Mercury dying: No updates planned past 2010

[SuperStretch18]

They should have done a re-hash of the 1946 mercury:

 

[tunersteve]

Good riddance. These have been limping along since the mid 90's. Jill Wagner was the last great thing to happen to them, and now she's on Wipeout (and the internet).

 

[mikeyb]

Now GM needs to kill Buick.

 

[Raynman]

Mercy killing is not murder in this case.

 

[Roywhitep5]

those brands were only good for having rebranded ford expeditions. they've been living on borrowed time for the last 10 years

 

[Captain KRM P5]

those brands were only good for having rebranded ford expeditions. they've been living on borrowed time for the last 10 years

mercury never had a rebadged expedition

Oh no! Dont kill off the re-badged Fords!!!! lol

lets be honest - most new mazdas are generously resculpted fords. three vehicles in mazda's lineups are 100% ford (cx-9, tribute and truck), the focus and 3 (and to some extent, the 5) are identical in alot of key respects. i would argue the only thing close to being ford-free in the mazda lineup is the rx-8 and maybe the miata.

 

[TinmanMS6]

lets be honest - most new mazdas are generously resculpted fords. three vehicles in mazda's lineups are 100% ford (cx-9, tribute and truck), the focus and 3 (and to some extent, the 5) are identical in alot of key respects. i would argue the only thing close to being ford-free in the mazda lineup is the rx-8 and maybe the miata.

There's a big difference between sharing a chassis and an engine and slapping a Mercury badge on a Ford. Mazda has completely different styling, interiors, and suspension tuning than Ford. Mercury has different badges/grilles and interior packages.

It's like saying a VW Rabbit and an Audi TT are the same car.

 

[tunersteve]

Also, it seems like Mazda will develop a platform (sometimes from Volvo) and then Ford mainstreams it a few years later. IIRC, the first 6 was like this, which gave way to the Fusion/MKZ/Milan two years later.

 

[ForceFed]

Ford should just import their Aussie models over and rebadge them as Mercurys.

Now we're Talkin'. (drive)

 

[Captain KRM P5]

There's a big difference between sharing a chassis and an engine and slapping a Mercury badge on a Ford. Mazda has completely different styling, interiors, and suspension tuning than Ford. Mercury has different badges/grilles and interior packages.

It's like saying a VW Rabbit and an Audi TT are the same car.

the mercurys have softer suspensions and differently appointed interiors than the ford counterparts, as well as differently 'tuned' interior/exterior panels for sound deadening and travel. check the parts catalogs if you don't believe me. a mariner and escape are about as different as a fusion and a 6 when you really get down to it - which are built on the same line in michigan, side by side. i'm sorry, i'm a mazdanut like everyone, but its pretty apparent when you dissect the 3 and the Focus they are about 70% identical. its really not as a big a difference as you think.

GM pioneered this kind of platform sharing in the 80s. same basic car with different panels, different ineriors and different suspensions. grand prixs, monte carlos, impalas, eldorados, regals were all the same at the underpinnings and despite the supposed differences like what you said above, GM was routinely slammed for it by the public and press. thus came Saturn, promising all unique sales strategies, no shared models and a way forward for GM.

ironically we have 'progressed' to the 21st century, where platform sharing is worse than it ever was and its all the rage. Saturn selling thier own cars with unique powerplants? No longer, now its redbadged European GMs. its not going away, but i do hope down the road there are more distinct differences made between models than a steering wheel, seats and a dashboard.