Two weeks ago, I spent several days behind the wheel of a 2002 Ford Taurus SE (you can see a review based on my week in a Taurus at http://www.epinions.com/content_47170162308 )./SYM Lo and behold, when I picked up a rental car the next week, the kind folks at my neighborhood Enterprise handed me the keys to a Mercury Sable. Over the next five days, I put slightly under 500 miles on the vehicle; the bulk of which was highway driving.  
 
 
The Car  
 
Enterprise rented me a 2002 Sable GS model, a four-door, with Lincoln-Mercury's stock V6 Vulcan engine and four-speed automatic overdrive transmission. The vehicle came equipped with dual airbags, power doors/windows/mirrors, cloth seats, AM/FM/Cassette, tilt wheel, cruise control, intermittent wipers, and AC. This model (unlike last week's Taurus) also included remote keyless entry.  
 
 
Styling Notes  
 
This particular Sable was supplied in a metallic champagne color with a three-color interior package in kahki and gold, with a deep olive shade for the dashboard and steering wheel. The trunk, however, is carpeted in the same gray as the Taurus.  
 
Much of the difference (what little there is) between a Taurus and a Sable is in the styling. Given that Ford positions Lincoln-Mercury as their luxury line, the carmaker feels compelled to give the Sable a more luxurious look and feel than the proletarian Taurus. Since frame and body components of the two vehicles are identical, any additional "luxury" must be imparted by changes in pieces and parts that are inserted, attached, or otherwise appended to the core of the automobile.  
 
That, for the most part, means additional chrome: the Sable's grille has a chrome surround (reminiscent of the Jaguar grille) and the body trim molding boasts a chrome insert instead of the plain color-matched molding on the Taurus. Head- and tail-lights are subtly different; the Sable's lighting modules have a more traditional appearance lacking the elongate teardrop motif of the Taurus. The most striking body difference is in the trunkline. The Sable's trunk bears the slightest suggestion of a bulge at the rear, with the addition of a chrome emblem on the rear-facing surface to suggest the classic Lincoln Continental.  
 
Interior styling for the Sable has likewise been dialed up a notch, with the addition of a snazzy two-tone dashboard. A luxury note is added by the faux walnut surround on the central panel, viewing which makes me wonder: is there but one supplier for fake burled walnut in the world, or does everybody make that same color and pattern of ugly plastic? The instrument cluster remains unchanged, as does the central panel containing the climate control and entertainment centers. The radio controls feature the same tired black rocker switches used in the Taurus; the climate control is the stock three-knob system used by Ford for decades (an automatic temperature-control system is optional).  
 
 
Driver-Car Interface  
 
The Sable's ride differs marginally from the Taurus, perhaps as a result of slightly different tuning in the suspension to impart the more "luxurious" ride. Cornering and braking, as in the Taurus, are acceptable but unremarkable. The overall ride is comfortable on smooth roads, with a slight sway on bumpy or uneven surfaces.  
 
The stock 155-hp Vulcan V6 is the same engine used in the SE model Taurus; it suffers the same acceptable high-end torque and deficient low-end acceleration I noted in the Sable's twin. As in the Taurus SE, the engine was coupled to a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission (steering column-mounted). My mileage on this trip came in at 22 MPG, much the same as my experience in the Taurus.  
 
The cockpit, too, is identical to that of the Taurus, with controls and switches arrayed within comfortable reach of the averaged-sized driver (me). An available pedal placement control option, which raises and lowers the accelerator/brake pedal complex, might prove useful to shorter drivers. The Sable, like the Taurus, provides illumination in the door and window controls so that they can be found in the dark.  
 
 
Driving Environment  
 
Seating in this trim level of the Sable is identical to that of the Taurus SE; with comfortable but unremarkable cloth seats. The GS, like the Taurus SE, lacks motor-driven seat adjustment and also has minimal lumbar support. Rear-seat room is sufficient for three average-sized passengers, though all three would find the configuration uncomfortable for more than an hour or so of riding.  
 
The glove compartment is of a reasonable size and lacks the somewhat strange shape of that found in the Taurus. There are map pockets in the door (no surprise) and a small cubbyhole for change, or other small items below the climate controls. Like the Taurus SE, the Sable GS provides two frnt "bucket-like" seats plus that same idiotic convertible console/armrest that can be folded up to form a middle front seat. It may be "luxurious," but it's still stupid -- the cupholders and console storage disappear instantly when it's folded, and folding or unfolding the lower half requires removing whatever's plugged into either power port.  
 
The trunk capacity is, like that of the Taurus, about 17 cubic feet and has an moderately high sill. Unlike the Taurus, there is no cargo net, but there are two small plastic wells molded into the floor at the sides of the space. At the GS trim level, the back seats do not fold nor is there any form of pass-through; long cargo must either hang over the trunk lip or be relegated to the roof.  
 
Wind noise is very pronounced at highway speeds, even moreso than in the Taurus. Engine noise is somewhat intrusive, although road noise is minimal unless the road surface is especially coarse (fresh chip-and-seal surfaces, for instance).  
 
 
Highs and Lows  
 
These are my personal observations about this Sable model, with additional explanation where necessary:  
 
Positives: the Accelerator Pedal  
 
+/SYM good rear-seat room  
+/SYM large trunk capacity  
+/SYM clear dash and instrument-panel layout  
+/SYM fuel economy  
+/SYM keyless remote, with auxiliary lighting on the underside of the sideview mirrors  
 
Mmmmm, Maybe: The Neutral Zone  
 
= engine acceleration  
= road handling and braking  
= an average climate-control system  
= wind noise, road noise, engine noise  
= dated interior design, especially the control panels  
= quality control (see below)  
 
Negatives: the Brake Pedal  
 
- no fold-down rear seat  
- amateurish-looking design to interior components, especially the "console"  
- cheesy stock sound system  
- climate controls (see "rant," below)  
- that stupid front-seat console and lack of interior storage.  
 
 
On Quality  
 
This particular Sable was not as poorly constructed as the Taurus I drove last week (ergo the 3-star rating as opposed to the Taurus's 2-star), but there is still room for improvement. Quality problems I noted in a cursory inspection included:  
 
- The fuel gage does not read above 7/8 even when full (same as I observed in the Taurus -- a supplier problem?)  
- The two-tone dashboard is actually one piece; and the boundary between the two color areas was irregular  
- There was a color mis-match between the dashboard and the panel covering the passenger airbag.  
 
 
Rant  
 
One area in which the Taurus and the Sable (and other Ford products, if I remember correctly) are deficient -- in my humble opinion -- is in the climate control engineering. There are three knobs for this system: fan speed, temperature, and a "position" selector. Other manufacturers give you the option for recirculate vs external circulation in any position (face, floor, defrost) and with the AC on or off; in a Ford it's only available in AC. When on AC (or Max AC) you have to play with the vents to balance air in the face or on the floor.  
 
Other manufacturers give us control over whether the AC unit is running in any vent position and also over the circulation in any vent position. Why won't Ford's engineers do the same?  
 
 
Overall  
 
There's not a dime's worth of difference between the Sable GS and the Taurus GE in the realm of engineering, handling, and comfort. The minor differences in styling are insignificant to the intrinsic value of the car, but are there only to add a taste of "luxury," so they're worth it, I guess.  
 
If you don't mind paying an extra $200 or so (base price Taurus SE vs base price Sable GS) for the chrome trim and that fake walnut on the dashboard, feel free to pony it up. Or if your Lincoln-Mercury dealer is much more convenient than your Ford dealer, it's a no-brainer. Otherwise, shop 'em both and see who'll give you the best deal.  
 
Or you could buy a Camry, instead -- and get a dish of Japanese-flavored plain vanilla instead of US-flavored plain vanilla. 
