It's been seven years since Ford last laid a hand on the Taurus's styling, and in April 2018 we found out why: it was then that Ford announced a plan to discontinue nearly all of its traditional car models, including the Taurus and Fiesta, which will stay in production till early 2019, and the more recently restyled Fusion, which will stick around until 2021.
So if you like big sedans despite all the type around the SUV and crossover models that have usurped that once-ubiquitous body style, now might be a good time to go to your Ford dealer.
The question that remains is Ford's plan for the last run of this well-known nameplate and whether they'll pare down powertrain offerings before they discontinue the model.
Assuming they leave the car the way it is, the Taurus will continue in SE, SEL, Limited and SHO trims. The first three of those will come standard with a 3.5L V6 making 288 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque, and those cars can be optioned with a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder good for 240 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Atop the range is the mighty SHO, a sport sedan aspirant with a twin-turbo 3.5L V6 that makes 365 hp and 350 lb-ft.
A six-speed automatic transmission is standard in all trimes; AWD is optional in SEL trim (only with the V6) and standard in Limited and SHO.
Competition comes from cars like the Chevrolet Impala, Toyota Avalon and Kia Cadenza, all of which boast more rear-seat stretch-out space. However, we'd argue the Taurus is the driver's car of the bunch thanks to a chassis that feels better dialed for attacking the odd quick corner or highway on-ramp.
Ultimately though, the Taurus is simply a nice way for a few people to get around.
All models get blind spot monitoring as standard, as well as a backup camera. Available items include a heated steering wheel, rear-window sunshade, backup sensors, power-adjustable pedals, six-way power driver's seat with lumbar and side mirrors with convex blind-spot mirrors.
Fuel consumption estimates are 11.8/8.0 L/100 km (city/highway) for 2.0L turbo models, 13.1/8.7 L/100 km for V6/FWD cars and 14.6/10.0 for V6 models optioned with AWD.
This vehicle has not yet been reviewed
