Mercury Sable

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{{Infobox Automobile |image=Image:2005 Mercury Sable.jpg |name=Mercury Sable |manufacturer=Ford Motor Company |production=1986–2005 |class=Midsize |predecessor=Mercury Marquis |successor=Mercury Montego
Mercury Milan |body_style=4-door sedan
4-door station wagon |platform=FF D186 |related=Ford Taurus
Lincoln Continental |similar=Chrysler Sebring
Buick Regal }}

Released in December 1985 for the 1986 model year, the Mercury Sable was the upscale version of the Ford Taurus. Replacing the Mercury Marquis, the Sable was available as a 4-door sedan or a station wagon. The Sable featured a unique fascia characterized by the full-width headlamp, or "lightbar". Mercury would later adopt this design feature for other vehicles, including the Mercury Villager, Mercury Topaz, and the Mercury Tracer. The feature would later be dropped in the mid 1990s, even though other car companies like Subaru, Pontiac, and Honda would adopt this feature. The last example of this "lightbar" would be seen in 1997, when the Subaru SVX was discontinued, even though a 2004 Honda concept car used a lightbar.

The Sable was slightly redesigned in 1992 and received its first major overhaul in 1996. The 1996 model is the basis for the 2005 model, although some small styling changes in 2000 and 2004 further refined the car and softened some of the controversial design vestiges of the 1996 model.

The Sable was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list on its release in 1986 and again in 1990 and 1991.

The Sable station wagon ended production in 2004 and the sedan ended on April 29, 2005. The Ford Taurus will remain in production until the end of the 2006 model year.

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Year to year changes

1987: Due to the Taurus and Sable's sales successes, there were no major changes, except for the 4-cylinder engine being dropped. The Taurus continued to offer a 4-cylinder engine.
1988: The stronger 3.8L Essex V6 became available and the Sable GS received numerous standard equipment upgrades such as air conditioning, split front seats, and intermittent wipers.
1989: Even though the Taurus lineup received a big upgrade with the addition of the SHO, the Sable carried on with just an upgraded lightbar, now fully illuminated.
1990: The Sable got a new steering wheel with space for an airbag, received a new dashboard that featured cupholders, and a CD player became available.
1991: The Sable wagon got a new transmission and the V6 got a better fuel injection system, while anti-lock brakes became an option for the wagon. Other than that, the Sable was unchanged.
1992: The Sable and Taurus got a facelift for 1992. Even though the shape was virtually unchanged, each body panel was replaced with a new one giving a more modern look. The front lightbar was made smaller, the whole body was squashed down, and the interior was changed except for the steering wheel and seats. The dashboard was replaced with a more organized one, and overall the interior was more organized. New wheels became available, and the Taurus/Sable offered dual front airbags, a first in their class.
1993: The Sable is virtually the same, except for the fact that the optional passenger airbag became standard, and bucket seats with a center console could be ordered to take the place of the front bench seat.
1994: A new steering wheel was added for 1994, and some Vulcan models began to receive the new AX4N 4-speed automatic.
1995: An LTS "Luxury Touring Sedan" model was added, which had standard leather with bucket seats, leather wrapped interior parts, upgraded electronics, keyless entry, and special Taurus LX-style wheels.
1996: For 1996, the Sable was all-new, everything from the previous model was scrapped, and nothing was carried over, except for the steering wheel. The Sable offered the same bench seat, although the center part could fold out as a console. This was among the many new changes offered in the new Sable. The LTS model was also dropped. The high-torque Essex V6 was dropped in favor of the much smaller Duratec, which had more power but less torque.
1997: Nothing changed, except for map pockets added to the doors.
1998: For 1998, the Sable got a slightly restyled front fascia. Otherwise, it carries on the same.
1999: The Sable got a price cut up to US$2,000, and also received a revised instrument cluster for 1999.
2000: For 2000, the Sable got a facelift that retooled the radical design with a more contemporary, practical design. The Sable also got new wheels, hood, bumpers, headlights, taillights, dashboard, and steering wheel.
2001: The Sable got lower child anchors, a bigger fuel tank, and a CD player rejoined the options list after being dropped for 1996. However, the Sable became Mercury's entry-level model since the demise of the Mercury Mystique in 2000, and Mercury Tracer in 1999.
2002: Anti-lock brakes became a no-cost option.
2003: The Sable got better sound dampening and new cupholders. Other changes included minor changes to the interior, and new colors.
2004: For 2004, the Sable got a new grille, bumpers and taillights. Besides that, it carried on the same.
2005: For 2005, the wagon was dropped, and the Sable got new rear badges and wheel options. The Sable was then quietly dropped from Mercury's lineup. The last Sable left the Atlanta plant on April 29. The Taurus remains in production for the fleet market.

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Generations

1988 Mercury Sable	1992 Mercury Sable	1992 Mercury Sable Wagon	1996 Mercury Sable
1996 Mercury Sable Station Wagon	2000 Mercury Sable	2001 Mercury Sable Wagon	2005 Mercury Sable