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Used Mercury Comet

From the years 1960 until 1977, the Ford Motor Company’s Mercury division manufactured the Mercury Comet. In its 17 year history, the Comet was actually discontinued for a year, in the 1970 model year. It has also been reclassified from being a compact to an intermediate-sized vehicle, thanks to several changes and its design and Ford’s marketing strategy. From being a descendant of the Ford Falcon, the Mercury Comet received upgraded trim details in its interior, with a longer wheelbase. The Comet shared a platform and a basic shape, often referred to as the “round body” with the Ford Falcon.

Estimated Price Range for Used Mercury Comet: $6,500-$29,000
Below are Pre-Owned Mercury Comet from Ebay and 3 of the top used-car sites on the web:

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Used Mercury Comet on Yahoo Autos	Used Mercury Comet on Oodle
Used Mercury Comet on AOL Autos

The Comet was initially introduced in four body styles coupes with 2 doors, 4-door sedans, and station wagons with either 2 or 4 doors. As for trim levels, there were two the basic Standard trim and the Custom trim with added chrome trim, interiors in vinyl, and badging. The 144 cid Thriftpower straight six engine with a single-barrel Holley carburetor was the only available engine for the Mercury Comet.

After four generations, Ford stopped producing the Mercury Comet in 1975. Originally it was planned that the Comet, along with its cousin Ford Maverick, will just undergo major changes in its models. Later, it was decided that Mercury would rebrand these redesigned models to the Mercury Monarch and Ford Granada, respectively. Eventually, the “Sports Accents” edition of the Comet was still available until 1977. The Comet was eventually replaced by the Mercury Zephyr for the model year of 1978.

Mercury Comet Burning Out

August 4, 2008 at 2:16 am | No comment

Used Mercury Cougar

In the history of the Ford Motor Company’s Lincoln-Mercury Division, there have been a number of diverse vehicles branded as the Mercury Cougar. As with all vehicles of the Mercury line, the Cougar has a “cousin” or a car in the Ford line that it shares a platform with. With the Cougar, it was the Ford Mustang. In the later generations, though, it became the Thunderbird. The last generation of Mercury Cougars shared the same platform with the Ford Contour. More than anything, the Mercury Cougar became a trendy marketing object for Ford, as the public’s attention was captivated by ads of models holding big, leashed felines.

Estimated Price Range for Used Mercury Cougar: $900-$2,000
Estimated MPG for Mercury Cougar: 21 City/31 Hwy
Below are Pre-Owned Mercury Cougar from Ebay and 7 of the top used-car sites on the web:

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Used Mercury Cougar on Yahoo Autos	Used Mercury Cougar on Oodle
Used Mercury Cougar on AOL Autos	Used Mercury Cougar on Motortrend
Used Mercury Cougar on Usedcars	Used Mercury Cougar on Internetautoguide
Used Mercury Cougar on Autotrader

Two Ford plants assembled the Cougar, the Dearborn Assembly plant in Michigan from the first year it was introduced until 1973, and the Lorain Assembly Plant from 1974 until the brand’s end in 1997. More than 437,000 Cougars were produced for its first generation. For its second generation, the Cougar’s style was changed and had a longer wheelbase. When the third generation Cougar was released in 1974, it was marketed as a personal luxury car. A 20th anniversary edition Cougar was produced in 1987 with special items such as an exterior in cabernet red, midnight smoke moldings, Mustang BT wheels, and even a book detailing the Cougar’s history.

The Cougar was affected by Ford’s restructuring plan in 2002. Along with other Ford lines, the Cougar was decided to be discontinued. Unfortunately, the last generation of Cougars, which was aimed at the youth market, was also plagued with problems with its brakes and engine design, among others.

Mercury Cougar Review

August 4, 2008 at 2:02 am | No comment

Used Mercury Grand Marquis

One of the few remaining lines of vehicles that the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company still produces up to now is the Mercury Grand Marquis. It is a full-size sedan that has a rear-wheel drive. Its Panther platform is something that it shares with Lincoln’s Town Car and Ford’s Crown Victoria. For two years, from 1983 when it was first introduced, until 1985, the Grand Marquis was assembled in Ford’s plant in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 1986 up to the present, the Grand Marquis, along with the Town Car and Crown Victoria, are produced at the St. Thomas Assembly Plant in Toronto, Canada. Since its introduction, the Mercury Grand Marquis has been equipped with V8 engines, bench seating for 6 passengers. Thus, it is one of the last remaining “traditional” American full-size cars that are still sold in retail, as other full-size cars, like the Crown Victoria, is sold by fleet sales since last year.

Est. Price Range for Used Mercury Grand Marquis: $500-$16,000
Est. MPG for Mercury Grand Marquis: 16 City/24 Hwy
Available Trims: Base, GS, LS
Below are Pre-Owned Mercury Grand Marquis from Ebay and 6 of the top used-car sites on the web:

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Used Mercury Grand Marquis on Yahoo Autos	Used Mercury Grand Marquis on Oodle
Used Mercury Grand Marquis on Autotrader	Used Mercury Grand Marquis on Motortrend
Used Mercury Grand Marquis on Usedcars	Used Mercury Grand Marquis on Internetautoguide

In its first generation, the Grand Marquis experienced good sales and remained virtually unchanged, until 1986, when SEFI, or sequential electronic fuel injection was added to the engine. Aesthetic changes in 1988 included a redesigned front clip, grilled and badging. In this generation of the Grand Marquis, the 2-door coupe was discontinued because it did not sell well. The second generation Grand Marquis received a more extensive makeover, with sheet metal, a redesigned roof line, new grille, and a more rounded look.

The Grand Marquis is now on its third generation, with 2 trims, the LS Fleet and LS Retail trims available. On both models, federally mandated equipment such as side impact airbags and window switches have become standard.

History of the Mercury Grand Marquis

August 4, 2008 at 1:44 am | No comment

Used Mercury Milan

In 2005, the Lincoln-Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company introduced a mid-size sedan named the Mercury Milan. The Milan, which debuted in the Chicago Auto Show, is built on Ford’s CD3 platform, something it shares with its “cousin” Ford Fusion. Actually, the Milan has been tagged as an upgraded version of the Fusion, targeted to a more affluent market. Thus, it occupies a space somewhere between the Fusion and the more luxurious Lincoln MKZ (formerly the Lincoln Zephyr).

Estimated Price Range for Used Mercury Milan: $3,900-$19,500
Estimated MPG for Mercury Milan: 18 City/25 Hwy
Available Trims: Base, I-4 Premier, V6
Below are Pre-Owned Mercury Milan from Ebay and 7 of the top used-car sites on the web:

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Used Mercury Milan on Yahoo Autos	Used Mercury Milan on Oodle
Used Mercury Milan on AOL Autos	Used Mercury Milan on Motortrend
Used Mercury Milan on Usedcars	Used Mercury Milan on Internetautoguide
Used Mercury Milan on Autotrader

The Fusion and the Milan differ in the design of their front and rear fascia, the size of their rear doors, taillight clusters, head and fog lamp types, suspension, and interior. Six Milan package variants are available: the I4, I4 Premier, V6, V6 Premier, V6 AWD, and Premier AWD. The 4WD variant has a five-speed manual transmission. Additional features include a DVD navigation system and a console-mounted MP3 auxiliary jack in some 2007 Milans. A hybrid version of the Mercury Milan has been made available, featuring a Duratec 25 gasoline engine (Atkinson cycle variant) and an AC synchronous electric motor with 106 horsepower.

The Milan is currently available in the U.S., including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Middle East. In the Middle East, however, only the Milan I4 and Milan I4 Premier variants are available. Among the accolades the Mercury Milan has been given Consumer Reports’ most reliable cars available in the U.S., where it ranked 4th. The Milan has also been included in the RDA Group’s TGW (“things gone wrong”) list in 2007 and 2009 with the lowest TGW incidents among midsize cars.

Mercury Milan Review

August 4, 2008 at 1:40 am | No comment

Used Mercury Mariner

In 2005, the Mercury Division of the Ford Motor Company introduced a new compact crossover SUV for the luxury market, named the Mercury Mariner. This entry-level vehicle is considered as an upscale cousin of two other cars also produced by Ford, the Mazda Tribute and Ford Escape. The Escape and Mariner are basically identical mechanically, only that the Escape has manual transmission available. Aesthetic difference between the Escape and the Mariner include the color of the interiors and cladding, signal repeaters, and the front grille, as the Mariner employs the signature Mercury “waterfall” grille at the front.

Estimated Price Range for Used Mercury Mariner: $5,000-$19,500
Estimated MPG for Mercury Mariner: 20 City/26 Hwy
Available Trims: Base, Premier, Luxury, Hybrid
Below are Pre-Owned Mercury Mariner from Ebay and 7 of the top used-car sites on the web:

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Used Mercury Mariner on Yahoo Autos	Used Mercury Mariner on Oodle
Used Mercury Mariner on AOL Autos	Used Mercury Mariner on Motortrend
Used Mercury Mariner on Usedcars	Used Mercury Mariner on Internetautoguide
Used Mercury Mariner on Autotrader

The Mariner is also Mercury’s first SUV based on a car. It is also the first Mercury vehicle to have a four-cylinder engine since the Cougar, which was discontinued in 2002. A year after the first Mariner was introduced; a hybrid edition was rolled out. The Mariner Hybrid system automatically switches between power from its electric motor, power from its gasoline engine a combination of both battery and engine. This ensures maximum efficiency and performance.

A special Presidential Edition was introduced in 2008 for former U.S. president Bill Clinton. Security features were added to the vehicle, with custom additions like bucket seats in the rear, a refrigerator, and DVD players for each seat. The current 2009 Mariner model is sold in the U.S. Outside the U.S., it is available in the Middle East and Mexico. The Mercury brand has not been available in Canada since 2002. The car’s distinctions include Best Buy for 2 consecutive years (2005-2007) from Consumers Digest and Green Car of the Year in 2006 by Green Car Journal.

Mercury Mariner Review

August 4, 2008 at 1:34 am | No comment