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Video: Ford taking on luxury carmakers with new Taurus ads

 
12 2,692 views Jul 31, 2009
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2010 ford taurus facelift 012

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The American sedan is challenging the best Japan has to offer

The American sedan is challenging the best Japan has to offer

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Acura and Lexus aren't the brands you'd normally think of when you think of Ford's competition, but those are exactly the targets of Ford's latest ad campaign for the new 2010 Taurus. Featuring a series of torture tests, the ads try to convey the level of quality and value offered by the big American sedan.

One ad depicts an interior quietness test, with a roaring jet-powered dragster between the 2010 Taurus and the 2009 Acura RL. Ford claims the Taurus is 5% quieter.

Another ad shows the Lexus LS460 and the Taurus following a gravel truck. The hail of stones badly chips both cars' paint jobs, but the superior protection offered by the high-tech paint job on the Taurus shows visible proof of the attention to detail paid by Ford for its new powerhouse sedan.


Lexus and Acura responded with some confusion as to the purpose of the commercials, noting the different target markets of each vehicle, according to The Detroit News. That misses the point of the value comparison - something Taurus buyers are likely going to be quick to pick up on.

The ads are rolling out now, but you can catch the gravel truck ad below, or the jet-dragster quietness test here.

2010 Ford Taurus sedan

2010 Ford Taurus Gravel Truck Ad


HI-RES GALLERY: 2010 ford taurus facelift 012




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Comments (12)

  1. ma_buutylova avatar buutylova Posted: 7/31/2009 1:18pm PDT

    Thats amazing.
     
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  2. ma_solo84 avatar solo84 Posted: 7/31/2009 1:56pm PDT

    5% quieter than a car that is 5 years old...riiiiiight...good one.
     
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  3. ma_www.mywheelsonwalls.com avatar www.mywheelsonwalls.com Posted: 7/31/2009 7:31pm PDT

    I'd say thats pretty impressive any way you put it. Will it steal sales from Lexus? Absolutely! If Lexus cant match the finish on their flagship whats the chances they do it on their cloned Camry? Thats the Lexus sale Ford will be stealing.....

    Also, love the angle of attack Ford's marketing dept. is taking!
     
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  4. ma_bepsf avatar bepsf Posted: 7/31/2009 8:53pm PDT

    I'm impressed - It reminds me of the old 1970's commercials that pitted Mercury favorably against Cadillac.
     
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  5. ma_saabfan avatar saabfan Posted: 7/31/2009 11:54pm PDT

    Ford stealing sale from Lexus, uh...uh... not. Let see how many times in the real world do you see people drive through that much gravel? or drive next to a Top fuel drag racer? How many people cross shop between a Ford and a lexus? Typical domestic car ads.
     
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  6. ma_Chris avatar Chris Posted: 8/1/2009 9:47am PDT

    saabfan.. typical import lovers comments.

    yeah no ones going to drive their car through that much gravel....... in one day... but over the life of the car? hell yeah.

    yeah thats right.. "Ford stealing sale from Lexus, uh...uh... not." you realize 30 years ago thats what everyone said about japanese brands in america right? and now everyone is saying that about hyundai... "who would ever get a hyundai over anything else?" ill tell you who: those people who would rather pay 26 thousand dollars for a car instead of 70 thousand for a similar car.


    the lexus brand name isnt worth nearly 50k.

    if the car magazines review the taurus as well has theyve been reviewing fords other new products such as the fusion and the edge, you'll be seeing a lot of tauruses on the road.
     
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  7. ma_bepsf avatar bepsf Posted: 8/1/2009 3:42pm PDT

    Saabfan--

    You're right - Ford isn't gonna steal any sales from Lexus...
    ...but Ford also didn't steal any sales from Mercedes Benz when they compared the 1978 Ford Granada to the Mercedes Benz 280SE / 450SLC...
    ...and they sure did sell alotta Granadas.

    http://jalopnik.com/238677/the-75+80-ford-granada-just-like-a-mercedes-really
     
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  8. ma_mishmosh avatar mishmosh Posted: 8/2/2009 7:28am PDT

    The video is impressive but only goes so far. People do not buy a Lexus because the paint job goes the extra mile. It is a stetch to suggest that this particular Lexus and the Taurus are in the same league. At the very least, Ford should have targetted the Lexus ES350 and used the same paint color.
     
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  9. ma_SuperSkyline89 avatar SuperSkyline89 Posted: 8/2/2009 10:15am PDT

    The paint may be better but what person with the money to buy a Lexus cross-shops with a Ford? I'd imagine not many. More likely they'd be cross-shopping with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or Audi.

    I doubt Ford is even trying to steal Lexus sales. More likely people considering GM or Chrysler products, who when they see that Ford quality can stand up to real luxury marques they'll buy the Ford instead.

    People with Lexus money are going to buy an expensive car (though not necessarily a Lexus), no matter what is said in a commercial.
     
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  10. ma_DavidSilverM3 avatar DavidSilverM3 Posted: 8/3/2009 6:17am PDT

    I think its smart. There is no reason why Ford cant compete with its European and Japanese rivals.... They already do it in Europe. Its time to do it in the U.S.
     
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  11. ma_saabfan avatar saabfan Posted: 8/3/2009 10:25am PDT

    SuperSkyline89, you are spot on. I believe this ad is aiming at people who is considering car at Taurus price range such as Accord, Camry, C class Benz, etc.. the ad deliberately targeted the LS and RL for the WOW/grandiose effect. Meaning Ford want to steal market share from other comparable cars in similar price range not from car that cost $50k and up sedan. People who spend that much for a car has a different set of priorities than someone looking to buy a $30k family sedan.
     
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  12. micro m2 16gb Posted: 1/5/2010 9:06pm PST

    Wow this video was hard to watch I cringed when I saw those rocks hit. But overall the taurus does real well espically getting pelted with all those rocks!
     
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