Ford Taurus: What’s in a Name Change?

[Traveler]

The problem is convincing young families to give up their Honda or Toyota for anything, much less a Crown Vic or Grand Marquis. Most buyers listen to the automotive media and they aren't blind. They see the same things that some of the guys on here love to point out and that is the appearance of the Crown Vic and Grand Marquis is stodgy or too police/taxi-like and they likewise associate that with the car being for old people and having changed little over the years.

 

Ford doesn't even attempt to market the Crown Vic or Grand Marquis at younger buyers. Heck, they don't hardly attempt to market the car at all in the retail segment. So, obviously Ford has to have a full-size sedan to put out there. Five-Hundred basically just absorbed much of the senior citizens opting out of Panthers because they were too afraid of its imposing size or simply because they were pushed into the D3 sedans. Very few young adults were buying Five-Hundreds and unforunately, that seems to be carrying over to the Taurus again. Although, I do believe that the Taurus has greater potential to find a slightly younger median audience. We'll see.

 

Ford's problem is there marketing strategy. The only new vehicle I've seen them really attempt to market successfully is the Edge and to a lesser degree, the Fusion. Taurus ads aren't up to snuff. Hopefully, the higher powers that be on BOF, will not take offense to me knocking their advertiser, but I've been noticing the Taurus ads at the top and...they are weak and I say that with attempts to add constructive criticism, because I'm a Ford guy. I want to see Ford succeed. However, if it were not for the popularity of the F-150 and Mustang, I'm not so sure they could market them either.

 

Now, I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I do like to express my opinions and I stand behind my belief that Ford needs to make their image appear to be that Ford Motor Company is America's Car Company. Get those cars, trucks and SUVs out there to the masses. You have lost market share and you're not going to get them back without aggressively campaigning for them and heaven help FoMoCo if they have a host of warranty claims and recalls for those they convince to come back.

 

Ford in my view, as the greatest potential for success in the second decade of this century. I think they can return to their glory days of the eighties when they aligned all the Fords into a family of fine automobiles, had people seeking out their products and raving about them to everyone they saw. The Explorer did the most damage for Ford's automobiles. Ford turned away from their automotive successes to chase down consumers wanting the next trend of SUVs and lost their focus on the American sedan.

 

The Taurus has great potential and admittedly, it probably the best mainstream family sedan that an American car company has to offer. However, you've got to deliver that Taurus to the buyer who isn't planning on shopping with you, sell them and win back customers.

[Traveler]

double post.

Edited October 24, 2007 by Traveler

[suv_guy_19]

:shrug:

[silvrsvt]

I think you will find that there are many more younger people buying the Taurus II and Sable II than the panther of the 500.

 

 

Well using my family as a baseline:

 

Sister had a new Taurus as her loaner when her Explorer went in for some work....she called it an old man car....shes going to be 37 in November

 

My mom, who is going to be 58 this year (also has an Explorer) Doesn't want to have an "old man" car, even though my dad is set on getting a Sable for her...guess we'll see how it plays out in a couple months when they get it.

 

Overall, I do think the Taurus does shoot for an older demographic (Middle aged Babyboomers), the say the Fusion, but not as old as the Panthers...who are dying right along with the Greatest Generation who bought them. I think CUV's are going to be more popular with Gen X'ers and Gen Y then a full-size car is.

[suv_guy_19]

Well using my family as a baseline:

 

Sister had a new Taurus as her loaner when her Explorer went in for some work....she called it an old man car....shes going to be 37 in November

 

My mom, who is going to be 58 this year (also has an Explorer) Doesn't want to have an "old man" car, even though my dad is set on getting a Sable for her...guess we'll see how it plays out in a couple months when they get it.

 

Overall, I do think the Taurus does shoot for an older demographic (Middle aged Babyboomers), the say the Fusion, but not as old as the Panthers...who are dying right along with the Greatest Generation who bought them. I think CUV's are going to be more popular with Gen X'ers and Gen Y then a full-size car is.

 

 

Oh I agree with that, most people do not like full size, I was simply comparing it to the panther and 500. Not sure I agree with them personally though. I'm 18, I love full size, and I would not call it an old man car. I am though, an anomaly.

Edited October 24, 2007 by suv_guy_19

[Traveler]

You see, the popularity for small 4 and 5 door autos and CUVs with young people confound me. When I was getting my license, guys gawked at Mustang GTs, Z28s and Trans Ams. Now they get excited about Civic Sis, little Mazdas and CUVs like the Edge. The way I see it, you have plenty of time to find a four door vehicle. Why not live it up with a V8 Mustang?

 

If this is truly the trend, then the Mustangs days are numbered as well...at least as the way we know them now. Perhaps the Probe will re-emerge to take revenge and claim the Mustang name? I'm sure the Mustang name will probably outlive practically every other Ford, but youngins' desires are seemingly different than they used to be. Years ago, I wanted to lay down some rubber. Now they just want to lay down. Oh, well.

 

I've always admired Crown Vics as police interceptors, but not so that I could pretend to be John T. Law. I just liked the car, but considered most Panthers to drive like "an old person's car". The Five-Hundred did portray that image to me and I thought the Vic did, too until I drove the HPP Vic. The first test drive I enjoyed and I still owned my 01 Cobra at the time. It wasn't as fast (obviously) but it was a pleasant car that tried its best to mimic a four door Mustang GT. Factored in with the options, it became apparent that this was the car. I was jumping from old school Ford to another old school Ford. RWD to RWD. V8 to V8 and it felt right...and still does. I probably would have more seriously considered a Charger R/T with the right incentives, but the timing for my need of a sedan was off and the Crown Vic was the best solution. The Cobra is gone and not forgotten, but I still enjoy the Vic for day to day driving.

[630land]

It is only the 1st month. It is not a Hollywood movie, where only the opening weekend counts. It the first full year of sales is not on target, then say all your 'should be RWD v8" comments.

 

BTW, Honda Accord is a full sizer now, and has FWD/4/V6 power, and is catching on. It may even dethrone the Camry. So there goes the "Americans want RWD V8 big cars" theory

[jpd80]

Taurus is much lighter than one particular comparable sized RWD, the Aussie fairlane.

The Fairlane which weighs 3894 lb as a 6 cylinder is the same length as the Taurus

but has an extra 3" of internal width and more rear leg room.

 

When you consider this, the Taurus is a pretty good balance for the size of the car.

[Roadrunner]

They Advertise the Impala SS? I never seen a print or TV ad for one

 

They regularly run the Impala SS commercial with NASCAR programming.

 

See

1-

2-

 

Ma' Chevy ride slow... Sweet Home Alabama

[silvrsvt]

They regularly run the Impala SS commercial with NASCAR programming.

 

 

Ah never watch NASCAR...explains everything

[silvrsvt]

You see, the popularity for small 4 and 5 door autos and CUVs with young people confound me. When I was getting my license, guys gawked at Mustang GTs, Z28s and Trans Ams. Now they get excited about Civic Sis, little Mazdas and CUVs like the Edge. The way I see it, you have plenty of time to find a four door vehicle. Why not live it up with a V8 Mustang?

 

If this is truly the trend, then the Mustangs days are numbered as well...at least as the way we know them now. Perhaps the Probe will re-emerge to take revenge and claim the Mustang name? I'm sure the Mustang name will probably outlive practically every other Ford, but youngins' desires are seemingly different than they used to be. Years ago, I wanted to lay down some rubber. Now they just want to lay down. Oh, well.

 

 

I think the big problem is insurance on a Mustang, I was 24 when I got my 98 Mustang GT and it was costing me nearly $2400 dollars a year with a perfect driving record, and I was getting quotes of $7000 from some companies!!

 

I thought getting a Focus would make my insurance cheaper, but it only went down a couple hundred bucks a year and the big drop came when I finally hit 30, but the SVT Focus was still costing me 1600 a year to insure, but when I got a brand new 06 GT, it dropped another $200 bucks vs a car that was almost 4 years old! This past year it went down to 1200 bucks a year, but thats going to go up since I had an accident last month

[2008fordtaurus]

Taurus is much lighter than one particular comparable sized RWD, the Aussie fairlane.

The Fairlane which weighs 3894 lb as a 6 cylinder is the same length as the Taurus

but has an extra 3" of internal width and more rear leg room.

 

When you consider this, the Taurus is a pretty good balance for the size of the car.

 

The AWD Taurus is actually heavier and weighs in at 3920 lb.

[Watchdevil]

Heh...I saw my FIRST 2008 Taurus on the road today. It was a dark blue one with a blue hair in the driver's seat!

 

I don't know whether to laugh because a blue hair was in it or sob a little because she wasn't in a Panther.

 

So far every new Taurus and Sable I have seen has a senior citizen driving it. I came up behind a black Taurus on the interstate on my trip to Michigan this past week and sure enough old people were in it.

 

I went to the Henry Ford Museum while I was in Michigan. They had a beautiful red and gray 1986 Taurus in perfect condition and I will say that car is timeless in design. Among the other things I saw while I was there, there was the original Mustang concept roadster which was suprisingly tiny and looked more like a go-cart with a body. They had a beautiful black Continental Mark II, a nice old Zephyr, a 1949 Ford, an Edsel, the very first (#1) 1939 Mercury... The cars were arranged in progression from the first horseless carriages all the way to the first Accord built in America. Beside that Accord was a 1981 Escort which sure looked strange to see these days.

 

It was sort of excitng to come into Michigan and be greeted by the AAI plant on the left side with the billboards of the Mustang and Mazda 6 on the buildings.

 

It was interesting to pass by the research and development centers and see the carcasses of Ford bodies sitting around.

 

My souvenier from the trip is a box of Thunderbird and Mustang cookies... :happy feet:

Edited October 24, 2007 by Watchdevil

[Traveler]

How about putting these new Ford vehicles at the State Fairs and in parades?? These are the exact same idea as the 'mall idea'. Get the car to the people. The NC State Fair just concluded with over 800,000 people visiting over the 10-day period. Was Ford there? While I didn't attend, I bet Ford didn't either.

 

Put the cars and trucks in parades. You've got large city parades for Bowls, Christmas, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, etc. Roll your hardware through the parades. A 30-second commercial isn't going to have the kind of viewers like a place with guaranteed audiences. Approach arenas about setting up a Ford Taurus display out front. Sure, it'll cost some, but it probably won't be that much more expensive than paying these big-time ad agencies that come up with bouncing balls off the car and saying that the Taurus can take anything thrown at it.

[ShockFX]

How about putting these new Ford vehicles at the State Fairs and in parades?? These are the exact same idea as the 'mall idea'. Get the car to the people. The NC State Fair just concluded with over 800,000 people visiting over the 10-day period. Was Ford there? While I didn't attend, I bet Ford didn't either.

 

Put the cars and trucks in parades. You've got large city parades for Bowls, Christmas, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, etc. Roll your hardware through the parades. A 30-second commercial isn't going to have the kind of viewers like a place with guaranteed audiences. Approach arenas about setting up a Ford Taurus display out front. Sure, it'll cost some, but it probably won't be that much more expensive than paying these big-time ad agencies that come up with bouncing balls off the car and saying that the Taurus can take anything thrown at it.

 

Anything that makes people realize the car exists is a positive.

[NickF1011]

How about putting these new Ford vehicles at the State Fairs and in parades?? These are the exact same idea as the 'mall idea'. Get the car to the people. The NC State Fair just concluded with over 800,000 people visiting over the 10-day period. Was Ford there? While I didn't attend, I bet Ford didn't either.

 

Put the cars and trucks in parades. You've got large city parades for Bowls, Christmas, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, etc. Roll your hardware through the parades. A 30-second commercial isn't going to have the kind of viewers like a place with guaranteed audiences. Approach arenas about setting up a Ford Taurus display out front. Sure, it'll cost some, but it probably won't be that much more expensive than paying these big-time ad agencies that come up with bouncing balls off the car and saying that the Taurus can take anything thrown at it.

 

All excellent ideas. The costs really wouldn't be that much compared to television or radio advertising. Every car I ever see parked inside a mall always has at least one or two people standing around it getting a closer look. Local mall here has recently displayed a Land Rover LR2, Impala, and Saturn Aura. I definitely stopped to check them out -- well, except the Impala...that thing looked even more bland than the Taurus to me, especially the interior.

[Watchdevil]

How about putting these new Ford vehicles at the State Fairs and in parades??

 

How about setting them up front at hospitals and funeral homes...

[P71_CrownVic]

How about setting them up front at hospitals and funeral homes...

LOL!

[Watchdevil]

They could also set them up at bingo halls, places where cruise ships depart, casinos, rest areas, churches, pharmacies.... The possibilities are endess anywhere old folks frequent the most... I say set special tourist attractions at the Florida borders and have little road courses for them take the Ford Challenge to trade in their Avalons and Buicks. Fun little competitions to see which car parks easiest in a handicap parking space...

Edited October 25, 2007 by Watchdevil

[Traveler]

How about setting them up front at hospitals and funeral homes...

 

That certainly wouldn't help market the car to a younger market.

 

Nick, often times around here the cars you see in the malls are often locked and nobody in sight to help potential customers. With the number of kiosks you find at larger malls, I would think that just 1 or 2 sales would more than pay for them to be there. I mean its almost like having a little mini-dealership right there among hundreds (if not thousands) of people and while they may not be able to test drive on the spot, it gives them the opportunity to sit down, get comfortable and allow the car to win them over. When they go back to their old car out in the parking lot and notice how loose the car feels and begin paying closer attention to its imperfections, they'll think strongly about that new Taurus they just sat in.

 

One things for sure. TV viewers are beseiged with commercials all the time and a 30-second spot doesn't get the viewer in the driver seat and the total audience is somewhat unknown unless you're buying time during the Super Bowl or something. However, putting your brand new car in the path of hundreds of shoppers or attendance to any particular venue guarantees that they will at least see it and you're bound to hook a few buyers.

[2008fordtaurus]

So far every new Taurus and Sable I have seen has a senior citizen driving it.

I got mine 20 years early!

[2008fordtaurus]

That certainly wouldn't help market the car to a younger market.

 

Nick, often times around here the cars you see in the malls are often locked and nobody in sight to help potential customers. With the number of kiosks you find at larger malls, I would think that just 1 or 2 sales would more than pay for them to be there. I mean its almost like having a little mini-dealership right there among hundreds (if not thousands) of people and while they may not be able to test drive on the spot, it gives them the opportunity to sit down, get comfortable and allow the car to win them over. When they go back to their old car out in the parking lot and notice how loose the car feels and begin paying closer attention to its imperfections, they'll think strongly about that new Taurus they just sat in.

And that will be less people saying, "What kind of car is that?"

[twintornados]

Heh...I saw my FIRST 2008 Taurus on the road today. It was a dark blue one with a blue hair in the driver's seat!

 

I don't know whether to laugh because a blue hair was in it or sob a little because she wasn't in a Panther.

 

My girlfriends sister (63 year old retired teacher...the sister, not my g/f) and her husband just traded their '05 Grand Marquis for a '07 Montego (heluva deal) and they just love the Montego...they complained that the GM was just out of date with their needs. The Montego? Fits their retired life to a "T"...I now fear that the panther mafia will come after me for not trying to talk them into a new GM.....please fellas....I tried.....put down the chainsaw.....NOOOOOOOO!!!

[LincolnFan]

How about setting them up front at funeral homes...

 

Great idea to advertise panthers! "70% of people who buy panthers never buy another one!"

[armadamaster]

How about setting them up front at hospitals and funeral homes...

 

LOL! Got me going with that one.

 

Don't forget nursing homes.

 

And Panthers are already set up at funeral homes, ever seen what the hearse and lead cars usually are? :shades: