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Mercury Sable 1985-2005, 2008-2009
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Mercury Sable | |
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![]() 2008-2009 Mercury Sable
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Lincoln-Mercury Division (Ford) |
Production | December 1985–April 29, 2005 June 2007–May 21, 2009 |
Model years | 1986-2005 2008-2009 |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Mid-size (1986–2005) Full-size (2008–2009) |
Body style | 4-door sedan 5-door station wagon (1986-2005) |
Layout | FF layout all-wheel drive (optional, 2008-2009) |
Platform | Ford D186 platform (1986-2005) Ford D3 platform (2008-2009) |
Related | Ford Taurus Ford Taurus SHO Lincoln Continental (1988-2002) Ford Windstar (1995-1998) Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Mercury Marquis (1986) Mercury Montego (2008) |
Successor | 1986-2005: Mercury Milan 2008-2009: Ford Taurus |
The Mercury Sable is a range of automobiles marketed and sold by the Mercury division of American automaker Ford Motor Company.
Sold in North America from the 1986 to the 2005 model years and from the 2008-2009 model years, the Sable was marketed as the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Taurus through its entire production run, offered as a four-door sedan and station wagonAs part of a shift towards front-wheel drive vehicles, the Mercury Sable was introduced as the replacement for the mid-size Mercury Marquis. After 2005, the Sable was phased out in favor of the mid-size Mercury Milan and full-size Mercury Montego (as Ford would phase the Taurus out for the Fusion and Five Hundred). For 2008, a refreshed version of the Montego was renamed the Mercury Sable, as Ford considered the more recently used nameplate held better brand recognition. In contrast to the Ford Taurus X crossover SUVs, the revived Sable was produced solely as a sedan.
Through its production, the Mercury Sable was produced on the Ford D186 (1986-2005) and Ford D3 (2008-2009) platforms. Sharing its engine, transmission, and suspension with the Ford Taurus, to visually distinguish the two vehicles, relatively few exterior body panels were shared on sedans (with the exception of doors). Prior to 1996, Mercury Sables were given separate interior designs; on 2008-2009 examples, a greater degree of commonality is shared in exterior and interior design.
The Sable was sold through five unique generations:
- The First-generation model, sold from 1986-1991
- The Second-generation model, sold from 1992-1995
- The Third-generation model, sold from 1996-1999
- The Fourth-generation model, sold from 2000-2005
- The Fifth-generation model, sold from 2008-2009
The 2010 sixth-generation Ford Taurus was released without a Mercury Sable counterpart, leaving the Mercury Grand Marquis as the sole full-size sedan for the division. In 2010, Ford announced the closure of the Mercury brand following the end of the model year. With 22 separate model years in production, the Sable is the third longest-produced Mercury vehicle (behind the Cougar and Grand Marquis). After a total of 2,112,374 sold (to 2005), it is also the third best-selling Mercury vehicle (behind the same two nameplates)