But no matter what Ford did, the Taurus would remain a default buy. It would never become the object of lifelong achievement, the talk of the schoolyard or auto magazine centerfold car - SHO aside. Rather, fleet managers took their yearly allotments without bothering to take it on a test drive, rental car companies booked V6 automatics with air-conditioning and upstart families debated sedan or station wagon.
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| This 1993 Ford Taurus SHO 4-door sedan shows the modifications made to the car's taillights. The base GL and upgraded LX received a more understated rear fascia, but looked more or less the same. (Photo: Ford Motor) |
But that formula was OK for the nineties. The car continued to sell well despite one of the worst recall and service bulletin records in history - in fact too many were issued to even begin writing an account.
When running though, the Taurus offered a fairly smooth ride and decent handling for domestic cars of the era. Ford had lowered the 1992 car's drag coefficient (Cd) from the 0.33 rating of the previous model to a slightly slipperier 0.32, improving wind noise inside the cabin.
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| The 1994 Ford Taurus LX sedan received standard standard front bucket seats, a center console, special bodyside cladding, a lighted entry system and a tachometer. (Photo: Ford Motor) |
But more than aerodynamics the Taurus decibel level was enhanced by dropping the base 2.5-L 4-cylinder engine. It wasn't particularly smooth, creating noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels beyond acceptability for a midsize American sedan. A reworked version of the 140-hp 3.0-L V6 was now made standard, causing a slight bump in the price but overall a better value for 1992 buyers of the standard car. Customers wanting a little more performance could opt for the optional 3.8-L engine, producing no more power but a massive increase in torque, from 160 to 215 lb-ft.