1998 Mercury Sable Review
1998 Mercury Sable Review
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Used Sable for sale
Appraise This CarMercury Sable model years
Mercury Sable types
- Wagon
- Sedan
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- A fine American car with nice ride characteristics and a great interior.
Cons
- This is an ugly car. New competition from Honda, Toyota, and Oldsmobile make it a tough sell.
What’s new
A mild facelift and fewer options are the only change to Mercury's midsize sedan.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 1998 Mercury Sable LS 4dr Sedan and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.64 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$227/mo for Sable LS
Sable LS
vs
$187/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
Vehicle overview
After 1996's dramatic redesign, Mercury is playing it safe with the Sable, trying to keep costs down as their top-selling car faces sharp criticism from the press and the closed checkbooks of potential buyers who are less than captivated by this vehicle's startling new shape. Softening the Sable's front end and simplifying the option procedure are the main ways that Mercury executives hope to get more customers into the showrooms.
We have been able to spend some time with the Sable and its stablemate the Ford Taurus and have found ourselves won over by this odd-looking family sedan and wagon. If you can get past the strange curves and odd snout, the Sable offers a lot of car for the money. Upon settling into the Sable's cockpit, the first thing most drivers notice is the logical placement of the controls and the great outward visibility. Unlike the previous Sable, which had an unpleasant dashboard and bad blind spots created by the C-pillars, the new model is easy to get acquainted with. Interior room in the Sable is great, offering comfortable seating for five adults and their cargo. The Sable has comfortable seats, a plethora of cupholders and ashtrays, nicely integrated armrests and optional rear-passenger air conditioning controls.
Not many people buy domestic sedans for their outstanding handling characteristics, and for the most part the Sable does not address these people's concerns. Nonetheless, the Sable is not a bad driver, offering capable acceleration and decent handling.
The Sable offers plenty of car, definitely our choice over the less-than-sophisticated Chevrolet Lumina or plain-Jane Buick Century. There are, however, a number of great choices from Europe, Japan and the United States that are threatening the Sable. People that want to buy American should definitely put this near the top of their list, but people who are turned-off by its exterior styling may find comfort in the new Honda Accord or recently redesigned Toyota Camry being sold down the road.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 1998 Mercury Sable.
5 star(38%)
4 star(53%)
3 star(3%)
2 star(0%)
1 star(6%)
32 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
3 out of 5 stars
Was Good, Then A Moneypit
londonlad1, 08/18/2014
1998 Mercury Sable LS 4dr Wagon
A horrible aberration. Previous Fords, even oldies have been rock solid. I paid $2300 for
this, 1 owner, full history 73k on the clock. Was great for a year, then it started to mug me on a regular basis for repair money. $1200 (steering rack), $300 (water pump) $170 (serpentine belt & tensioner) $600 (2 wheel bearings) $500 (front calipers & pads) $100 (EGR valve and perished vacuum … hoses - did that myself) $300 (removal of throttle body & cleaning clogged air intakes, $1200 (aircon evaporator) $1200 (aircon compressor) and $100 (headlamps, did those myself) What was a bargain has cost me a fortune. Next time, I'll buy an old Jag. At least I'll go broke in style.
Update; two years after writing this, I still have the Moneypit. I spent another $500 on a fuel pump and $200 on rear calipers rotors and pads. I'd love to get rid of it, can't afford to. Still wish I'd bought a Jag and gone broke in style.
Update, six years on, I still have the moneypit. It's behaved itself over the past two years. Only reason I haven't replaced it is that I can't affordd to.
5 out of 5 stars
This is my best friend
Barbara Erives, 11/16/2009
1998 Mercury Sable LS 4dr Sedan
For an American made car, this car is great. Reliable, comfortable and for a V6 good on gas. I have never had a car with this much milage that I could say that about. I will be getting another Sable soon, only because of body damage done to this vehicle by an incompetent employee at an auto repair shop, and the company's insurance company decided it was a total loss and I will use the … money from that to buy a newer model Sable. I think Mercury was crazy to discontinue this model for 2010 because it is a good solid car. Since I've had it, nothing has gone on it that wasn't normal wear and tear.
5 out of 5 stars
A Great Car
jendretzky88, 05/30/2009
1998 Mercury Sable LS 4dr Sedan
Purchased in 2000 w/15,000 miles. Currently has 186,000 miles and still going strong. The parts are cheap and just about anyone can work on it. I do regular maintenance but outside of that I have replaced a coolant tube($100)and tie rods($200) at about 100,000 miles. My rear springs broke at 175,000 miles($600). The under carriage plate was loose at 150,00 and 180,000 miles, but my … mechanic just tightened it and its fine. I really can't complain about her. She has had some work done to her but it beats buying a new car and it wasn't a big head ache. It has been a great reliable car. My problem now is that I don't trust to buy a new car and it will be as reliable.
4 out of 5 stars
Ten years and still going
Chris, 01/06/2008
1998 Mercury Sable LS 4dr Sedan
I saw this car in 2005 now mind you it is about to reach the ten year mark, and has 93k miles on it, you could've told me it just left the factory yesterday and I would have believed you. I had it checked out,a nd yes there were some problems, problems all too common with the Sable, but the dealer was happy to fix them and I for $3500 walked away with an above average used car. I am … happy to tell you, the car to this day still turns heads, provides a smooth ride and on I-95 can keep up with those around it. After 150k miles my used car shows no signs of stopping and thanks to Ford I will not have to go through the process of buying a car anytime soon, thank you.
1998 Sable Highlights
Wagon
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 18 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $238/month |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 38.4 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver4 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver3 / 5Passenger3 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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