Category Archives: Mercury – DO NOT USE

Questions abound over Mercury resale values

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Posted in Ford, Mercury - DO NOT USE

Ford recently announced plans to end the storied Mercury brand, and those who purchased a Mercury in the past few years may be wondering about their resale value when it comes time to sell the car to a used car dealer.

Phoenix Business Journal recently talked to several auto experts about whether the car’s perceived value would be affected, and the results were mixed. Mercury, which shares platforms with Ford, is typically valued at least 1 percent lower than Ford, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Juan Flores, directer of valuation for Kelley Blue Book, predicts that Mercury’s could tumble, telling the news source that “historical precedence suggests that consumers typically shy away from purchasing vehicles from a brand that is no longer in existence.”

On the other hand, Jonathan Banks of NADA Used Car Guide told the news provider that the value will probably not change, because Mercury was not a brand that relied on its name for status, like BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

Mercury owners who are worried about their resale value might want to consider swapping their vehicle for a used Ford, since the cars are so closely linked.

Consumers can find deals as brands end

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford, Mercury - DO NOT USE

The economic downturn has meant that some automakers are ending brands with a long history. Pontiac and Saturn bit the dust last year, the last Hummer rolled off the line a few weeks ago, and Ford recently announced the demise of Mercury.

Consumers who are fans of these models can turn to the used car market in order to find deals on these cars. As new car dealers were forced to liquidate their stock, some have sold cars to used auto dealers at a reduced rate. Those dealers can then pass savings on to the consumer.

For brands like Hummer, the used car market will be the only place to find the discontinued models. Soon, that will be the same case for Mercury.

Mercury, owned by Ford, was the victim of a crowded market. Sandwiched uncomfortably between Ford’s luxury Lincoln brand and regular Ford brand, it never quite found an identity and commanded less than 1 percent of the market share.

Ford has promised to roll out additions to the Lincoln brand to replace the loss of Mercury. In the meantime, consumers may want to shop for deals on the used market for these once-storied brands.

Man lifts car off of trapped first-grader

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Posted in General Auto News, Mercury - DO NOT USE

An Ottawa, Kansas man has been hailed as a hero after lifting a car off of a trapped young girl, which may benefit used Mercury models in New Jersey.

Ashlyn Hough, age 6, was walking down her street on the way to school when she was hit by a neighbor who was backing out of their driveway. Ashlyn was pushed out into the street and was pinned under the car.

Nick Harris, who was dropping his 8-year-old daughter off at school, saw the incident and rushed over the help.

“I didn’t even think,” he said, quoted by the Associated Press. “I ran over there as fast as I could, grabbed the rear end of the car and lifted and pushed as hard as I could to get the tire off the child.”

Harris carried Ashlyn over to the sidewalk and was going back to get his cell phone from his car to dial 911, but the first-grader asked him to stay with her. He told onlookers to get the child’s mother who lives just down the street.

Ashlyn was sent to the hospital, but was later released after suffering a concussion and some minor bumps and bruises.

Harris, who is 5-foot-7 and 185 pounds, said he has no idea how he was able to lift the Mercury sedan off of the girl.

“I’ve tried four or five times since then, [and] I can’t do it, it’s impossible,” Harris said, quoted by CourierMail.com. “Christmas miracle, I guess.”

Ashlyn’s family, who happen to be neighbors with Harris, have praised him as a hero.

“I don’t consider myself a hero at all,” Harris said. “To me, it was payment enough when she gave me that huge hug and said, ‘Thanks, Superman.'”

Nick Harris’ amazing story of heroism may attract more attention to used Mercury models in New Jersey.

Police buy used cars for their force

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Posted in Ford, General Auto News, Mercury - DO NOT USE

With a slumping economy, many police forces in the U.S. are finding it hard to justify buying a new vehicle for their patrols – instead they are turning to used cars.

According to the Munster Times, the Lake County Police force has decided to purchase used Ford Tauruses and Mercury Grand Marquis to counter the rising gas prices and the increase in new car payments.

“We were looking for cars that were not going to kill us on the price,” Lake County Police Chief Marco Kuyachich told the paper.

It seems that the police force has been able to find cars that are relatively new with only a few thousand miles on them that are about half the cost of a new vehicle.

“I recently bought 12 Grand Marquis for an average price of $12,000 each,” Kuyachich told the paper. “New, those are $26,000 cars. They had between 17,000 to 23,400 miles.”

An unintended effect of the police force’s decision to make the used car purchases is saving the environment as it is thought to be more “green” to continue using older cars than to have new ones built.

Find New York Used Cars with New Jersey State Auto.