Used 2010 Ford Taurus Models See Spike in Resale Value
After being on the market for a year already, Ford Motor Company is starting to see a quick payoff for its redesigned 2010 Ford Taurus with improved resale value over its predecessor. There are many factors that go into determining the resale value of a used car, but one of the easiest ways for automakers to ensure great value for their pre-owned vehicles is to build models that convey high-quality, stylish and fun-to-drive characteristics. With this in mind, Ford introduced an all-new Taurus last year that has been improved in just about every way possible over the old model, and as a result, Ford says the car will have an increase in resale value of $7,100 over the 2009 model. Ford also touts the fact that the new Ford Taurus has a resale value that is now $2,500 higher than one of the car's closest rivals, the Toyota Avalon.
Brands such as Toyota and Honda have been recognized for years for their high resale value to the point that some buyers purchase the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord solely for this reason, but now Ford is starting to figure out the recipe for resale success. Aside from build quality and design, other factors also play a role in a car's resale value including production numbers, sales and consumer incentives. Excessive fleet sales were the downfall of the fourth-generation Taurus, but the car also suffered from over production which eventually led to increased buyer incentives to help clear dealer lots. Ever since the sixth-generation Ford Taurus went on sale in 2009 as a 2010 model, its improved sales have relied far less on incentives and fleet sales than its recent predecessors.
'In the first half of 2010, Taurus retail sales were up 154 percent over the first half of 2009 while incentives were reduced by more than $1,600 per unit,'? said Steve Ling, manager, Ford North American Car Marketing. 'When you talk about quality, it's not just 'Things Gone Wrong' but 'Things Gone Right.' That's very important because 'Things Gone Right' are what attract customers to the showroom.'?
In the 'Things Gone Right'? category, the Taurus is full of examples from its stylish and sporty exterior design to the upscale cabin. Visually, the new Taurus features Ford's new global design which helps give the car its most ground-breaking appearance since the first-generation Taurus debuted back in 1986. Inside, the cabin material is a vast improvement over recent Taurus models, but it's also the fit and finish and the cabin technology that has helped make the new model so popular. Even the new powertrains help improve the current Ford Taurus including the powerful twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 on the Ford Taurus SHO as well as the all-wheel drive system that is available on the Taurus SEL, Taurus Limited and the Taurus SHO.
Although the current Ford Taurus has a long way to go before battling for the title of best-selling car in the United States that it once held as recently as 1996, the improvements in resale value are showing that Ford is learning from its past mistakes and making some of the best cars on the road. Another promising sign for Ford is that the Taurus shares its platform and its assembly line with the totally redesigned and re-engineered 2011 Ford Explorer - another one of Ford's most popular models.
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