Sulu

I found the following comparison image. The next-generation Taurus, already introduced in China, is built on the current-generation Ford Fusion/Mondeo platform. The problems with the current Taurus (large exterior size but smaller than expected interior size) are due to it being built on an ancient Volvo platform that Ford inherited when it bought Volvo in 1999.

The new Taurus does look like the current Fusion/Mondeo but it looks like the wheelbase and rear door have been stretched.

chromedome

Yeah, the new Taurus is based on the same platform as the Mondeo. It's interesting that the Chinese name is 金牛座, or golden cow constellation, the direct translation for Taurus in the Chinese zodiac.

More pix below from autohome.com.cn:

jadu

iTrader: (42)

Ford Taurus? Haven't heard that name in years..

JDR76

They're a rare site these days.

As for police, around here it seems like the Explorer and Chevy Caprice are the most heavily used.

mmarshall

Of course......that's why I started this thread LOL.

Seriously, outside of the police, who, in my area, do drive a number of them, it pretty much IS a forgotten car these days.

ArmyofOne

Indeed, the last good Taurus was made in like 1992? maybe 1994. Anyway, those were solid cars. I STILL see them on the road every once in a while. As for me, my brother had a 14 Taurus as a company car. It aged well, as all Taurii of days past do. with 165k on the clock last year he was allowed to get a new vehicle, and his company's fleet of company cars were switched to F150's. I had the opportunity to ride with him in the Taurus on several occasions (an SEL model, nicely equipped for the time), and I was impressed with how quiet the car was inside while moving. Barely a whisper of road noise. However, during its lifetime, that car had 4 transmissions, and his Taurus before that got 3. I also thought the interior was very poorly executed, they could have done a much better job on layout and exterior visibility. And with about as much rear legroom as a 2000 IS300, it lacked in that department as well. But what really got me, was the low slung roofline. I hit my head on the a-pillar getting into or out of the damned thing nearly every time, and I am not a tall guy, 5'8".
Agreed. An example of great ideas, poor execution.

The newer SHO's are soooo nice. I was going to look at buying one, but after numerous rides in my brother's car, I decided I couldn't live with its shortcomings. I have always thought they were a stunning body style since they came out, and the color on yours is by far my favorite.

mjeds

most police departments in CA are way past using "cars", everything around me is either old Crown Victoria's that the department keep rebuilding using the parts from decommissioned Victoria's, or they have switched to the Ford Explorer Police Version.. CA Highway Patrol is 80% Ford Explorer now, with some left over Chargers, LAPD is a mix of Explorers and Victoria's, L.A. Sheriff is a mix of Victoria's and Chargers and the Chargers are being replaced with the Explorers, and the Victoria's are still being rebuilt.

The Chevy SS was never officially released as a police certified vehicle, so if a department has them it is probably pretty rare, GM created the Chevy Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) back in 2007-2008, which was basically a beefed up Malibu, my town has 4 of them originally used by the supervisors and now only by code enforcement because the officers complained that they were too small when they were in full tactical gear.

The Taurus was never on the roads in my area as a police cruiser, and in talking to the LEO's I know, and I know quite a few from several departments being most of my neighbors and family are LEOs, the Chargers were dogs; most officers hated them, the majority of them were the V6 models and they had no "bones", the suspension was week and prone to breakage when the officers rode up curbs and over various bumps, dips, and pot holes which make up the streets of L.A. and they tend require brakes every 10K-12K miles where the Victoria's would go 30K-40K.

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I've never seen a Ford Taurus Police Cruiser where I live, nor during my trek across the country last summer, I was surprised to see a lot of early 2000s Chevy Impalas in some of the mid west states, but mostly I saw Ford Explorers and Crown Victoria's and a Few Chevy Caprice Police Editions here and there.

Johnhav430

My mom was just given a '94. She takes care of things and wanted me to shop for a car cover for it. Because, she has always garaged all cars that she's ever owned, and now this one is left outside. Back in the day, I liked the Taurus but I suppose it was too grown up for me, and so I got a '98 Maxima instead (new)....

jadu

iTrader: (42)

haha yes, i instantly thought about that meme floating around! I've attached it below LOL

the 4 door sedan segment is just too competitive

Aron9000

The Caprice PPV shares ZERO parts with the Malibu. Its the same RWD chassis as the Chevy SS, both come out of the same plant in Australia, I think the PPV uses the longer wheelbase version of the Commodore chassis. 6.0 liter V8 in the Caprice PPV, only people in my area that really bought them was the TN Highway Patrol. They're great cars for high speed pursuit, fast, high top speed, great brakes, very stable handling, a much better, safer car for driving at high speeds than an Explorer or Tahoe. I could imagine the achilles heel with this car though was getting parts, there wasn't really a civilian version of this car sold in the US, all parts would have to be shipped in from Australia. And we all know how lousy GM is about stocking parts for their vehicles, I could imagine it being even worse with a limited production car made on the other side of the earth.

Anyways, it seems the highway patrol now days has moved on to using Ford Explorers, I'm sure the officers like the extra space in the Explorers, and with the Ecoboost V6 option they would be plenty quick for catching a guy doing 90-100 on the interstate. Still, the brakes/handling really have to suffer using an SUV due to all the extra weight and higher center of gravity. Especially the handling on something like the PPV Tahoe, its a body on frame truck, I really wouldn't want to push that thing on a tight road.

mjeds

honestly I don't know anything about the PPV, my comment was actually the words of a LEO friend who said something along the lines of the interior space, especially the drivers seat was as small as his (personal) Malibu, and the car was nothing more than an over priced beefed up Malibu. The ones in our town are the 3.6L VVT motor, not the V8, and I'm pretty sure they have been discontinued.

Aron9000

Chevy also sold at the same time, alongside the Caprice PPV, the police spec Impala. That shares a lot more parts with the Malibu, W-body chassis, FWD, V6, it was a lot cheaper than the Caprice. Probably did better in fleet service as well due to Chevy cranking out a ton of the Impalas and not changing the design for 10 years, I'm sure parts both from GM, the junkyard, and the aftermarket were a lot easier to come by

ArmyofOne

Suprising that your LEO department bought chargers with V6's as the patrol cars. That isn't smart, and its the departments fault, not the car. Even in my town of 4000 ppl, the chargers all have the 6.4L V8. I know because I know the Police Chief, he asked me what my reccomendation was on patrol car when they ordered the last round in 2015. They ordered 6 of them, and they have a Camaro that has the ZL1 performance package, but is in base interior trim and patrol car guise. They also have 2 tahoes and 3 explorers.

mmarshall

Interesting, Josh. Our local force, in the town I Iive in, also has a Camaro SS, which they use for high-speed pursuits.

davyjordi

the chinese-market taurus is really attractive. i like where ford has been going in terms of design as of late. there's a bit of a renaissance going on.