Official new Taurus review

Messages
414
Location
Seguin, TX
I've had the new Taurus now since Dec 21, and have driven something around 1000 miles. I got the SEL with SYNC and 'leather trimmed' seats. Tuxedo black/charcoal leather.

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This is a 'love it' or 'hate it' car. The center console pretty well keeps you in place, and if you like to stretch out, you probably won't like it. I like the feeling of defined space... that adds to the 'driving experience' for me, and I enjoy driving... so I'm loving it. The seats are just the right 'soft'... firm, but comfortable. Until this week I would've pooh-poohed the need for heated seats, but they've been very nice! We've never had a vehicle before with automatic climate control, and that works way better than I thought it would. I used to have to switch to 'defrost' every several minutes to keep the Fusion from fogging up... the Taurus keeps track of that for me (and does an excellent job of it). I'm 6'1" and fat :mad:, and find it uncomfortable getting into the back seat. I hit my head and shoulder. Once in, the seats are nice, and with the front seat pretty far back I could still be comfortable. The trunk is huge. The seats don't fold down all the way flat, but they do get probably 80%. Very much a 'big car' ride, but not 'soft' like the Buick Lacrosse I drove. It handles very nicely... much like the Fusion (which rode much 'bigger' than it was). I don't make a habit of 'putting my foot in it', but the couple times I've done so, it was very nice. :eek: Smooth through the gears, and quick. I had occasion to drive in fierce wind the other morning when this stupid cold front came in, and was amazed to not hear ANY wind noise at 65MPH. This is the quietest car I've ever had in that regard. I haven't had a chance to do a real test of the highway MPG, but combined MPG is something over 24, and I like this car 'more enough' than I did the Fusion to get over losing 3 or 4 MPG. So if you're shopping for something comfy, safe, and kinda sporty, this one is worth a look. :thumb:
 
Good looking car Kirk:thumb: Lots of goodies on it, and yes heated leather seats can't be beat:) Nice color (my favorite) one tough one to keep shiny thou:p
 
Good to see the new ride is keeping you happy. I've been seeing good reviews on several Ford products lately. Looks like they're getting back on track. :thumb: I grew up as a diehard Ford fan, but in the '90s and early 2000s they got complacent, like all the other US automakers.
 
Looks to be a very nice car. Good to see Ford is making some strides in the market. Wasn't sure if it was just our area or other areas too. We've got an assembly plant down the road and have lots of workers with them, so it sometimes skews our impression of how they were doing.
 
Looks like a very nice car. For $25k, the base model seems to be the best deal of the bunch - if I'm not mistaken, that price includes air conditioning and an automatic. That's stripped-out-Accord money.

Did you take a look at the Hyundai Genesis? It's about the same price ($32k gets you one with roughly the same set of options), and slightly larger. The RWD might be an issue up north, though.

They're doing a lot better. The Fusion seems to be the 'new' Altima... you can't hardly turn your head around here without seeing one.

Wait 'till you see the new stuff. The Mustang is getting a major engine revision, with horsepower jumping from 300HP to 414HP with increased fuel economy to boot! Also expected are some very impressive turbocharged 4-cylinder engines and a double-clutched automatic transmission similar to Volkswagen's DSG gearbox, only except without the massive pricetag and spectacular unreliability. And they're finally bringing over the vastly revised European Focus and Fiesta, both of which are arguably some of the best cars in their class.

There's lots of hypothetical talk over why Ford is doing the best of the "Big Three". If you ask me, it's because they're the only one of the lot to have recently invested a huge lump of cash research and development.
 
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Just curious how you liked the Lacrosse?
I only drove the Lacrosse around the neighborhood (dealer is two blocks down the street). I had an immediate sight issue with the B pillar, and I just didn't like the 'feel' of the gas pedal. The interior is beautiful, but I was bothered (believe it or not) by the woodgrain trim at the top of the steering wheel. Didn't mind the rest of the woodgrain in the car, but I hated the wheel. I also think the rear end looks kind of 'abrupt'. The Lacrosse has a whole lot of niceties standard on all models... maybe more than anything else in that class. So if you don't mind cloth seats, it's a lot of car. I have dogs that we haul occasionally, so I'm not having cloth seats anymore.
 
Did you take a look at the Hyundai Genesis?
I'm one of many one-time Hyundai owners that will never consider them a 'serious' contender. They look nice... but that's not enough.


The Mustang is getting a major engine revision, with horsepower jumping from 300HP to 414HP with increased fuel economy to boot!
I looked at the Mustang, but I wouldn't be happy with anything less than the GT, and once you option that up, it gets spendy in a hurry. I was also very much underwhelmed by the choice of interior finishes. I know they're trying to keep some of the 'old'... but it just looked cheap to me. To be fair, I also drove a $45,000 :eek: Challenger with the big Hemi... and that interior is all hard surfaces. And for that money, you don't get a power passenger seat.
 
I'm one of many one-time Hyundai owners that will never consider them a 'serious' contender. They look nice... but that's not enough.

I'd have another look at Hyundai - they've been improving by leaps and bounds, and their new stuff (Genesis, new Sonata, etc.) is pretty good.

Incidentally, the Mustang is a bit of an oddball - despite the simplistic suspension and spartan interior, it's a very heavy car (over 3400 lbs!). Were they to lop off 300 pounds - and there's no reason they can't, beyond simple cost - the car would be faster, more agile, and more fuel efficient. The only reason to keep a solid rear axle is to make the end result lighter and cheaper - and the Mustang GT has some trouble on both counts.
 
The 2011 Sonata pictures certainly look nice. But I'm a first year (in the US) Excel owner... and gave them another try 10 years later. They've seen all the money they're going to from me.
 
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