I already reported that Toyota sales are down so far this year, something the automaker rarely has to report. But the bigger news, reported by Automotive News, may be that Toyota's sales have been on a sales slide for four straight months. That's the first time in 13 years that Toyota's sales have slid for four consecutive months. Ouch. And is it the big trucks/SUVs that are pulling down Toyota's sales? Nope. Those vehicles are off 5.3 percent, but Toyota's cars are off 5.9 percent. Double ouch!

Don't write them off just yet. Remember, most of the industry is down this year, and in terms of market share Toyota is still on the rise. They are at 16 percent so far in 2008, versus 15.6 percent for the same period last year.

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"Why doesn't Ford bring back the Zephyr?"

I can't believe anyone ever actually said this, but lo and behold that paragon of 1970s Mercury style and performance did return in 2006 -- as a Lincoln. Actually, the Zephyr was originally a 1930s-era Lincoln before it was a '70s Mercury, but how many people know (or care) about that? Should Ford have revived this nameplate? I guess its staying power (Lincoln changed that model's name to MKZ after one year) is answer enough.

I was recently thinking about dead nameplates that should not come back after someone brought up Edsel in conversation. I'm assuming Ford will never revive that nameplate, and I don't expect to see the words "Aztek," "Chevette" or "Volare" on a future model, either. But then again, who would have predicted the rise of "Aspen" from the automotive underworld. Which brings up today's burning question:

What dead vehicle nameplates do you most fear the return of? In my opinion there are two reasons for a nameplate to never come back: (A) it's associated with a horrendous vehicle (Aztek) or (B) it was a horrendous name itself, regardless of the vehicle it was affixed to (Probe).

Here are my Top 5:

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According to Automotive News, Ford's future product is going global, while the Mercury division may be going...away? The industry publication shows a slow (probably too slow, IMHO) product ramp-up over the next three years for Ford and Lincoln, while Mercury simply seems to be slowing to a stop. The core strategy to Mr. Mulally's plan involves cutting costs by sharing platforms and parts on a global scale. Don't forget that while Ford continues to struggle in the U.S. market the Blue Oval is doing rather well in other parts of the globe (including Russia). Here's the three-year plan by division...sorry there isn't more to report...

Ford: The most exciting thing in Ford's future is the launch of Flex (pictured above) in 2009. If you're looking for more than a "refresh" or "reskin" or "re-engineer" in the coming years you'll have to wait for a possible Focus redesign in 2012 (only about seven years late) and an Expedition redesign in 2011. The all-new, global products won't start showing up until after 2012. Mustang gets a reskin in 2010 (I hear it may look something like that Giugiaro thing from last year's L.A. Auto Show -- please say it ain't so), and the F-150 gets a re-engineer in 2009 that should keep it competitive. Otherwise it looks to be a long half-decade.

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I'd hate to simply link to my last Ford Fusion post and call it day, but like most Mercury vehicles these days that's the most efficient manner of reporting on a winged-foot product. Let's see -- solid driving dynamics with steering feel approaching Honda's Accord; unique styling that trumps the Accord and Camry while giving the Altima and 6 some solid competition; a 3.0-liter V6 with 221 horsepower that is barely adequate in this segment and a bit raspy at high RPM; an interior that is quiet and attractive. I like the availability of AWD, but where's my stability control? It's going to be required technology on everything pretty soon, Mercury, so you better get on it...

Yup, the Ford Fus...er...Mercury Milan is a solid mid-size entry. It could even rival segment leaders with some drivetrain tweaks, but ultimately it's still a Fusion with chrome (and extra sound deadening).

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Ah, the Mercury Montego. At some point in the brand's history this nameplate had a bit of muscular/performance flair, but like too many Mercury nameplates it ultimately became an oversized, underwhelming shadow of a Ford product. To me the Montego nameplate will always represent the blue car that was really a red car (that was really a gray car?) in the movie Used Cars. And to save the dealership from evil "Roy L. Fuchs" a superstitous car salesman had to jump a 1974 (or so) Montego sedan over a moving train. If you claim to be a car nut, or just enjoy the subject of buying and selling cars, you must see this movie.

The new Montego lives up to the nameplate's history, as it's basically a warmed over Ford Five-Hundred. And like the 1970s Montego, this version is being retired in favor of a more recognizable (and, Ford hopes, appealing) nameplate. The 1970s Montego was replaced by the "upsized" Mercury Cougar of 1977 (ugh, let's not go there...), and the current Montego will become the Sable for 2008.

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What was the last Mercury model to represent more than a weak Ford rebadge? Was it the 1999-2002 Cougar? And before that the Capri? Before that... And no, the Villager and Tracer don't count (those were just rebadged Nissans and Mazdas).

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I just got a news release from Ford saying that April should be the company's best-ever for hybrid sales. The release notes the use of 0% financing -- nationwide -- for Escape/Mariner hybrids (in March they offered it only in California and Washington D.C.). It also mentions the Kermit ads and Ford Escape Hybrid appearances in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition as possible reasons for the sales bump. For those interested, we're talking around 200 Mariner Hybrid sales and 1,800 Escape Hybrid sales (for reference purposes, Ford sold approxmiately 200,000 F-Series in the month of March).

I seriously think we could see $4-a-gallon gas this summer, which is still:

A. A relatively low price in terms of average U.S. household income and

B. Cheaper than gas on most of the planet.

However, it will be interesting to see if hybrid sales shoot up -- again. I know that having "hybrid" on the outside of a vehicle doesn't guarantee sales, and certain models (Highlander, Accord) aren't moving off lots with much verve. Have hybrids had their 15 minutes, or will $4-a-gallon gas put hybrids back on everyone's "gotta have" list in the next eight weeks? I guess we'll know soon enough. 

I just drove the new Mercury Mariner Hybrid and -- suprise-surprise -- it seemed a lot like our long-term Escape Hybrid. That means adequate power, plenty of storage space, pleasant (dare I say confident) handling and, yes, good fuel mileage. I was driving with my normal verve (read: not efficiently) up PCH and still scored over 26 mpg. On the complaint side, I'm not thrilled with the LCD display. It seems smaller and mundane compared to the Toyota units in their hybrids. But what really disturbed me were the gremlin-like noises coming from under the rear floor area. For those who don't know, that's where the hybrid's battery pack sits. Anyone who has been forced to deal with battery issues (as a Mopar guy I automotically qualify) will tell you that gurgling noises from a battery are not usually a good thing. Perhaps this sound is totally normal, but I've never heard it in our Escape. I heard it more than once, so it wasn't a fluke. Maybe it was nothing...maybe not.