This is a wonderful reminder of how you sometimes ask for something – get it – and then decide you like the other thing better. The third-generation Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable were a primary example of this, as the bread-and-butter sedan was taken to a new level of luxury and refinement that nobody knew what to do with. Regardless, despite all the fanfare and marketing dollars spent on its introduction, the third-generation models never quite achieved the high marks Ford set for itself. However, they’re still excellent drivers today, and this 1998 Mercury Sable LS with 20,000 original miles listed here on eBay for $7,799 looks like a fantastic deal for a daily driver.
I just learned that the Sable had a novel feature the Taurus did not: the center badge in the grill was illuminated at night! This is a great example of the overthinking that happened when Ford unveiled this dramatic redesign of its top-selling model: fixing what wasn’t broken and over-indexing on details most buyers didn’t care about or would never notice. The third-generation model was meant to catapult the Taurus and Sable past its competitors at Honda and Toyota, thanks to high-end finishes and features, robust powerplants, and polarizing styling. Instead, all of that served to obscure the more abstract improvements Ford made to the chassis, steering, and engines.
I will say, there is some blame to go around on the part of the American consumer. All the complaining about cheap plastics and lack of refinement compared to the Japanese competition and Ford rolls up its sleeves and delivers; then, the same consumer takes issue with the wild styling and increase in price, completely glossing over the improvements that were made based on some focus group that indicated the Taurus was being lapped by the Accord. From triple-stitched leather to soft-touch materials everywhere you looked, the Taurus was a quantum leap compared to the prior years’ models.
In addition the aforementioned chassis improvements born out of improved structural rigidity, the Duratec V6 was a free-revving motor with usable power all across the rev range. The SHO trim took it one step further, with better styling and a Yamaha-build V8 under the hood. The seller’s Sable is in outstanding condition throughout and looks every part of a low-mileage model. The 3.0L, four-cam V6 made a healthy 200 b.h.p. channeled through an automatic transmission and put to the ground via the front wheels. This Sable makes sense on multiple levels, not just as a collectible classic but also as an affordable daily driver that will deliver reliable daily driving for years to come.
Lovely Merc Lavery. Looks like a very well appointed and comfortable automobile. Dual exhaust, healthy 6 pot providing more than ample juice. Nice.
Back in the “good old days” when Ford was at the top of their game …sigh. The illuminated grille logo could have been a substitute for the full length light-bar grille the first two gens of the Sable had.
Good analysis Jeff. I kind of forgot about all the advances from the previous generation of Taurus/Sable, which sold a billion copies. But I’d say people just couldn’t get past the rounded/oval styling. Plus, it was when SUV’s were taking off big time– the Explorer was a strong seller in the Ford camp.
Assuming there are not service parts which are already unavailable, this low-mileage Sable would be a fine daily driver. For the price of a ten year old Civic with 150k miles.
Dealer couldn’t even buy new tires for it, some are dry rotted and not safe.
The tires don’t even match and the clear coat is flaking off several of the wheels.
It may be low mileage, but it has signs it was driven by braille, the drivers seat is cracked and has lost some of its contour. I’d bet it was parked either outside or in a carport. This is nowhere as nice as the seller suggests. It’s probably priced at least double what it should be. These were notorious for their transmissions which were expensive to rebuild, if/when it fails the buyer isn’t likely to spend the money to rebuild it.
Steve R
I really enjoyed this analysis. You pointed out improvements that were even overlooked by the marketers, who were the first to hit the panic button and brand the car a failure. After the smashing success of the original, Act II was always going to be rough going. This car had features of more expensive cars and the Duratec was a decent powerplant, much better than the 3.8. The SHO with the V8 was one car I always looked at but never pulled the trigger on buying, much to my regret today. This is a very sensible alternative to most offerings, and should give good service with near universal repair capability.
My opinion what killed this car was Ford making the escort and tracer with the same design so this looks like your driving a larger escort. We had the Taurus as a company rig and it got to over 300k miles and still going before someone who doesn’t understand the concept of a stop sign crashed into it. This could make someone a nice car for a while.
Ford motor company used to be competitive. They actually used to build cars that people wanted to buy under three different divisions. They actually had more than one body style. They actually built more than just trucks and SUVs. Everything they build today is incredibly overpriced. And their electric vehicle trucks are a fiasco. I don’t think the future looks very bright at Ford. Maybe they should try building and affordable car that Americans can actually purchase that doesn’t kill their budget. The average American just can’t afford a new Ford motor company product anymore. Henry Ford would be very upset about this!
Remove the word Ford from the above post and change it to all American car manufacturers.
Of course, I’m saying this as an owner of 2 Ford vehicles, but explain to me how they are any different from any other car manufacturer.
I drove later model, ’80 – ’83, Tauruses on business for a number of years. Lots and lots if miles and never a mechanical failure. These were excellent cars….good drivers, spacious, economical. I bought two company cars when they were retired. This Sable is a great value and should give many trouble free miles.
The Mercury was better looking than the turtle-backed Taurus, which later took the Mercury styling. And this generation did well for rental fleets, not so much for consumer sales. Yet it was a more-than-decent car and many of them are still running around. If you decide to buy one, make sure the transmission and heater core are good, as both take 15-pus hours to replace.
In the late 90’s I worked for a Lincoln Merc dealer as a live tech. One of my jobs was to pre check and test drive new vehicles after the rolled of the truck. I drove many of these Sables all different trims and to an 18 year old kid driving on the highway in a Black Sable LS with leather interior and a moonroof…it felt like damn near a Lincoln to me. These were nice cars. The mechanics used to say “wait till those non serviceable tranny’s start popping”
-and they did.