SVTdriver said:
I'm pretty sure Mercury will be around until at least the 2007 model year, when it will be getting a new crossover SUV.
I think Mercury could do better if they were sold side-by-side with Fords, which Mercury shares a lot in common with, rather than Lincoln, which is a completely different class of car.
I really am hoping that Lincoln builds the Mark IX coupe-- that would, at least, give it one distinct model. And, quite frankly, I think that building the Town Car and the Continental on a FWD platform is a big mistake. We're Americans, for cripe's sake. Big, RWD cars are practically instilled in our DNA! It is part of who we are and what makes us stand out from the rest of the auto-buying public of the world. The Chrysler 300 is doing so well because it is unapologetically-American. The Lincoln LS sold well its first several years because it was a distinctly-American (though it definitely had some Jaguar DNA) car that went toe-to-toe with BMW.
I'll be watching Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum sales figures very closely over the next year. I really believe the auto-buying public of this country has had their fill of boring Camry/Accord-like mid-size cars. There really is no room left in that market segment. I'll keep an eye on the Five Hundred, Freestyle, and Fusion, but I don't think things are too hopeful at the moment.