Autoblog

Ford Taurus X to ride off into the sunset in February

When the Freestyle failed to capture the attention of the crossover-buying public, Ford took action. Designers slapped a three bar grille on the front end, got creative with the headlights and upped the power with a Duratec 3.5L V6 engine. And they changed the Freestyle's name to the Taurus X. Well, either nobody noticed or they just didn't give a damn. Ford is finally set to end the roomy crossover's misery in February 2009 when the last model is built at Ford's Chicago plant.

for more CLICK HERE (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/04/ford-taurus-x-to-ride-off-into-the-sunset-in-february/)

There is no surprise to this vehicle. I also hate to see what is going to happen to the Flex. If the Flex was supposed to be a MiniVan replacement, they forgot they over priced it.

There is no surprise to this vehicle. I also hate to see what is going to happen to the Flex. If the Flex was supposed to be a MiniVan replacement, they forgot they over priced it.

I agree with everything you said especially about the Flex being over priced.

There's really no place for the Taurus X in Ford's lineup, but, it's sad to see such a great vehicle as the Taurus X just fade into history.

I've said before that I believe Ford actually thought the Freestyle would have higher (maybe much higher) volume than the 500

They built what could be The Best ALL-Round Family hauler there's ever been.

Wasn't enough.

Families (imho) want all the capability but wrapped up as "something different".

The Freestyle/T-X was such a "girl/boy nextdoor" that our media-bombarded nuclear-procreation-groups just never gave it a thought - - unless they had a bit more than average IQ AND practicality.

Too Bad

& TOO BAD, Fomoco didn't try offering the "StyleFree"/T-X as the MERCURY META-ONE instead... ...AND ESPECIALLY FIRST

^that^ might just have created enough of a "stir"...
...that the "first Crossover deserving of that name" might have reached through the hype deluging our beleaguered consumers enough that the FS/TX could have come out later & achieved the volume it so richly deserved
(esp. if that had co-incided with the 3.5 finally being ready)

BUT
back them, Ford didn't BELIEVE in Mercury,
at least not enough to INVEST that much of a BET in them...

...Hope (yet wonder if) Fomoco has learned that, even with the Mantra of ONE.FORD,
MERCURY can be a Force-To-Be-Reckoned-With
and
CAN do things the BlueOval can't.

[/end rant]

I knew that the Taurus X was dead when both the Edge and the Flex had Trailer Tow Packages and the X did not.

Make way for the new Explorer ! Unfortunately it won't be here until 2011MY or 2012MY.

Too Bad

& TOO BAD, Fomoco didn't try offering the "StyleFree"/T-X as the MERCURY META-ONE instead... ...AND ESPECIALLY FIRST

^that^ might just have created enough of a "stir"...
...that the "first Crossover deserving of that name" might have reached through the hype deluging our beleaguered consumers enough that the FS/TX could have come out later & achieved the volume it so richly deserved
(esp. if that had co-incided with the 3.5 finally being ready)

BUT
back them, Ford didn't BELIEVE in Mercury,
at least not enough to INVEST that much of a BET in them...

...Hope (yet wonder if) Fomoco has learned that, even with the Mantra of ONE.FORD,
MERCURY can be a Force-To-Be-Reckoned-With
and
CAN do things the BlueOval can't.

[/end rant]

I agree 100% with everything you said 2b2. And I wish that when the new uni-body Explorer makes it's debut that they'll be a new Mountaineer also, but, it's highly unlikely.

forgot to mention...

now that both the T-X and Sable have their EOL dates,
WHY doesn't Chicago start building the new unibody Explorer THIS YEAR?
or
will they???

Flex should have been a Mercury. Its in the price range and looks special enough. It would have left space for the Taurus X in Ford's line up.

People coming out of the Taurus wagon were shocked at the price, and either looked for a used wagon or found something cheaper.

This should have been a wagon with a rear facing third row seat just like the old one. The price could have then been only $1k more than the Taurus, instead of over $3K more. A whole lot of money in design would have been saved too, and more parts would have been shared.

Flex should have been a Mercury. Its in the price range and looks special enough. It would have left space for the Taurus X in Ford's line up.

I agree Ndwariga. I and few others have been saying this for quite some time now.

Flex should have been a Mercury. Its in the price range and looks special enough. It would have left space for the Taurus X in Ford's line up.I wonder about that, really. It seems to me that there's just too many crossover type vehicles in the current Ford lineup. If you made the MKX a Lincoln exclusive, the Flex exclusive to Mercury, and the Taurus X exclusive to Ford, it just might work, and you'd have no vehicles you could just go to the other dealership to get.

I wonder about that, really. It seems to me that there's just too many crossover type vehicles in the current Ford lineup. If you made the MKX a Lincoln exclusive, the Flex exclusive to Mercury, and the Taurus X exclusive to Ford, it just might work, and you'd have no vehicles you could just go to the other dealership to get.

I think you've got a great idea there.

I think you've got a great idea there.

I have to agree with you.

A Mercury Flex and a Lincoln MKT in the same showroom? Not sure, same problem, just more pricey.

that's why I was wondering more about

D3-4:
MKT
MetaOne
Explorer (the last 2 being on the shorter Freestyle/T-X wheelbase)

CD3/EUCD:
MKX-2 (slightly stretched, still 5 passenger)
S-Max-plus (6-7 passenger)
Edge

"C2":
MKG-Kuga (stretched, still 5 passenger)
Mariner-plus (stretched, 6-7 passenger, 3rd row = kids only)**
Mariner**
Escape

part of the idea is the Mercurys would be for upscale families
while the Lincolns would appeal to RICHer/smaller families & singles/emptynesters


** I also advocate a lifestyle-trucklet on the stretched version
& a swoopy fastback 'sport-cross' - a bit like a smaller X6 - on the short version
(chops in the Design area)


ps/edit
while I *like* the Flex, don't see that upscale/large of a peoplemover being appropriate for Ford.. ...at least not much longer in a crumbling economy

that's why I was wondering more about

D3-4:
MKT
MetaOne
Explorer (the last 2 being on the shorter Freestyle/T-X wheelbase)

CD3/EUCD:
MKX-2 (slightly stretched, still 5 passenger)
S-Max-plus (6-7 passenger)
Edge

"C2":
MKG-Kuga (stretched, still 5 passenger)
Mariner-plus (stretched, 6-7 passenger, 3rd row = kids only)**
Mariner**
Escape

part of the idea is the Mercurys would be for upscale families
while the Lincolns would appeal to RICHer/smaller families & singles/emptynesters


** I also advocate a lifestyle-trucklet on the stretched version
& a swoopy fastback 'sport-cross' - a bit like a smaller X6 - on the short version
(chops in the Design area)


ps/edit
while I *like* the Flex, don't see that upscale/large of a peoplemover being appropriate for Ford.. ...at least not much longer in a crumbling economy

I agree with and like all of your ideas 2b2.