For 2010 both Buick and Ford are seeking to regain ground in the upper-midsize sedan segment. In Buick’s case, the brand’s future in the U.S. could well hinge on the success of the thoroughly redesigned LaCrosse. And Ford needs the new Taurus to succeed, lest it also be forced into bankruptcy.
Traditionally Buick has matched off against Mercury, not Ford. But the Sable has been discontinued, and the new Taurus has been shifted upmarket.
Though I haven’t had the chance to drive these cars yet, I closely inspected them at this year’s NAIAS. The Ford’s exterior, while less distinctive, has more presence and will likely have a broader appeal. It has the look of a much more expensive car. Inside, both cars’ interiors are the best yet for their respective brands, but here Buick has an edge in styling, materials, and precision.
Ford has taken an interesting tack with the new 2010 Taurus. Though larger than the previous Taurus on the outside, the 2010 is substantially less roomy on the inside, and visibility has been reduced. Overall, function has been sacrificed in favor of form. Where the 2008-2009 Taurus was much roomier than the Buick LaCrosse, the two are now about equal in shoulder room, and the Buick actually has a significant advantage in rear leg room.
And what about price? Similarly load up a Buick LaCrosse CXS and a Ford Taurus Limited, and Buick ends up with an MSRP lower by $225, while the Ford is $1,113 lower when comparing invoices. (Buick is providing its dealers with much less wiggle room.) The Buick has about $675 in additional features. Adjust for these and the feature-adjusted price difference becomes about $900 in the Buick’s favor at MSRP and about $475 in the Ford’s favor at invoice.
The results are similar when comparing the LaCrosse CXL AWD with the Taurus Limited AWD. These cars are priced very similarly, and are bound to be cross-shopped often.
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