting Osama Ben Laden.

My own uncle, in Indiana, for a long time, like many of his neighbors, has believed this nonsense...I have tried to educate him more than once, wth only limited success.

And....what does he drive? The thread topic.....a MERCURY. A big Grand Marquis.


Like I said earlier, though, the industry is so global that, for the most part, despite "patriotism", there really is no such thing as a truly American, European, Japanese, or Korean car any more. Vehicles are often planned in one country, designed in another, built in another, and sold in yet another. And some vehicles go even further than that.....they are partially assembled in one country, with final assembly in another. To put it bluntly, it can be a real mess to try and keep up with it.

Take Mexico, for instance.....vehicles from American, European, and Asian design all three are asembled there. Same with Brazil.


So, in more instances than you would think, those "incredibly patriotic" people you speak of from other countries may only be deluding themselves.

SLegacy99

I think that if I were buying a Ford vehicle I would buy the Mercury version of it just because its classier. But then I don't think any of my family members have ever owned a Ford.

LexBob2

I prefer most of the exterior and interior trim differences in Mercurys vs. their Ford and Lincoln counterparts.

If any Merc was my cup of tea, I'd hesitate buying one primarily for resale purposes, even if the brand stays in business. If/when Ford drops the brand, resale would really take a dive.

mmarshall

You prefer the Mercury trim to LINCOLN?

I can see your preference to Ford, but Lincolns, by far, have the plushest interiors of the three. But......everyone's taste is different, and I respect your point of view.

I also understand your concerns about resale value if Mercury is dropped, but keep two things in mind. First, though you might not get much on a dealer trade-in, there may be auto collectors, especially on E-Bay, that may want to grab up something with the Mercury nameplate for vintage purposes, and, Second, the more people that actually BUY new Mercurys today, the less chance there will be of the brand being dropped (hint: ).

mmarshall

Since, like me, you are a Subaru fan, you could first take a look at the Milan mid-sized sedan, the Montego/Sable full-size sedan, or the Mariner small SUV. All three are available with car-based AWD. The Ford/Mercury AWD system, however, like most transverse-engine mount AWD systems, is more complex than the Subaru boxer-engine AWD system, and could be prone to more potential problems. The repair record so far for the FWD Milan is first-rate.......the AWD version is too new to have a record.

The Montego/Sable, and its Ford Five Hundred/Taurus brother, is a nice car...one of my favorite domestic models....though sport-sedan enthusiasts may find it a little boring. Its repair record with both FWD/AWD has been average...but avoid the CVT models and get one with the conventional 6-speed auto.

The Mariner used to be quite nice (and used to also be one of my favorite domestics), and has an average to slightly better-then-average repair record for the last few years.....but the general fit/finish and the rather cheaply done interior on the new ones don't impress me much.

LexBob2

I think the current Mercurys have a better blend of luxury and updated styling, while being more contemporary than Lincoln. Lincoln still has to appeal to the traditional Lincoln "luxury" buyer. Lots of wood, shiny chrome formal styling cues etc.

As I mentioned it isn't my cup of tea, but if I were in the market for a Lincoln or Merc, I'd choose the Merc. I'm currently driving one of those dreaded ES350's and after nearly two years I'm a satisfied owner and would probably buy another one usless something else catches my eye when the time comes.