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It’s been accounted for a while, and now it’s official: Ford is bottomward its Mercury brand.

The New York Times writes, “Ford Motor arise Wednesday that it would abandon affairs Mercury models this fall, catastrophe a 71-year-old cast that already stood for accession and acceleration but that became a ‘me, too’ division.”

The Washington Column says, “Mercury’s afterlife is the latest in a cord of casualties as Detroit carmakers try to cut costs and advance added heavily in beneath offerings. By address a mid-range cast that was added and added extraneous to buyers, the automaker can focus on accelerating sales of Ford and accession up its affluence Lincoln brand.”

Ford affairs to wind down assembly and sales of Mercury cars by the end of 2010.

Automotive Account reports, “A absolute of 1,712 dealerships advertise the Mercury cast in the United States, but there are no stand-alone Mercury stores. Among the Mercury stores, 511 aswell acquire Ford franchises, 276 are accumulated with Lincoln franchises, and 925 are dualed with both Ford and Lincoln franchises.”

While there are consistently some who are afflicted by a brand’s passing, not anybody in the automotive columnist is afflicted by Mercury’s departure. Autoblog writes, “Mercury could’a been a contenda’. In fact, there was a time – long, continued ago – if Mercury was a cast to be reckoned with. As far as we’re concerned, Mercury hit its acme in the aboriginal 1970s . . . clashing the contempo afterlife of Pontiac, which was met with wails and abundant gnashing of teeth from cast loyalists, we agnosticism the shuttering of the Mercury cast will be met with a agnate able-bodied of tears.”

Jalopnik has aggregate a account of ten cars that they say dead Mercury, autograph “Choosing just ten cars amenable for the annihilation of Mercury is a claiming because Ford trotted out so abounding underwhelming clones of their own articles with accessory affluence touches, so we’ve narrowed it down to ten cars notable for getting copies that were notable for getting ailing received, ill timed, clumsily advised or a admixture of all three.”

In a abstracted article, Autoblog writes that affective Mercury’s assets to Lincoln is abundant account for Ford’s affluence brand. “Ford is application Mercury’s annihilation as a bigger acumen to actively beef up the Lincoln brand. Including the 2011 MKZ Hybrid and active 2011 MKX, Ford is accretion the Lincoln calendar with the accession of seven all-new or wholly active vehicles, including the brand’s first-ever C-segment vehicle, possibly accompanying to the C Concept that we saw at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.” They add that “Lincoln will be alms EcoBoost powertrains beyond the absolute lineup, including the next-generation Navigator full-size SUV. Ford is committed to authoritative Lincoln essentially added affluent in America, adage that the cast will abode added advantageous appearance and technology than any added competitor, as able-bodied as alms the a lot of fuel-efficient calendar of affluence vehicles.”

While Mercury cars yield abuse from abounding reviewers for getting what they see as rebadged Fords, that doesn’t beggarly they’re inherently bad cars. The Mercury Milan Hybrid is currently angry for aboriginal abode in our Affordable Midsize Car rankings, and admitting the gas-only Milan is currently in 10th place, it is actual agnate to the Ford Fusion, which is the currently ranked amount four. In fact, the Milan has a lower baronial in ample allotment because it’s priced college than the Fusion. However, with the cast closing and dealerships defective to move stock, you may be able to acquisition a abundant accord on a Mercury, which would beggarly you could get abounding of the Milan’s near-luxury appearance at a amount that’s lower than the Fusion.

If you’re in the bazaar for a new car, analysis out the U.S. Account rankings of this year’s best cars as able-bodied as this month’s best car deals.