Hertz - Taurus: $62, Crown Vic: $91, Town Car: $101, Ford 500: $115 -- Why?

I just looked at Hertz.com for a BOS rental in mid October, and the prices appeared as follows: Taurus: $62, Crown Vic: $91, Town Car: $101, Ford 500: $115.

Why in the world would the 500 be THAT expensive relative to the other cars? Are they THAT popular?

It's an okay car (seems to be what I get when I request an F with NL), and it is actually about as big inside as a Crown Vic or Town Car. But it is a YF...

It's an okay car (seems to be what I get when I request an F with NL), and it is actually about as big inside as a Crown Vic or Town Car. But it is a YF...

I got a 500 in CLE and it was listed as a YG. The one I had was an SEL model with leather and sunroof. Not sure I would call it a YG, but it was certainly big enough to be.

Just book the Taurus and then ask about an upgrade when you get there. If there is a 500 Available, my $0.02 says that you'll get it for no cost, or much less than the $53/day extra they are currently quoting you.

Does the Ford 500 have the deep well trunk like the Crown Vic and the Town Car?

The one I rented had leather, moonroof. stereo mounted controls, awd and yes it had the deep trunk of the crown vic/grand marquis/town car

When I book a fullsize with NL, I usually get a Crown Vic as a free upgrade. Recently, I got a 500 w/NL twice in ATL.

I have booked a midsize with NL for this weekend. I am not sure what I'll be getting tomorrow. What are the usual cars people get when they book midsize w/NL?

Thanks

DEN gave me a 500 SEL with NL, leather, six-disc in-dash CD changer, info center, and sunroof and it was a YF.

SEA gave me a base 500 with NL, cloth, single-disc CD, no sunroof, no info center. It too was a YF.

ALB gave me a base Mercury Montegro (their version of the 500) with NL, cloth, no sunroof, but the info center and it too was a YF.

The one I rented had leather, moonroof. stereo mounted controls, awd and yes it had the deep trunk of the crown vic/grand marquis/town car

Yes, it's a deep trunk. We picked one up in OAK this weekend (YG w/ 6 miles) and put three 20" x 20" x 20" boxes plus two 20" x 20" x 24" boxes plus two carry on size suitcases (with room to spare). (BTW a 24" x 24" x24" box won't fit through the trunk or any of the doors. We found out the hard way. :eek: )

Personally, I think that it started out as an SUV and about halfway through the designers decided to make a car out of it. :D

Personally, I think that it started out as an SUV and about halfway through the designers decided to make a car out of it. :D

The Ford Freestyle SUV shares a chassis with the 500. ;)

Yeah, ironically, it sort of did---platform was designed for both.

Too bad the 500/Montego doesn't have a decent engine. I can't imagine why Ford would spend millions of the new 500/Montego platform and the Freestyle, even upgrade to a VVT derivative engine, and still stick the same lousy 3.0 V6 in there. If there is one thing I hate, its underpowered cars.

Too bad the 500/Montego doesn't have a decent engine. I can't imagine why Ford would spend millions of the new 500/Montego platform and the Freestyle, even upgrade to a VVT derivative engine, and still stick the same lousy 3.0 V6 in there. If there is one thing I hate, its underpowered cars.

I find it works well enough, and actually gets pretty good mileage. I average around 30mpg even in the high 70mph zone.

As for why Detroit continues to use large-displacement engines, it is because they paid for the tooling costs back in the 40s, so continuing to recycle the design saves them a mint vis-a-vis having to design and tool for a constant stream of new small-displacement high-revving DOHC engines like Europe and Asia do.