2008 Mercury Sable Base 3.5 V6 from North America
Summary:
Know what you are getting into
Faults:
Creaking noise from the suspension.
Transmission shift flare and hard shifting.
General Comments:
I am writing this review to warn those looking at purchasing this model or its Ford Taurus cousin, to pay attention to the transmission during the test drive. The creaking suspension can be fixed, but the slipping transmission can most times not be pinpointed.
If the RPM needle quickly rises a few hundred RPM while shifting (shift flare), the transmission shifts hard or the 1-2 shift seems to take forever (increasing 0-60 times), walk away. If this problem is not present, be warned that there is a good chance it will appear as the mileage increases.
Apart from that, it is a comfortable highway cruiser.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 19th March, 2013
7th Jun 2009, 17:47
Don't be so fast to criticize. I routinely get 5 mpg higher than the old EPA estimates, which people complained were too "unrealistically high". You have to remember, the big, bold numbers on the sticker are an average. If you read the fine print, they say "most people will get between x and y". The EPA ratings are AVERAGES with a range, not absolutes.
If he says he got 32 mpg in a Mercury Sable, I believe it. I consistently got over 29 mpg (29.1-29.4) in a 1997 Sable with the 3.0 L Vulcan V-6, so I could believe he got 3 mpg better on the highway under ideal conditions.