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Why (Not) the Ford Taurus?

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TrueDelta's "Why (Not) This Car?" reviews of the Ford Taurus, posted by owners, focus on the information most sought by many car buyers: the reasons to buy (or not buy) the Ford Taurus compared to other car models.

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Comparisons: Ford Taurus Preferred

Ford Taurus: Reasons to buy
Safety & braking: The Taurus has outstanding crash test scores in the IIHS and NHTSA tests, perhaps the best of any moderately priced car. The Volvo-based chassis is a plus, and ours has ESC. We have a beginning driver, and this car shouldn't inspire wild driving.
Driving position & visibility: Excellent visibility all around, with an especially high seating position for a sedan (one of the drivers is quite short). The big greenhouse, while not very stylish, makes the car feel less cramped, unlike many cars that have a higher beltline.
Rear seat room & comfort: One of the few cars we encountered with a rear seat that all family members found comfortable. Huge amounts of legroom, and again, the large greenhouse means that rear seat passengers don't feel as if they are in a tunnel.
Cargo capacity & towing: Huge, well shaped trunk, about as big as you can get in a sedan. The ability to fold down the rear seats and the front passenger seat is nice as well.
Handling: Safe, predictable handling, and ESC is available. Does not have a sporty feel, but that is desirable for us because one driver is a teenage boy.
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Toyota Camry: Reasons not to buy
Rear seat room & comfort: The taller family members found the seat uncomfortable -- I'm not sure if it was the length of the seat cushion or the rake of the back. Room is adequate, however.
Driving position & visibility: I just couldn't get comfortable! Rear visibility only fair due to fairly large rear pillars and higher beltline.
Cargo capacity & towing: Trunk only average sized, not much bigger than some compacts.
Safety & braking: Felt less safe due to somewhat vague or numb steering, and handling felt light and a bit mushy. Many Camrys not equipped with ESC. Poor rear crash tests with IIHS.
Front seat comfort: Just could not get comfortable.
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Ford Taurus: Reasons to buy
Past personal experience: I owned one before that I had put over 280k miles on it, and never had any major engine problems. It was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned, and never left me stranded. My current Taurus has the same engine as the '93 I had.
Front seat room: I'm about 6 feet tall, and this is one of the few cars I don't have to put the seat all the way back. The seats are comfortable and have ample support. I can have other 6 footers in the back seat comfortably, without moving the front seats forward.
Insurance & depreciation: Insurance is dirt cheap on these cars, as the parts are cheap, and they're safe cars. Depreciation is steep, though.
Reliability & durability: I've had only 2 minor problems in 3 years and 88k miles.
Safety & braking: These cars have always done very well in crash tests, and the brakes are good (although ABS is not standard). I have 88k miles and never had to put brakes on (still +40% front pad left).
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Kia Rio: Reasons not to buy
Safety & braking: These little match box cars did very poor in crash tests, and I thought stopping distance was long.
Insurance & depreciation: I would pay the same amount on insurance on this little toy as I would on a Corvette, per my insurance agent.
Ride smoothness: The ride is choppy, as one would expect from a subcompact car.
Quietness: Going down the interstate at 70, the engine/road noise makes driving this car any long distance a chore.
Rear seat room & comfort: It's too small for taller passengers to sit back there, and just so somone can fit back there means giving up front seat leg room, of which is also tight.
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Ford Taurus: Reasons to buy
Powertrain performance: Good power .
Price or payments: Low price for its class.
Reliability & durability: Few problems. Inexpensive to fix.
Handling: Predictable handling.
Past personal experience: Old Taurus reliable and easy to get parts and service.
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Honda Odyssey: Reasons not to buy
Reliability & durability: Transmission broke even when service far more than owners manual asked for. ATF change every 10,000 miles. Broken transmission. Rattles, stuck doors. Battery died one year. Both rear vent window motors broken, don't work.
Past personal experience: Fussy to service. Terrible dealer service. Uses Honda brand only fluids for brake, AT, steering, antifreeze. Dealer too busy or just lazy. Bad service. Poor and inadequate troubleshooting. I diagnose my own vehicle to tell how to fix it properly.
Fuel economy: 16-mpg. mixed driving. Bad. Much worse than EPA estimate. Dealer is big on excuses. Nothing on real help.
Dealership practices: High pressure sales. Try to switch numbers agreed on behind your back. Dishonest.
Materials & workmanship: Broken transmission. Owner can not compensate for bad design and manufacturing. Noisy. Rattles, squeaks. Doors stick. Window motors break. Cheaply made junk. Fabric wears out quickly,looks old. Paint thin and chips. Steel too thin. Dents easily.
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Single Vehicle Reviews: Ford Taurus Pros and Cons

Ford Taurus: Reasons to buy
Driving position & visibility: excellent visibility,good driving position,
Quietness: very little noise intrudes into the cabin
Cargo capacity & towing: HUGE trunk
Fuel economy: Able to get 30 mpg at 70 mph with a/c on and on the interstate.
Discounts & incentives: $2000.00 cash discount
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Honda Taurus: Reasons not to buy
Exterior styling: bland
Audio & nav systems: overpriced nav system and poor speakers
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Ford Taurus: Reasons to buy
Safety & braking: ABS+ESC + Pirelli P6
Driving position & visibility: good visibility, firm seats with memory and a good lumbar adjustment
Reliability & durability: top notch - equal to honda/toyota
Interior styling: tasteful colors and decor, hate the fake wood even if it looks good.
Powertrain performance: nice balance of hp and fuel economy
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Ford Taurus: Reasons to buy
Exterior styling: I think the car is quite attractive, while not attracting unwarranted attention on the road. Styling is subdued but appropriate for this size car, and all the pieces are well integrated.
Driving position & visibility: The Taurus is one of the most comfortable cars ever. Seats are fabulous and adjust to any position, plus the extra height gained by the car's design gives a thorough view of the road in all directions.
Interior styling: From the design of the dashboard and instruments, to the ease of use of the controls - especially the intuitive nature of the built in navigation system - to the comfort and support of the seats, I have only positive remarks to make on the interior design
Rear seat room & comfort: Taller people ride in comfort, with ample room for long legs, even when the front seats are back. The fact that they also fold down adds tremendous versatility to this car.
Cargo capacity & towing: We chose the Taurus because it provided the best combination of looks, space, comfort, price and safety of anything we looked at. The trunk is enormous; it carries as much as a small station wagon.
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Ford Taurus X: Reasons to buy
Handling: It has a very low center of gravity (the lowest, see safercar.gov). Combined with the firm suspension and AWD, this car handles well in the dry and wet and is brilliant in the snow.
Quietness: What can I say, it is very quiet, and a joy to drive on long trips.
Reliability & durability: This is my fourth Ford, and they have all been outstanding vehicles.
Exterior styling: I like the chrome and the low slung wagon like styling.
Interior styling: I have the Limited and the fit and finish is outstanding and all the controls are very well thought out.
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Ford Taurus: Reasons to buy
Price or payments: Very low cost for decent overall quality.
Reliability & durability: The newer Taurus's are actually reliable and durable. It's too bad they are not making these models any more. Engine and transmission are very reliable.
Past personal experience: My last Taurus went 232,000 mi. and I had few issues with it.
Front seat comfort: Seats are above average in comfort.
Front seat room: Front seat room is above average.
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Honda Taurus: Reasons not to buy
Powertrain performance: The Vulcan engine is underpowered. Transmission is below average as far as smoothness.
Materials & workmanship: The interior is below average in quality.
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