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New Models
DRIVEN: Taurus Gets A Solid Update
Ford’s big sedan looks more interesting and has an improved interior, with more engine choices that add power and economy.
For 2013, Ford Taurus shows the incremental improvements that make it an enjoyable full-size sedan. (Photo: Ford)
The new Ford Taurus shows the gradual but significant improvements of this mainstream sedan since it first rolled out as the underwhelming Ford Five Hundred nearly a decade ago.
The full-size passenger car was stepped up initially when renamed Taurus, which has positive associations for Ford drivers, and the midrange SEL seems like a premium car that could compete with the Europeans, though at a more-modest price.
That’s one of the aces for Ford: like key competitor Chevrolet, it offers a lot of car for the money. Maybe not as refined as the pricier sedans, the test Taurus presented a complete package of features and amenities that made it feel like a car costing a lot more.
The 2013 restyling follows the successful new look of the midsize Fusion, with a more-interesting trapezoidal-grille treatment on its wider front end, a spruced-up rear with LED taillights and some new body contours, all of which makes it appear sportier and less generic. A striking range of color treatments complete the package.
The SEL test car falls in between the SE base model and premium-grade Limited. The base engine is new for 2013, a 2-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four that provides 240 horsepower and 31 mpg on the highway. I drove the V6 version, with a non-turbo 3.5-liter newly engineered to get a 10 percent boost in horsepower to 288, enough to make the Taurus feel reasonably powerful and responsive.
The V6 produces torque that is down slightly compared with the turbo-four, at 254 pound-feet vs. 270 pound-feet, respectively, which somewhat underscores the growing application of small turbocharged engines by Ford and most other automakers to their vehicles.
For greater performance, drivers should check out the SHO with its 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 that cranks out 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, as well as a tauter suspension, quicker steering and stronger brakes.
The SEL’s naturally aspirated V6 does show some added sophistication, updated with twin independent variable camshaft timing that achieves better fuel economy and reduced emissions, as well as the horsepower increase. It’s a sophisticated engine that runs quietly and cruises at high speed with relaxed assuredness.
Torque steer in this front-drive sedan has been pretty much dialed out, though you can feel some sideways pull when you mash the throttle. Taurus is also available with all-wheel drive.
The SEL has a fairly firm suspension that might seem a bit harsh to those accustomed to the softer ride of the past, but it serves to make Taurus feel more poised and on the ball, with decent handling reactions and good stability on curving roads and long stretches of freeway. The steering feels somewhat light though well-connected.
This might not be an enthusiast driver’s first choice in a full-size sedan (the SHO version might be), though it’s still a competent family car with decent drivability that you won’t be embarrassed to be seen in.
The full-size passenger car was stepped up initially when renamed Taurus, which has positive associations for Ford drivers, and the midrange SEL seems like a premium car that could compete with the Europeans, though at a more-modest price.
That’s one of the aces for Ford: like key competitor Chevrolet, it offers a lot of car for the money. Maybe not as refined as the pricier sedans, the test Taurus presented a complete package of features and amenities that made it feel like a car costing a lot more.
The 2013 restyling follows the successful new look of the midsize Fusion, with a more-interesting trapezoidal-grille treatment on its wider front end, a spruced-up rear with LED taillights and some new body contours, all of which makes it appear sportier and less generic. A striking range of color treatments complete the package.
The SEL test car falls in between the SE base model and premium-grade Limited. The base engine is new for 2013, a 2-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four that provides 240 horsepower and 31 mpg on the highway. I drove the V6 version, with a non-turbo 3.5-liter newly engineered to get a 10 percent boost in horsepower to 288, enough to make the Taurus feel reasonably powerful and responsive.
The V6 produces torque that is down slightly compared with the turbo-four, at 254 pound-feet vs. 270 pound-feet, respectively, which somewhat underscores the growing application of small turbocharged engines by Ford and most other automakers to their vehicles.
For greater performance, drivers should check out the SHO with its 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 that cranks out 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, as well as a tauter suspension, quicker steering and stronger brakes.
The SEL’s naturally aspirated V6 does show some added sophistication, updated with twin independent variable camshaft timing that achieves better fuel economy and reduced emissions, as well as the horsepower increase. It’s a sophisticated engine that runs quietly and cruises at high speed with relaxed assuredness.
Torque steer in this front-drive sedan has been pretty much dialed out, though you can feel some sideways pull when you mash the throttle. Taurus is also available with all-wheel drive.
The SEL has a fairly firm suspension that might seem a bit harsh to those accustomed to the softer ride of the past, but it serves to make Taurus feel more poised and on the ball, with decent handling reactions and good stability on curving roads and long stretches of freeway. The steering feels somewhat light though well-connected.
This might not be an enthusiast driver’s first choice in a full-size sedan (the SHO version might be), though it’s still a competent family car with decent drivability that you won’t be embarrassed to be seen in.
2014 Cadillac CTS
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