Mountaineer No More?

[2006_MM_FYRE41]

I have heard rumor that after the 2009 model year the Mercury Mountaineer will be discontinued. Has anyone else heard this?

 

[Chris K.]

I have heard rumor that after the 2009 model year the Mercury Mountaineer will be discontinued. Has anyone else heard this?

I've heard that too. Other reports say 2010 or whenever the fifth generation Explorer comes online. Then again, I've heard there will not be a fifth generation Explorer. So take it for what it's worth.

I think such a decision would be shame. Because over the years, I’ve grown to really like the “adult” looks of the re-badged Fords. And if you play your cards right, you can get a Mercury with more bells and whistles than a comparably equipped Ford for less money.

All that being said, you can't really put too much stock in the automotive news or rumor mill. They have been proclaiming the demise of Mercury for years. But when you dig into the details, you'll find that Mercury continues to be a big profit engine for Ford. I think it has something to do with people coming in to buy a Ford and buying a Mercury or coming in to buy a Lincoln and buying a Mercury. Or, coming in to buy a Mercury and buying a Ford or Lincoln. Ha! All with minimal outlay of cash from Ford.

IMHO, I think Ford knows the aging boomer generation has champaign tastes, and as of late, a beer pocketbook. Mercury may find new life with the aging baby-boomers who think they deserve upscale, but can't quite stomach the price of a Lincoln. That's why I just bought a boat-load of Ford stock.

Chris

 

[SpartanTS]

I take everything I've heard lately with a grain of salt. With all the negative publicity GM has been taking with killing off multiple brands(Olds in 04, Pontiac this year, Saturn's future is uncertain, you get my drift), you can trust me when I say that Ford will keep Mercury for the next 5-10 years before killing it. Especially since it doesn't really cost them anything to keep it running other than marketing. There's no significant re-tooling in building the Milan, Mounty, or Mariner. So why fix somethin that ain't broke?

And I bought a ton of Ford stock as well . They better not kill Mercury or I'll be done with Ford altogether. And as you can tell from my sig, I'm a pretty loyal customer.