Ford Taurus (2011) vs. Mercedes-Benz GL (2012) Specs

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2011 Ford Taurus and 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL Specifications

Model Year	2011	2012
Model	Ford Taurus	Mercedes-Benz GL
Engine	turbocharged 3.5L V6 DOHC-4v 365 hp@5500 350 lb-ft@3500	5.5L V8 DOHC-4v 382 hp@6000 391 lb-ft@2800
Transmission	6-speed shiftable automatic	7-speed shiftable automatic
Drivetrain	AWD	AWD
Body	4dr Sedan	4dr SUV
			Difference
Wheelbase	112.9 in	121.1 in	-8.2 in
Length	202.9 in	200.6 in	2.3 in
Width	76.2 in	76.0 in	0.2 in
Height	60.7 in	72.4 in	-11.7 in
Curb Weight	4415 lb.	5545 lb.	-1130 lb.
Fuel Capacity	20.0 gal.	26.0 gal.	-6 gal.
Headroom, Row 1	39.0 in	40.1 in	-1.1 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1	57.9 in	58.3 in	-0.4 in
Hip Room, Row 1	56.3 in	0.0 in	56.3 in
Legroom, Row 1	41.9 in	40.3 in	1.6 in
Headroom, Row 2	37.8 in	40.6 in	-2.8 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2	56.9 in	58.9 in	-2 in
Hip Room, Row 2	55.8 in	0.0 in	55.8 in
Legroom, Row 2	38.1 in	39.5 in	-1.4 in
Headroom, Row 3	0.0 in	38.2 in	-38.2 in
Shoulder Room, Row 3	0.0 in	50.5 in	-50.5 in
Legroom, Row 3	0.0 in	34.2 in	-34.2 in
Total Legroom	80 in (over 2 rows)	114 in (over 3 rows)	-34 in
Cargo Volume, Minimum	20.1 ft³	14.3 ft³	5.8 ft³
Cargo Volume, Behind R2	20.1	43.8 ft³	-23.7
Cargo Volume, Maximum	20.1 ft³	83.3 ft³	-63.2 ft³

2011 Ford Taurus Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2011	4dr Sedan 263-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Three adult room in the back seat - comfortably! see full Ford Taurus review
2010	4dr Sedan turbocharged 365hp 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD	The front and rear seats are very comfortable. The back can be cramped with three passengers. The SL has heated front and rear seats which works great and are needed as the car heater is very slow to initially get warm. The heated steering wheel is also a nice touch. The seat fabric is soft but the light color might not wear well. see full Ford Taurus review
2010	4dr Sedan 263-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Leather appointed seats are like sitting in an easy chair. see full Ford Taurus review
2010	4dr Sedan turbocharged 365hp 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD	Independently adjustable lumbar and cushion supports, individual front seat heaters, coolers and massagers for both the seat cushion and the back. Need I say more? see full Ford Taurus review

2011 Ford Taurus Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2012	0 263-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD	The front seats are horrible- similar to airline seats, and no amount of adjusting or adding cushions helped. I'm 6'2 and my wife is 5'3.and neither of us could get comfortable. After 2 weeks, it was actually painful to drive this car. see full Ford Taurus review
2012	0 263-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD	Not enough headroom for adults in the rear seat. Seat comfort is as poor as the front seats. see full Ford Taurus review

2012 Mercedes-Benz GL Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Comment
2013	The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is just a little longer than the Audi Q7 (201.6 vs. 200.3 inches), and isn't as wide (76.4 vs. 78.1 inches). But the Mercedes is considerably taller (72.8 vs. 68.4 inches) and not nearly as curvy. Which might explain how it is far roomier than the much sleeker Audi. Combined legroom for all three rows is 107.6 inches in the Q7 vs. 113.8 inches in the GL-Class, a large difference. The Q7's space deficit grows the farther back you sit. For adults to even fit in the Audi's third row without extreme discomfort, those in the second row must slide their seats forward to the point that they are themselves short on knee room. While the new GL350's third row sits too low to provide thigh support, it's not nearly as cramped. Further evidence that Audi didn't intend the Q7's third row for frequent use: the second-row seat doesn't do a good job of getting out of the way, making the path in and out of the way-back perhaps the tightest I've experienced. The second-row seat in the GL-Class tips forward to open up a much wider path. If manually tipping the seat is too much of a chore (perhaps because you'e a five-year-old and haven't yet learned to read this), $400 buys a power assist. But even with this option the seat must be manually returned to its upright position, so the point eludes me. see full Mercedes-Benz GL review

None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL.

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