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2010 Taurus SEL
Familiar Name, Very Different car

There’s been a lot of hoopla about the industry and some higher profile cars being released along with a lot of emphasis on alternative fuel cars and the truth is, the new Taurus pretty much got lost in the mix. This is another car that Ford can only hope people will give a try because it really is a very nice car and it has the potential to have the same impact that the original Taurus did when it burst on the scene in the mid ‘80’s, and became Ford’s best seller from 1992 to ‘96.
There was a 2-year hiatus in 2006 and ‘07, and then the Taurus returned to the stable in 2007 as a 2008 model. Unfortunately the new Taurus was nothing more then an updated version of the Five Hundred that had rejoined the Ford lineup for 2005 and replaced the Taurus for the 2006 and 2007 model years but it didn’t really have much of an impact on the market.

That won’t be the case with the 2010 Taurus. According to Ford, the design team was challenged to deliver a driver focused, precisely engineer car that would not only change what people drive but how they drive. I won’t pretend to understand what that means but one thing I think will happen is that this car will bring new buyers into the Ford fold. The lines on the 2010 Taurus are designed to keep your eye moving around the car but some lines are functional like the one that runs across the trunk with helps with aerodynamics and wind noise. There was clearly a lot of thought that went into the development of this car and Ford looks at the new Taurus as its flagship vehicle, and I believe it will be.

Inside the renaissance continues where the most striking feature is the center console which is tilted dramatically forward and flows into a dashboard that’s designed to expand the spaciousness of the interior. The ambient lighting is soothing and adds to the allure of the new Taurus and the cockpit while separated still has a very expansive open feel and in truth, it borders on elegant. Technologically there is a lot to learn about in the new Taurus starting with the SYNC system that thankfully offers a plethora of voice activated controls. Hands-free phone, and calling up your choice of music from your favorite radio station or select from the playlist you can download to the system are just a couple of commands that will help keep you entertained as you cruise down the highway. The Taurus has some 30 CPU’s operating at lightning speeds issuing commands to the suspension, engine, brakes and even the cruise control to help provide a smooth, seamless driving experience. And I have to say I really enjoyed the driving experience. A very nice safety feature is Adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support that’s only available on 2010 Taurus Limited and SHO models which warn you if there is danger of a frontal collision, a feature that one day I hope we find on all cars.

Powered by a pretty potent 263 horsepower 3.5 liter V6, with power getting to the wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission, the Taurus is very responsive but unfortunately, as with most FWD cars, there’s the issue of torque-steer. While not horrible, unless you hit it while cornering, it’s still one of the things I dislike so much about front wheel drive. However, for just under $2000 dollars you can get the AWD option where I’m sure it’s much less noticeable. Despite that, the car is solid and comfortable, without being soft and from the moment you close the door and settle into the driver’s seat, you know you’re in a very nice car.

I was very pleased and surprised with the handling, credit to Ford’s new SR1 suspension with the MacPherson strut front and multilink rear setup that has one-to-one rear shock absorber ratio where the shock absorber moves as much as the wheel. Ford says that it gives a better balance between cornering and handling. Sounds and feels pretty good to me but the redesigned rear suspension also makes room for 19-inch and 20-inch wheels which really help set the car apart.

I understand that pricing on the base SE, FWD starts under $26,000 with the SEL FWD starting under $28,000, add about $2000 for the AWD iteration. The Limited FWD starts around $32,000 and the big daddy high-performance SHO with AWD only starts under $38,000. Take the SHO out of the equation and you have a pretty fair amount of bang for you buck. I think the 2010 Taurus will be a hit as it’s one of the nicest sedans available today and you’ll notice I’m not qualifying that with “for the money.” It’s a very nice car period, and I’m thinking it will get buyers to cross brand lines.
So, if you haven’t driven a Ford lately, maybe now is the time. For more info on the 2010 Taurus, click here….