[ZTWsquared]

Ford of Canada announced to its dealers Thursday that Taurus X is cancelled effective the end of the 09 model year.

All final orders are due no later than Friday , January 16th, 2009 and the last day of production will be Friday, February 27th, 2009.

Look for an announcement soon about an all-new Taurus - perhaps Mondeo based?

[mo_focus]

ZTWsquared,Nov 22 2008, 02:05 PM Wrote:Ford of Canada announced to its dealers Thursday that Taurus X is cancelled effective the end of the 09 model year.

All final orders are due no later than Friday , January 16th, 2009 and the last day of production will be Friday, February 27th, 2009.

Look for an announcement soon about an all-new Taurus - perhaps Mondeo based?
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thats very sad. I love my freestyle. Its an amazing car/suv/cuv/station wagon and whatever you want to call it.

Its got amazing handling for its size, great options and great on gas. Too bad Ford never did pay any attention to it in regards to advertising for the car. I was actually looking forward to replacing the Freestlye with tx limited. I wanted the rear heated seats+ power liftgate :)

[ZTWsquared]

mo_focus,Nov 22 2008, 10:12 AM Wrote:

ZTWsquared,Nov 22 2008, 02:05 PM Wrote:Ford of Canada announced to its dealers Thursday that Taurus X is cancelled effective the end of the 09 model year.

All final orders are due no later than Friday , January 16th, 2009 and the last day of production will be Friday, February 27th, 2009.

Look for an announcement soon about an all-new Taurus - perhaps Mondeo based?
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thats very sad. I love my freestyle. Its an amazing car/suv/cuv/station wagon and whatever you want to call it.

Its got amazing handling for its size, great options and great on gas. Too bad Ford never did pay any attention to it in regards to advertising for the car. I was actually looking forward to replacing the Freestlye with tx limited. I wanted the rear heated seats+ power liftgate :)
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My brother feels exactly the same ... here's how FoC explained the rationale to their dealers:

"The cancellation of the Taurus X will allow us to provide a singular solution to our customers needing a seven-passenger crossover with the Ford Flex, a great vehicle that is both safe and stylish."

It's what I've been saying all along - how could the two co-exist in the same lineup - too many similarities, not enough differentiation.

[02ztsian]

Saw this one coming. I tried out a Freestyle a few years back-not a bad car/SUV.

[meford4u]

Not good news for us in Oakville. THis vehicle was slated to come to Oakville next year.

[mo_focus]

Hate the looks of the Flex. Well maybe i dont mind taking my last ride in it before heading over to the grave site.

YEP. I said it. It looks like a hearse!

[mo_focus]

someone was also saying the TX will be the new explorer.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-explorer-2011.html

meford, maybe thats what Oakville is going to make?

[02ztsian]

BTW, a Hurst is a shifter. A hearse is for dead people. The Flex is a love it or hate it-and I love it. That's all that matters-as long as I (and my wife as well) like it.

[NefCanuck]

meford4u,Nov 22 2008, 11:00 AM Wrote:Not good news for us in Oakville.  THis vehicle was slated to come to Oakville next year.
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The Flex/MKZ & the Taurus X? That would have been one busy plant (Now if y'all could only start building cars there so I could buy a Ford car and not feel guilty about it, since I need an SUV ATM like I need a kick to the head)

NefCanuck

[mo_focus]

02ztsian,Nov 22 2008, 05:18 PM Wrote:BTW, a Hurst is a shifter. A hearse is for dead people. The Flex is a love it or hate it-and I love it. That's all that matters-as long as I (and my wife as well) like it.
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hehe. Thanks. FIxed :)

[NOS2Go4Me]

It was inevitable - how many 7-8 seaters does Ford need?

If I wasn't a car guy, I'd look at all three (Edge, Flex, Taurus X) and go "Why?".

With that said, if I needed 7 passenger space I'd likely get an Explorer.

[meford4u]

The Edge isn't a 7 passenger stupid.

[NOS2Go4Me]

meford4u,Nov 24 2008, 11:31 AM Wrote:The Edge isn't a 7 passenger stupid.
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So it competes with the Escape as a toothless SUV? Like a Murano?

In that case, I really don't get it. At least the MKX looks stylish enough (and it's 6-passenger. I get it.). The Flex is family-oriented enough. What does that make the Edge - an Escape for people who live south of Barrie?

Ford is really killing only themselves by polluting the SUV genepool with CUVs and other such junk. They're minivans without sliding doors.

[ZX3_2NV]

The Edge is a Wicked CUV I wonder how the sales of the Escape are in comparison to the Edge I don't know about you but i se more Edge's around than the new escape.

[NOS2Go4Me]

The Escape has sold well over 1M vehicles in North America alone, nevermind the sales of the Maverick worldwide. The Edge is a relative infant.

They are two vastly different vehicles - the Escape bolts up a modern powerplant and 4WD system but foregoes full off-road guts by having a single-speed transfer case and a 4-wheel independent suspension. The Edge is a pure family hauler with very, very limited off-road capabilities.

An Escape looks like and to an extent performs like a mini Explorer or Expedition. An Edge looks like and performs like a Nissan Murano. If you're a truck-minded junior exec or professional, the Murano makes sense. If you want haul room and decent towing capacity (although they rate the Edge the same), more ground clearance and you don't have an aversion to the word "truck", get an Escape.

The Flex will tow 4500 lbs and has 3 rows of seats, plus a power up and power down liftgate. The Edge has a power up liftgate and the Escape avoids that silly nonsense and sticks to being a truck. Suck it up people - open your own doors! :P :ph34r:

[OAC_Sparky]

NOS2Go4Me,Nov 25 2008, 10:58 AM Wrote:The Escape has sold well over 1M vehicles in North America alone, nevermind the sales of the Maverick worldwide. The Edge is a relative infant.

They are two vastly different vehicles - the Escape bolts up a modern powerplant and 4WD system but foregoes full off-road guts by having a single-speed transfer case and a 4-wheel independent suspension. The Edge is a pure family hauler with very, very limited off-road capabilities.

An Escape looks like and to an extent performs like a mini Explorer or Expedition. An Edge looks like and performs like a Nissan Murano. If you're a truck-minded junior exec or professional, the Murano makes sense. If you want haul room and decent towing capacity (although they rate the Edge the same), more ground clearance and you don't have an aversion to the word "truck", get an Escape.

The Flex will tow 4500 lbs and has 3 rows of seats, plus a power up and power down liftgate. The Edge has a power up liftgate and the Escape avoids that silly nonsense and sticks to being a truck. Suck it up people - open your own doors! :P :ph34r:
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Ok, so you post this and seem to somewhat get the idea. Sure, they may seat the same, whether it's 5 or 7 passengers. Different vehicles for different purposes and markets.

Which makes us wonder why you posted this:

NOS2Go4Me,Nov 24 2008, 09:49 AM Wrote:It was inevitable - how many 7-8 seaters does Ford need?

If I wasn't a car guy, I'd look at all three (Edge, Flex, Taurus X) and go "Why?".

With that said, if I needed 7 passenger space I'd likely get an Explorer.
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Different vehicles, different purposes and different markets.

[NOS2Go4Me]

OAC_Sparky,Nov 25 2008, 02:39 PM Wrote:Different vehicles, different purposes and different markets.
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What's the difference between an Edge, a Flex and a Taurus X? Not much at all.

An Edge and an Escape? Lots. Same for an Escape and a Flex. Different markets.

Launching the Flex for one more seat was more than a tad pointless, no? Did they really need two new CUVs to replace one perfectly good CUV? Of course not. All they're going to get now is a lot of waffling as people try to be either "edgy" (if I have to say it, you're getting a smack) or "hip" (the Flex).

There's no more "sensible" (the Taurus X). It's fine to have a polarizing design, but when both designs are that polarizing, you could be driving your competition to the tropics. Or, worse yet... over to the Asian markets. :o

The bottom line is that they axed the wrong CUV. I actually see a fair number of Freestyles / Taurus Xs around North Bay. I also see a lot of Edges. I've seen maybe 3-4 Flexes and NB seems to adopt most new consumer vehicles pretty quick - quicker than people from "down south" would assume, anyways.

Oh, and like every 6th vehicle up here is an Escape. It's nuts. The 2008/09s are flying off the lot as well at Stockfish. There's even another identical (monochrome) Tungsten Grey USDM Limited in town - no DRLs, no backup-warning rear bumper or anything.

At a time like this, Ford needs profitable sales volume. Confusing the s*** out of your loyal customer base is not a good way to get started. I've heard it first-hand. It's kinda scary how they have to explain and regroup to keep someone interested.

[NefCanuck]

Thing is though NOS that Mazda has three CUV's (CX7, CX9 and Mazda 5) and no one is arguing that they are in fact cannibalizing their own sales and there's even less difference between those cars.

The way I see the Escape, Edge and Flex breaking down is something like this:

The Escape is for the young urban types, who want a Jeep but don't want the Jeeps shortcomings (Including a nasty ride and bad entry/exit into the vehicle, having the hybrid option helps too)

The Edge is for a larger family that is looking for more room but doesn't need to haul with them absoolutely every thing that they own.

The Flex is the ultimate hauler of family and cargo but with style.

At least that's how I see it.

NefCanuck

[NOS2Go4Me]

See Nef, the Flex has really bad cargo room inside when all three rows of seats are used. 3 out of 4 Flexes I've seen already has a Thule or other brand of cargo carrier on the roof! And I don't mean a ski rack / enclosure, either.

As for Mazda, I really, honestly don't give a s*** what they do. The same for Dodge (ick) and the General. I guess I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Ford guy. I thought about that this morning on the way to work - all my best memories are in Fords. I'm even lumping my RX-8 experience in there even though Ford has zero to do with the Rotary Rocket ™.

What really pisses me off about Mazda is that NOTHING IS SACRED. I guess you have to be a (ex-)RX-8 owner to understand the psychology behind it. The RX-8's fenders are in the Mazda6 now. The airdam style is in the Mazdaspeed 3. The CX-7 and CX-9 (more the former than the latter, I find) share a front design with the Rx-8 or borrow from its design... heavily.

When a Camaro goes down the road, it looks like a Camaro. An Impala looks like... well, whatever flavour of Impala they bring out. But an Impala looks nothing like a Camaro. A Mustang looks like a Mustang and nothing else. An Escape looks like a mini-Expedition or Explorer, but that's ok by me because they've confirmed they want it to be more truck-like. There's a difference between "truck-like" and "your front fenders look just like the front fenders of my hallowed sports car".

It's more than a little annoying knowing you've paid a premium for a sports car that everyone else gets to enjoy the design and appeal of by driving a f***ing people wagon. Or sedan. There isn't a bargain basement Mustang hatchback lookalike. There isn't a 4-cylinder Mini Me Challenger. /end rant

Even so - CX-7 - 5 passenger wunderkind. As close as you can get to a Mazdaspeed 3/6 with room for 5 and a hatch while obtaining ground clearance. CX-9 - Edge twin, nothing more to say there. Mazda 5 - Subaru Justy on crack with an optional V6, doesn't count as a CUV. More of an overgrown wagon.

The Mazda situation is more diverse than the Ford one. Guys driving the CX-7 by choice likely wouldn't be caught dead in a Mazda 5. A Mazda 5 is the Abomination of the Mazda 3. Yes, that's a bad Hulk-themed joke.

The Flex is the newest, and sadly, the biggest waste of sheetmetal. You get one more seat but far less cargo space than an Edge.

I think we're off on a tangent here, bud :P

Mazda CX-7 = nothing Ford has. Mazda has the Tribute as an Escape clone, don't forget that. It's also the most androgenous-looking of the 3 trucklets (Escape/Tribute/Mariner). The Mariner is supposed to be the "chick truck" but I think the newly restyled Tribute beats it out. The Mariner is almost like a mini-MKX.

Mazda CX-9 = Ford Edge, Ford Taurus X.

1950s Woody Wagon = Ford Flex

Lunchbox with wheels and alien-shaped tail-lights = Mazda5.

[Flofocus]

I dont know why the escape sells so much, its honestly one of the ugliest/boring looking SUV's out there. I'd hit an Edge or flex before that thing in a heart beat.

No offence to the escape guys. :P