Comments on: Ford Five Hundred to be renamed Taurus

By: mb4evaslr

mb4evaslr — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 09:22:07 +0000

this is a stupid move but who really cares the car is even more hideous now than it was when it first came out as a 500. it looks like a ‘90 ford escort on roids. wtf this sh*t is sick its about to make me gag. and was it really necessary to follow in the other dumb$%#* american automakers footsteps and add portholes to everything. ford deserves to die a horrible death and it should take that loser fords son to hell for dragging it down for so many years. the asians hate them or love em build better cars with value,style (if its nissan product), quality, performance (again if its nissan, sometimes honda,sometimes mitsu), etc. when are ford and gm gonna learn. ford just got to two minutes away from doomsday on its apocalyptic clock.

By: scottloa

scottloa — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 03:59:55 +0000

The only connotation I have to this car is naming it the “poor-us”

By: ElSparquito

ElSparquito — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:41:17 +0000

Why is Ford wasting so much money renaming vehicles?? Like the Lincon Zephyr – oh no, wait, it’s the MKZ, oh, no, we like Zephyr better, but eventually, we want it to be the MKZ. I’m not sure this fits the Bold Moves/Way Forward initiative. It actually fits Saturn’s campaign, “Like always. Like never before.”

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:28:46 +0000

Why deviate from the Zodiac theme? Ford should start naming their vehicles from the entire Zodiac.

The Ford Cancer. Ford Aries (oops… taken by Dodge!). Ford Capricorn. Ford Sagittarius.

Sounds like big sellers to me!

By: dodge12

dodge12 — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:25:01 +0000

Thats stupid to name a car after the one that is not being made anymore!!

By: ironpony42

ironpony42 — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:23:26 +0000

Ah, it makes sense to change it to Taurus. I felt they wasted the 500 name on this car. The term 500 was a trim-line if I’m not totally mistaken. There were Galaxy 500, Fairlane 500, ect. But there was never a car called just 500 that I know of. If Ford wants to compete with the new slew of RWD V8 sedans appearing in our market, they need to build a muscular RWD V8 Sedan of thier own, and just call it Galaxy 500. That “Interceptor” concept shown a few weeks back would easily carry the Galaxy 500 name. They just need to give it some classic character in the nose, instead of the sleek but bland “super chief” design theme it has.

This current car will be a fine Taurus. It’a a car for people who don’t like cars. Kinda how I always veiwed Taurus’.

By: maddawg0

maddawg0 — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 01:18:37 +0000

i remember my buddies 87 taurus… um, lemon! everything apon everything else broke down on that car, i find it funny how people say they were good value… it wasnt just his car, it was everyone i ever knew who owned one, they were made poorly, (made to american standards, which suck). Always breaking down… etc etc but past is past? wrong, even the newer tauruses were crap, i sat in one of the early 2000’s not expecting much more than crap and wasnt supprised, i was shocked at how much worse i thot it was even tho i gave it a low bar to lift its little foot over… it failed meh.

Maybe Ford will file chapter 11, do us all a favor so we can have a conversation a few years from now and say “hey remember that american auto maker ford? yeah we had a few laughs and were all stressed out, but atleast we’re less stressed out now, no more aurgueing”

By: gitcypher

gitcypher — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 01:02:43 +0000

Change the name.
Drop the balls.
Throw in the 5.0L 400HP V8.
Call is SHO.

By: 1c3d0g

1c3d0g — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:35:06 +0000

I don’t know what to say about this one. It’s a damn waste, that’s for sure. Wasting millions of dollars promoting the 500 only to tack an older nameplate onto the same vehicle a few years later…not a very wise decision, IMO.

By: Adrio

Adrio — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:03:43 +0000

Dont get me started on the Focus. They had a good thing and ruined it. They had a cutting edge design and watered it down into a mini 500(taurus). Horrible.

I think its funny that GM announced that they’re bringing a great V8 powered exciting sedan to the US from Australia, and what does ford have to counter that? The name change of the blandest car ever, to a name of another boring car that was discontinued. Really bold there Ford. Keep it up.

By: autonutt

autonutt — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 23:32:38 +0000

Maybe they will scrap the Focus name before the 2008 model hits too.. especially since the redesign looks like a modern-day Escort!

By: autonutt

autonutt — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 23:31:11 +0000

Nahh.. they should keep all the M-names at Mercury, since that is pretty much all they have going for them — though they need to drop the “Grand” from Marquis unless they rename the Montego Marquis. As far as Ford, not all of their cars have had F names (Mustang, Thunderbird, GT, Crown Vic) and it is wise to drop that tradition. Honestly, we should have expected something like this, particularly after the Lincoln Zephyr fiasco.

By: tob

tob — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 23:12:09 +0000

A turd by any other name is still a turd

-tob

By: Cobradreamer427

Cobradreamer427 — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 22:10:21 +0000

THIS’LL TURN FORD AROUND FOR SURE!!!!!!!!!!…………
please, its not Ford has a following of Taurus owners to make the 500 sell more

By: Adrio

Adrio — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 21:26:06 +0000

I dont buy that having the Taurus as a common rental killed the name. The Taurus just became bland and outdated. I rented a Mustang and all it made me do is want it MORE. It was a fun car to drive and had style.

Its all about designing great exciting reliable cars. The name is secondary. I dont think changing the name of the 500 (possibly the blandest, least exciting car on the road) will improve sales. Once the Pontiac G8 hits market, things will get even harder for the Taurus.

By: motorheader

motorheader — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 21:15:22 +0000

Good one Thomas!

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 21:00:35 +0000

Oh, and how about along with a semi new exterior and a new name, A NEW INTERIOR, the current 500 or should I say Taurus interior is GARBAGE, it’s parts bin status and it blows. Please fix this. Please.

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:59:35 +0000

Ford is coming across as a weak, tentative company with all of these name changes. Zephyr to MKZ pronounced Em-Kay-Zee) to MKZ pronounced Mark-Z, and then back to MKZ pronounced Em-Kay-Zee, and now this name change. However, this is one name change I fully approve of, the Taurus used to be a huge money bank, but Ford let it fester and turn into a pile of outdated automotive ****, and then they retired this easily recognizable nameplate, pretty smart move bringing it back, but the only downside is the past few Taurus’ or so haven’t really been class leaders and have some negative connotations associated with them.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:12:37 +0000

I’m all for the change to “Faurus”. They get to keep the “F-name” trend, and get all the tradition of Taurus.

As an added bonus, they can use the marketing slogan…

“You’re either Faurus, or against us!”

By: Get Real

Get Real — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:11:29 +0000

If the “new” Taurus has a better transmission, it will be a good car. The engine on the old one lasted forever, but the tranny too soon. Be sure to get rid of that “rubber band” CVT tranny everyone is in love with these days, just how long do you think one will last lugging big american cars around? Great tranny for euro-spec coke-can size cars, but not real cars.

By: tino

tino — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:03:36 +0000

HAHAAHA I FEEL BAD FOR THE PERSON WHO BOUGHT THE LAST FORD TAURUS

By: meanpants555

meanpants555 — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:59:17 +0000

As for the Ford Taurus SHO, wasn’t that a Yamaha engine? Those cars always sounded great.

By: meanpants555

meanpants555 — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:57:41 +0000

I bet with the name change to Five Hundred they lost a lot of the older buyers who knew and (gag/choke) embraced the Taurus.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:46:56 +0000

LOL… Faurus! Good one!

By: Captain Spadaro

Captain Spadaro — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:42:23 +0000

If it means the return of the Taurus SHO, I’m all for it.

By: TOZO

TOZO — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:28:05 +0000

Taurus? Taurus! Those MORONS! Ford needs to fire SO MANY MORE people – namely, the white collared. That’ll save some extra cash for them & get better ideas flowing to improve their financial situation in the long run because they’ve got morons running the show now. TAURUS!!!???

By: A4

A4 — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:22:34 +0000

well if meanpants’s logic is any indication it should have just been the “five” because its nowhere near a 300.
Its great theyre going to revert back to the taurus nameplate.. but it should have been on the MONDEO YOU IDIOTS

By: Ricardo Head

Ricardo Head — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:22:31 +0000

You know, I really hated the 500 but now that it is going to be called a Taurus I want one soooooooo badly!
.
.
.
NOT.

By: Blakkarr

Blakkarr — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:49:20 +0000

Lot of haters out today…

Anyway, I just hope this means a general end to FORD’s dumb idea to name all their cars By “F” words for FORD, “M” words for Mercury, and eventually and end to That odd, though strangely not as Lame “M-K” crud for Lincoln. “Mark- whatever” is just fine.

The names were just getting very weak to me.

Besides, Everyone knew the FiveHundred, which sounds like a muscles car, as in Galaxy 500, was really the next generation Taurus anyway. I think the market would have been more forgiving if they has gone with that name…

Again on the Taxi and a Rental car cracks, Detroit cuts better fleet deals than Japan does.

By: SR

SR — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:30:28 +0000

They could just call it the Ford Crap – it’d be about the same.

By: TomF

TomF — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:28:53 +0000

Someone wrote: “While Taurus was a strong name and had a strong brand recognition going, it also symbolizes an older model…” Gee, like Mustang, Impala, Corvette, Caprice, and Camaro? Those names don’t “symbolize older models” — they denote a FRANCHISE. A brand franchise is the best thing you can have going for you in automotive marketing and it’s beyond me why Ford insists on trying to throw theirs away.

The Taurus is still remembered as a revolutionary design that was exciting and accessible to mainstream America and gave good value. The latter-generation cars, noboby remembers except frequent Hertz renters. There is NO equity in the Five Hundred name, nobody knows what the hell it means. Everyone knows what the Taurus means and the Taurus brand story has very little downside.

Good move.

By: Impulsive

Impulsive — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:15:29 +0000

Problems started with letting the Taurus stagnate, then going to rental status. Followed by dropping the name/vehicle. Followed by building a new, BORING, BLAND vehicle and naming it something different (2 strikes … name and styling are failures) maybe hoping it would help a faltering company. Followed by today’s news of the name change.

Correcting the problem has started with today’s news of a name change. Followed by building/styling a new vehicle worthy of acclaim that is desired by more people than all of its competition. “Taurus” deserves to exist, only labelling a vehicle garnering the attention of the world as when it first arrived.

By: sunshine1810

sunshine1810 — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:15:00 +0000

The Ford Taurus (except the original) was always a piece of junk especially the last two generations. The Ford Five Hundred drives terribly. The fusion drives much better. I never liked the Five Hundred name or the Taurus nameplate. Ford must improve the quality of materials and driving dynamics of their cars and especially their SUV and trucks if they want to see improved sales. Ford always tries to rename a car and it never works.

By: maximus

maximus — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:00:44 +0000

Is this that big of a deal?

By: 90Z

90Z — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 17:51:55 +0000

I doubt renaming the 500 as the Taurus is going to fool anyone. It’s still a 500, and it’s still a boring vehicle. Why mess with the (generally) good Taurus lineage?