The Ford Taurus is back... and quite different too. Well, sort of. By christening the replacement to the old Five Hundred with this legendary name, Ford created the largest Taurus ever. But is it the best?
Conservative styling
The new Taurus can appeal to many different types of customers. First, there are the hardcore fans and purists who know all the ins and outs of this car. If that's your case, you're probably aware that it used to be one of the best-selling, most reliable, low-cost sedans in Ford's entire history. And like everyone else, you scratched your head when the automaker decided to bury this nameplate a couple of years ago. Rest assured, the new model brings back fond memories of the original car.
Another type of customer is the one who once considered buying a Taurus. These folks might no longer look at this Ford with the same eye, seeing as how it grew corpulent and evolved into a 21st-century interpretation of the classic American car.
Granted, the changes are far from being radical. For instance, the main visual upgrade is probably the addition of a triple-slat chrome grille, identical to the Fusion's and Edge's. Unfortunately, the taxicab-inspired styling of the old Five Hundred has not been totally erased, resulting in a fairly conservative-looking sedan.
Outrageously roomy interior
The highlight of the modern Taurus is undoubtedly the size of the interior. You could almost fit the entire family in there. Up front, the high roofline offers exceptional headroom, even by premium car standards. The seats are comfortable but lack side support. Of course, who in their right mind would buy a Taurus to drive aggressively? Rather, the focus is on passenger comfort -- exactly what the target customer looks for.
Despite the incredible amount of room in the back, I still found the bench seat a bit too tight for three adults to comfortably sit through a multiple-hour trip. The trunk is a much better example of space optimization; this Ali Baba's cave is actually the largest in the category.
Likewise, the windows and mirrors (both inside and out) are oversized, allowing flawless visibility.
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| The large greenhouse offers flawless visibility. |
Conservative styling
The new Taurus can appeal to many different types of customers. First, there are the hardcore fans and purists who know all the ins and outs of this car. If that's your case, you're probably aware that it used to be one of the best-selling, most reliable, low-cost sedans in Ford's entire history. And like everyone else, you scratched your head when the automaker decided to bury this nameplate a couple of years ago. Rest assured, the new model brings back fond memories of the original car.
Another type of customer is the one who once considered buying a Taurus. These folks might no longer look at this Ford with the same eye, seeing as how it grew corpulent and evolved into a 21st-century interpretation of the classic American car.
Granted, the changes are far from being radical. For instance, the main visual upgrade is probably the addition of a triple-slat chrome grille, identical to the Fusion's and Edge's. Unfortunately, the taxicab-inspired styling of the old Five Hundred has not been totally erased, resulting in a fairly conservative-looking sedan.
Outrageously roomy interior
The highlight of the modern Taurus is undoubtedly the size of the interior. You could almost fit the entire family in there. Up front, the high roofline offers exceptional headroom, even by premium car standards. The seats are comfortable but lack side support. Of course, who in their right mind would buy a Taurus to drive aggressively? Rather, the focus is on passenger comfort -- exactly what the target customer looks for.
Despite the incredible amount of room in the back, I still found the bench seat a bit too tight for three adults to comfortably sit through a multiple-hour trip. The trunk is a much better example of space optimization; this Ali Baba's cave is actually the largest in the category.
Likewise, the windows and mirrors (both inside and out) are oversized, allowing flawless visibility.
 |
| The interior is spacious and friendly, but the trunk is a much better example of space optimization. |