Speaking of your Taurus, I think some of Ford's problem is in dropping a line like that with built in market share (it was at or near the #1 selling sedan in America for a couple of years). It was an outrageous decision! Ford drops the Mustang (wildly popular...built in market share) and then brings it back years later. Insteading of improving on popular vehicles, they shoot themselves in the foot.
Ford drops the Mustang? When exactly did that happen?
As for the Taurus, there were arguably far too many people associating it with the mechanical faults of the AXOD-E and 3.8L, even though both had been gone for over a decade. Not only that, but it has always relied on HUGE fleet sales, which depresses resale values and new purchase prices (why buy new if you can get 1 year old for $6k less?)... The Fusion, whether or not you agree with renaming it, doesn't have the same problem as they have been avoiding fleet sales. Last figures I saw had a lower % fleet sales than for the Camry. One reason why its projected resale value is significantly better than the Taurus....