Back in 1985, the then-futuristic 1986 Ford Taurus set the world (and Ford’s sales charts) on fire with its spacey yet stylish design and family-friendly mid-size-sedan packaging, even nabbing a spot on our 10Best list. Of course, we all know what happened next: the car was only significantly updated once in two decades, and what was once revolutionary became an irrelevant rental queen. Moving the Taurus name to the large Five Hundred body for 2008 made news, but hardly proved the sales success Ford hoped it might be.
Now with the vastly improved 2010 Fusion holding down the mid-size sedan spot in Ford’s lineup, the Taurus really has no choice but to continue on as a larger and more luxurious vehicle. The Taurus’s extensive redo comes on the heels of the Fusion’s similarly extensive one, and based on what we’ve seen at its debut at the 2009 NAIAS in Detroit, it looks to be a whole lot better than it’s been in a long time.
Now with the vastly improved 2010 Fusion holding down the mid-size sedan spot in Ford’s lineup, the Taurus really has no choice but to continue on as a larger and more luxurious vehicle. The Taurus’s extensive redo comes on the heels of the Fusion’s similarly extensive one, and based on what we’ve seen at its debut at the 2009 NAIAS in Detroit, it looks to be a whole lot better than it’s been in a long time.
Save for perhaps Lexus and Hyundai, it’s rarely any automaker’s intention to mimic another’s styling, and other than a very Subaru Legacy–ish grille, the Taurus seems to avoid looking much like anything else while also avoiding looking terribly like a Taurus. But as we’ve seen with other cars like the Toyota Avalon and Honda Accord, handsome banality can work for this buyer, so long as there’s enough style not to embarrass drivers when they pick up the kids at school.
Indeed, however indistinct, the Taurus is stylish, its proportions having been corrected with a lower roofline and a taller body, complemented by far-sexier front and rear lighting elements. Fender vents and scalloped doors help break up the thickness of the bodysides, while wheels range in size from a puny 17 inches to 20, the largest ever for a Ford sedan.
Indeed, however indistinct, the Taurus is stylish, its proportions having been corrected with a lower roofline and a taller body, complemented by far-sexier front and rear lighting elements. Fender vents and scalloped doors help break up the thickness of the bodysides, while wheels range in size from a puny 17 inches to 20, the largest ever for a Ford sedan.
Befitting the exterior is a more upscale full-size interior. The flowing center stack reminds of the one in the Lincoln MKS and is just as button-ridden as most recent Ford dashes, but at least the graphics are elegant and the assembly quality is convincing. New assembly processes allow more creative color and trim combos.
New features include radar cruise control and collision-warning systems, push-button start, automatic high beams, blind-spot warning with cross-traffic alert, SYNC integrated audio/navigation, SIRIUS Travel Link with a screen that can be personalized with up to 32 pictures, and, most interesting, “Multi-Contour” massaging seats with “Active Motion” cushions that, according to Ford, subtly and continuously move beneath the driver, “stirring a change of muscular activation, helping a driver avoid back pain.” Other tech-y features include MyKey, via which individual keys can be programmed to restrict things like top speed and audio volume, and Ford’s capless fuel-filler system.
New features include radar cruise control and collision-warning systems, push-button start, automatic high beams, blind-spot warning with cross-traffic alert, SYNC integrated audio/navigation, SIRIUS Travel Link with a screen that can be personalized with up to 32 pictures, and, most interesting, “Multi-Contour” massaging seats with “Active Motion” cushions that, according to Ford, subtly and continuously move beneath the driver, “stirring a change of muscular activation, helping a driver avoid back pain.” Other tech-y features include MyKey, via which individual keys can be programmed to restrict things like top speed and audio volume, and Ford’s capless fuel-filler system.
