The 2010 Ford Taurus is one impressive car. It’s not perfect, but it’s good—one of the best performing cars I’ve driven. The 365 hp twin-turbocharged, 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 is a sweet power plant. Floor the gas pedal and feel the rush of the twin-turbocharged engine push you back in your seat. Wow! The brakes work well, too. Even more impressive is the fit and finish of the interior. I felt like I was driving an expensive import car. The leather seats are comfortable and supportive.
The interior also has some cool touches, such as the Sync System, which allows the driver to control audio functions with his or her voice. It also had a navigation system, backup camera, a BLIS system (which senses hidden cars in the driver’s blind spot when trying to change lanes) a power rear window shade, and many more features.
The 2010 Taurus SHO also has a has a wide array of safety features, such front, side, and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control, and radar cruise control which slow the car if it gets too close behind another vehicle. The Taurus is not perfect, however. Head room in the rear is limited by the moon roof, the rear window is smallish (as are the side windows), and the blind spot is problematic (this is where the BLIS system would pay for itself—if you use it). The Taurus is also heavy car, and while it is fast I know it would have been faster and more athletic if it were three to four-hundred pounds lighter.
Nevertheless, this is the best Ford I’ve ever driven—I even drove a 2010 Mustang GT convertible two days earlier (which I’ll review soon), and I like this better (I would like to drive a 2011 Mustang GT with the 412 hp, 5.0 V8—I may have a different opinion after that). Ford has made great strides with its cars, and the Taurus SHO proves that. If the Taurus (as well as Ford’s other cars and trucks) proves to be reliable like the Fusion has been, it may become America’s top rival to some of Asia’s best sedans.
The Car Exam Grade: A
