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2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive

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DoctorNine
06/20/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
I would think an AWD Flex with the same engine would be more desirable. No SHO should be >3500 lbs. And they should have 6 speed manuals. Otherwise, I really no point to them. Especially at this Gross Vehicle Weight. And I use the word GROSS advisedly.
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MushyHeirloom
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
So it's the Barry Williams SHO?
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Tanshanomi
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
"Had the car been called the Mandel Bread Ecoboost we'd be pleasantly surprised by its competence and quality, but badged as a SHO, we were disappointed..."

We want to wipe out "Holden GTO syndrome" in YOUR car's lifetime.
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Unregular
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
Ford has benchmarked the $60,950, 350 HP Audi A6 4.2 and the $37,995 SHO exceeds expectations by being better to drive, faster, larger inside and nicer looking.

waaaaaiiiiit just a minute here.

nicer looking?
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Wes Siler
06/19/09

@Unregular: Yeah, the A6 only looks good from front-on. Every other angle it's incredibly awkward.
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Unregular
06/19/09

@Wes Siler: eh - beholder, I guess...

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pauljones
06/19/09

@Unregular: Definitely a beholder thing. The one thing that Audi never seems to get right in its cars is the roofline. The new A5 is better, but not still leaves a little something to be desired.

The Taurus, on the other hand, suffers from no such mis-proportioning.
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philibuster
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
Ford really needs to shoehorn this engine into the fusion. And then call that the fusion SHO. And offer it in manual-only. And it would be the spiritual successor to the original Taurus SHO.
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Ben Wojdyla
06/19/09

@philibuster: +1,000
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TTopJohn
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
It sounds like it's a quick, comfortable, good handling car that just isn't quite the same as its much smaller adn lighter 89-95 predecessor. So not flat out badass when measured against the original and the 2nd gen, but really pretty good compared to other currently available new cars.

We need some info on why that 133mph speed limiter is there - is it just a politically correct thing, or will we break something (engine, trans, propshaft) or leave the surface of the earth if we program it away and run the 155+ that this thing must be capable of based on frontal area and horsepower?
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Ben Wojdyla
06/19/09

@TTopJohn: The 133 MPH is there to protect you from yourself. Believe me, that engine has a helluva lot more than 133 MPH in it.
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Gearhead_42 - Nibbles ate my garage!
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
1100 pounds in 20 years...

Yep, that about sums up what's wrong with the car industry right there!
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
06/19/09

@Gearhead_42: It weighs about the same as a late-'70s pre-downsizing LTD. That blows my mind.
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Maymar
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
I'm not as excited by this Mandel Bread as I hoped I'd be, but I'm more worried because it sounds a little too close to Lincoln's Biscotti. I know, the Lincoln is more expensive, but still, I'd hope the Ford would be a little lighter, fluffier, and athletic (yes, I want athletic baked goods).

Plus, it's too heavy to ever be eligible for LeMons.
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Ben Wojdyla
06/19/09

@My A Arm: Isn't the LeMons weight limit 5,000 lbs?
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Maymar
06/19/09

@Ben Wojdyla: I thought it was 4200lbs - the only reason I sorta remember is because as I understand, B-body sedans are eligible, but the 4500-lbs wagons are too heavy.
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MikeD74
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
Not sure what, but there is something I don't like about this car.
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SirNotAppearing
06/19/09

@MikeD74: There's no camino option?
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smalleyxb122
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
That is a seriously nice looking car, but without a real manual trans, and RWD, I just can't get excited about it. And at $40k, it should tick every box on my automotive wants.

With that said, 5.2 seconds to 60? Damn!

Good on ya' Ford. You've got some skilled designers. Now just get some enthusiasts as engineers to address the architecture (RWD, manual transmission), and you'd have something.
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rickerbr
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
Yawn, Ford/GM 6sp slushbox only (which is good for a torque converter box, but that is so 1999).

Also take a look at the nose on picture with the huge grill and look at it side by side with the Max Mosley pic. Separated at birth?

Seriously, put the F150 grill on an F150, not a car. It didn't work for Dodge either.
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Ben Wojdyla
06/19/09

@rickerbr: Wes isn't kidding, the new 6 speed auto is very good, I was impressed when I drove the MKS with Ecoboost. Considering how low the take-rate is for manual transmissions any more, it doesn't make sense to invest in a system that'll get a minuscule take rate. I despise the unenlightened driving hordes who've made that so, but I applaud Ford for making the right business decision and sinking money into an excellent automatic instead of a so-so auto and an also-ran manual.
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rickerbr
06/19/09

@Ben Wojdyla: Manuals are dead in the US. But to not have an automated manual in a car that they are trying to claim is an A6 for half the price is going to be a tough sell. I've driven a Malibu LTZ with the same gearbox and while it's not bad, once you get used to sub 20ms shifts, no slushbox is ever good enough.
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Ben Wojdyla
06/19/09

@rickerbr: Think what you want, but spend any seat time in it and try to refute our assertions.
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
4,368 lbs? Are you kidding me? This thing ways 68 pounds MORE than my 4th-gen, body-on-frame, 4wd 4Runner.

That's absolutely ridiculous.
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
06/19/09

@FromaBuick6: Weighs, not "ways."

/dumbass
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Braff
06/19/09

@FromaBuick6: yeah this is Audi A8L territory
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A strolling player
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
This only further serves to remind me how suck-tastic my Prius is.
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long_live_the_E36
06/19/09

@Ambiguously Strolling Player: Dear god, why would you do that? Why would you admit to Prius ownership on the Jalop?
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.357
06/19/09

@long_live_the_E36: It's OK. He's cool.
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Mad_Science
06/19/09

@long_live_the_E36: I'll take 50/50 odds he's done more dragstrip passes in the Prius than you have in whatever you drive everyday.
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A strolling player
06/19/09

@long_live_the_E36: I keep it real. Nevermind the COTD it got me.

And, in the interest of full disclosure, I did not write that comment. I'm not going to name names, but she really likes Volvos. My vocabulary is a little better than "suck-tastic". ;)
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Mad_Science
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
I guess my biggest question is why isn't this a Lincoln? (...or-God help me-Mercury...?)

Oh wait, that's the MKS. Basically, the Taurus is treading all over its territory.

I gotta wonder if they would've been better off driving the Taurus downmarket some and letting the Lincoln have the high end.

Looks like a great product, but I'm just not sure the world is ready for $40k Tauruses.
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pauljones
06/19/09

@Mad_Science: Just pray that it opens the door for a new RWD Continental.
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engineerd
06/19/09

In reply to 2010 Ford Taurus SHO: First Drive
Your review sounds disappointed, and is making me disappointed. I haven't even driven one, though, so I should reserve my complete opinion until I do so.

Speaking of reserving opinion until you drive a car, I have a Camry rental car right now. Styling of the Camry isn't bland...it's ugly. Lumpy. Like a fat chick squeezed into bike shorts and a sports bra that are 2 sizes too small. Driving dynamics are, as I've read here many times, bland. It's comfortable, but sterile is maybe too generous. If I really squeaze hard on the go-pedal is will show signs of life, then promptly settle back into nothingness.

It is an appliance.
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SirNotAppearing
06/19/09

@engineerd hates hydrogen leaks: What suprised me was how crappy the interior was. Huge plastic dash, and exposed rough seams where two pieces of plastic came together on the arm rests. Seemed very cheap to me.
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
06/19/09

@engineerd hates hydrogen leaks: My dad has a beige '05 LE, and I swear it's the dullest car in the history of the world. The new ones uglier, for sure, but at least the interior is less plain. After having a couple of Accords, which were so much better to drive, I don't know how he was able to stomach buying that car. I'm to the point where I get depressed just riding in that car.

My parents also had a base model 2nd-gen Camry when I was a kid. Despite having such luxurious options as painted steel wheels, heavy-duty cloth/vinyl upholstery and no trim or moldings whatsoever, it didn't feel nearly as Walmart as the current cars.
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